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Colossians 4:10-11
10 Aristarchus [Aristarchos] my [mou] fellowprisoner [sunaichmalotos] saluteth [aspazomai] you, [humas] and [kai] Marcus, [Markos] sister's son [anepsios] to Barnabas, [Barnabas] (touching [peri] whom [hos] ye received [lambano] commandments: [entole] if [ean] he come [erchomai] unto [pros] you, [humas] receive [dechomai] him; [autos])
11 And [kai] Jesus, [Iesous] which [ho] is called [lego] Justus, [Ioustos] who [ho] are [on] of [ek] the circumcision. [peritome] These [houtos] only [monos] are my fellowworkers [sunergos] unto [eis] the kingdom [basileia] of God, [theos] which [hostis] have been [ginomai] a comfort [paregoria] unto me. [moi] KJV-Interlinear
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision; and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. NASB
The next three individuals are Jewish, ‘from the circumcision.’
Aristarchus, meaning ‘best ruler,’ was from Thessalonica, Acts 20:4. He traveled along with Paul and was seized along with Paul at Ephesus, Acts 19:29, and accompanied him to Rome, Acts 27:2. He shares Pauls imprisonment at Rome.
Barnabas means ‘son of prophecy.’ He was a cousin of Mark, or Marcus, or John Mark, as Mark was sometimes called. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus and had moved to Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem he sold a field and gave the money to the poor there, Acts 4:36.
Barnabas was the individual who acted as intermediary between the original Apostles and Paul, as they did not trust Pauls recent conversion. Barnabas went for Paul in Tarsus and brought him back to Jerusalem as an associate. Later they were accompanied by John Mark and began what is known as Pauls first missionary journey, Acts 13.
At some point in their travel, Paul and Barnabas had a falling out and John Mark was caught in the middle, Acts 15.
Mark was from a wealthy family. His mothers name was Mary, Acts 12:12. He accompanied Barnabas and Saul (Paul), to Antioch. In Acts 13-15, Mark had a falling out with Paul over the question of salvation by faith alone. Mark was not sure on this point and it was Paul who basically stood alone regarding that principle. Paul did not want to take Mark along on the second missionary journey, and that is where Paul and Barnabas split.
It is not for another ten years or so that anything more is heard of Mark, and then we find him in Rome with Paul, the ill feelings and differences having been healed. Mark is now described as one of the faithful.
Justus, ‘the just one,’ is not mentioned anywhere else in the scriptures. He may have been the same man mentioned in Acts 18:7, but that is not clear. He was obviously a close friend and associate of Paul.
Through thick and thin, hardship and prosperity, even arrest, Paul found himself surrounded by people who were both loyal to God and to His ministry. They all had ample opportunity to blame Paul, or to leave him, but did not.
