Tychicus

Biblical Record

Tychicus (Greek: Tychikos) appears five times in the New Testament. His name is generally understood to be related to a Greek word meaning "fortune" or "good luck."

• Acts 20:4: His name first appears among the companions who accompanied Paul as he traveled through Macedonia to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey: "and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus."
• Ephesians 6:21-22: Paul calls him "a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord" and writes that he is sending him to make known Paul's circumstances and to comfort the hearts of the believers.
• Colossians 4:7-9: Paul also calls him a "fellowservant in the Lord" and sends him to the church at Colossae together with Onesimus, who was from Colossae.
• 2 Timothy 4:12: He is mentioned briefly: "And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus."
• Titus 3:12: Paul says he will send Artemas or Tychicus to Titus in Crete and asks Titus to come to him at Nicopolis.

Significance in Scripture

Tychicus is portrayed as one who served at Paul's side by carrying news and acting as his representative. When Paul was imprisoned or unable to travel himself, he sent Tychicus to deliver letters and to look into the condition of the churches. In this respect he was one of the many coworkers who supported Paul's mission. The terms Paul applied to him, "faithful minister" and "fellowservant," show that he enjoyed Paul's deep trust.

Interpretations and Debates

• Letter carrier: Many commentators hold that Tychicus carried Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon together, since in that era the person who delivered a letter often also explained its contents. The text, however, says only that Paul was "sending" him, so this remains an inference.
• Relation to the authorship question: Ephesians 6:21-22 and Colossians 4:7-8 are nearly identical in wording. The traditional view, which holds that Paul wrote both letters, explains this by their having been written and sent at the same time. Some scholars who regard Ephesians as post-Pauline cite the passage as evidence of a literary relationship between the two letters.
• Context in 2 Timothy: Some interpreters read the sending of Tychicus to Ephesus in 2 Timothy 4:12 as an arrangement for him to take Timothy's place so that Timothy could come to Paul.
• Later tradition: According to some accounts, Tychicus later became bishop of a city in Asia Minor, but this is a later tradition not found in Scripture.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Tychicus is frequently presented as a model of the "hidden worker" who faithfully carried out his assigned tasks even though his name was not prominent. He is cited chiefly in sermons on church service or at ordination and installation services to emphasize the faithfulness expected of church officers.