Holy Apostle Tychicus – Dec 8

The holy, Apostle Tychicus (Tychikos) was one among the Seventy Apostles, a spiritual student, disciple and companion of St. Paul the Apostle. He was born in Ephesus, in the Roman province of Asia. He was a trustworthy servant of the Lord from Asia Minor. True, Tychicus is only mentioned five times in the New Testament, but the ministry he provided was noteworthy. Tychicus is one of those Bible characters who probably doesn’t receive the recognition due them.

We first meet Tychicus in Acts, during Paul’s third missionary journey, when he accompanies St Paul from Macedonia to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). He is mentioned as one of Paul’s companions on the way from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver a gift to the Church there (Rom. 15: 25–26). He is described by Paul as a ‘beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord’. Tychicus is called a “dear brother” of Paul’s and a “faithful servant” of the Lord’s (Eph. 6: 21). Tychicus is a “faithful minister and fellow servant” Col. 4: 7.

Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia (Acts 20:4). He was one of the men who helped take the collection to Jerusalem. He took the trouble of going to Rome to be with Paul in his first imprisonment. He delivered the Epistles to Ephesians, Colossians and to Philemon to encourage them. “Tychicus will tell you everything’. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord” (Eph. 6: 21). He, also escorted the runaway slave, Onesimus, who had now become a Christian, back to his owner, Philemon. Tychicus was responsible to intervene before Philemon so that he would welcome Onesimus back as a brother, rather than punishing him as the law would have dictated. Later, Paul sent either Tychicus or Artemas on the island of Crete (Tit. 3: 12), to oversee the Christian Church to relieve Titus there, as Titus visited Paul in Nicopolis and once again to Ephesus to encourage them, while Timothy visited Paul in Rome before execution.  “When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there”. ‘So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord (Colossians 4: 7). Tychicus was again with Paul in his second imprisonment. Paul “I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus” (2 Tim. 4: 9, 12) freeing Timothy to try to get to the apostle’s side before he was executed.

There is an believer, who is not mentioned by name, alluded to in 2 Corinthians 8: 22, described as a “brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.” Many commentators surmise that this is a reference to Tychicus, as this description adequately seems to fit, Tychicus.

Some sources believe that he was a deacon, whereas others say he was a bishop in Caesarea, replacing St. Sosthenes. Since we know nothing of him after his work with Paul, many cities claim him as their first bishop. He departed peacefully to the Lord. St Tychicus was who wrote several of the letters to early Churches. He commemorated on December 8 with Sts. Apollos, Cephas, Sosthenes, Epaphroditus, Caesar, and Onesiphorus, all New Testament Bible Characters.