Archippus

Biblical Record

Archippus is named twice in the New Testament. Both references occur in letters that Paul sent to believers in the region of Colossae in Asia Minor.

• Philemon 1:2: In the opening of the Epistle to Philemon, Paul greets Philemon, "our beloved Apphia," "Archippus our fellowsoldier," and "the church in thy house," that is, the church that met in Philemon's house. "Fellowsoldier" denotes a colleague who contends alongside others in the work of the gospel. Paul used the same expression of Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25.
• Colossians 4:17: In closing the Epistle to the Colossians, Paul writes, "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." Notably, Paul does not address Archippus directly but has the church deliver the message.

Beyond these passages, Scripture provides no information about Archippus's origin, family, life, or death.

Significance Within Scripture

Taken together, the two passages indicate that Archippus held a responsibility in a church in the Colossae region and that Paul recognized him as a fellow worker. Because his name is listed alongside those of Philemon and Apphia in the Epistle to Philemon, he seems to have been closely connected with the church that met in Philemon's house, one of the early house gatherings. The word rendered "ministry" in Colossians 4:17 is the Greek diakonia, meaning "service" or "ministry." The text does not specify what that ministry was.

Interpretations and Debated Questions

• Nature of the ministry: The verses immediately preceding Colossians 4:17 mention the church at Laodicea. Some interpreters therefore suggest that Archippus took charge of ministry in Colossae or Laodicea while Epaphras was away. The text alone, however, does not settle the matter.
• Tone of the charge: Some read Paul's words as a rebuke of Archippus for neglecting his ministry. Others read them as encouragement to someone who had recently taken on a new responsibility.
• Member of Philemon's family: A long-standing view holds that Archippus was the son of Philemon and Apphia. Since Scripture does not state how the three were related, this remains conjecture. Some twentieth-century scholars proposed that Archippus was the actual master of Onesimus, but this is regarded as a minority view.
• Later tradition: Some early church writings describe Archippus as bishop of Laodicea. In Eastern Orthodox tradition he is reportedly commemorated as a martyr together with Philemon, Apphia, and Onesimus. Such accounts should be distinguished from the content of the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Archippus is seldom treated as a sermon subject in his own right. However, the words of Colossians 4:17, "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it," are cited as a text emphasizing the responsibility of church officers and are sometimes used at ordination and installation services or in training for church officers. In Sunday school curricula he is usually mentioned briefly in introductions to Paul's co-workers.