Jesus Justus
Another of Paul’s helpers was ‘Jesus [Joshua], which is called Justus’, who like Mark and Aristarchus was a Jew. Says Paul – ‘These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.’ This does not mean that these three were his only fellow workers, but that they were the only Jews among his fellow evangelists.
We say fellow evangelists, because that is what the phrase ‘unto the kingdom of God’ indicates. They were fellow builders of the kingdom by the winning of souls. How interesting this is – that in a predominantly Gentile church there were these three conspicuous Jewish evangelists. The description fits all three, but as we know so little about Joshua Justus, not being mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, we shall give him the epithet of evangelist. He is a fellow labourer unto or for the kingdom of God, bringing in the harvest of souls.
It is moving to hear Paul say that the three Jews had been a comfort, or a great encouragement, to him. We may say: ‘Dear Paul, you are detained in chains, suffering great discomfort through painful ailments, and cut off from your widespread ministry, and the matter that cheers you more than anything else is to hear of the work of evangelists.’ If only we would all be so spiritually minded, and so in tune with the heart of Christ!
Here is a challenge for all of us. When we were first saved we witnessed a great deal. Do we still? We took every opportunity to pray for those to whom we spoke, and we were eager to join in other outreach activities also. Are we still? Would Paul be able to say of us, ‘He is a fellowworker unto the kingdom of God, and has been a comfort [encouragement] to me’?
Another of Paul’s helpers was ‘Jesus [Joshua], which is called Justus’, who like Mark and Aristarchus was a Jew. Says Paul – ‘These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.’ This does not mean that these three were his only fellow workers, but that they were the only Jews among his fellow evangelists.
We say fellow evangelists, because that is what the phrase ‘unto the kingdom of God’ indicates. They were fellow builders of the kingdom by the winning of souls. How interesting this is – that in a predominantly Gentile church there were these three conspicuous Jewish evangelists. The description fits all three, but as we know so little about Joshua Justus, not being mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, we shall give him the epithet of evangelist. He is a fellow labourer unto or for the kingdom of God, bringing in the harvest of souls.
It is moving to hear Paul say that the three Jews had been a comfort, or a great encouragement, to him. We may say: ‘Dear Paul, you are detained in chains, suffering great discomfort through painful ailments, and cut off from your widespread ministry, and the matter that cheers you more than anything else is to hear of the work of evangelists.’ If only we would all be so spiritually minded, and so in tune with the heart of Christ!
Here is a challenge for all of us. When we were first saved we witnessed a great deal. Do we still? We took every opportunity to pray for those to whom we spoke, and we were eager to join in other outreach activities also. Are we still? Would Paul be able to say of us, ‘He is a fellowworker unto the kingdom of God, and has been a comfort [encouragement] to me’?
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