ON SAINT ARCHIPPUS, FELLOW-SOLDIER OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
FIRST CENTURY
CommentaryArchippus, Fellow-Soldier of Saint Paul the Apostle (Saint)
[1] Bede in his genuine Martyrology celebrates only Saint Cuthbert the Bishop, whose life he wrote in both verse and prose, illustrated below by us. To Bede, Florus added these words: "Of Archippus, fellow-soldier of Paul the Apostle"; Inscribed in the sacred calendars which same words are read in the manuscript Martyrology of Liege under the name of Bede, and in many manuscripts of Ado, which Rosweyde relegated to an Appendix. In the Vatican manuscript of Saint Peter and the Vallicellian, "in Asia" is prefixed, which seems to be taken from Usuard, who begins this day thus: "The thirteenth day before the Calends of April. In Asia, the birthday of Saint Archippus, fellow-soldier of Blessed Paul, whom the same Apostle mentions in his epistle writing to the Colossians." These same words are reported in many manuscripts and in Bellinus, Maurolycus, Felicius, and others; and they are read somewhat more fully in today's Roman Martyrology: "In Asia, the birthday of Saint Archippus, fellow-soldier of Blessed Paul the Apostle, whom he himself mentions in the epistle to Philemon and to the Colossians."
[2] With the title of fellow-soldier, or in Greek systratiotes, Paul addressed him at the beginning of the epistle to Philemon in these words: fellow-soldier of Saint Paul "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker, and to Apphia our dearest sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier." Saint Paul calls Archippus his fellow-soldier and that of Saint Timothy by an elegant metaphor and analogy, very well suited to the business he proposed: for they were enlisted in the same Christian warfare and were fighting under the same standards of Christ for the defense of his dignity and glory. To carry out this warfare vigorously, he exhorts the same Archippus at the end of his epistle to the Colossians in these words: "Say to Archippus: See to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it." Where others read: "Attend to your ministry and consider, that you may diligently carry out the ministry" -- in Greek, diakonian -- "in divine matters, for the divine honor and the salvation of souls, and fulfill all the parts of your office." What that ministry of Saint Archippus among the Colossians was, however, is disputed. Saint Ambrose, writing on this passage of the epistle, establishes him as Bishop of the Colossians. Held by some to be a Bishop Others followed --
others, such as Notker in his Martyrology: "At Colossae, of Archippus the Bishop, fellow-soldier of Blessed Paul the Apostle." Galesinius amplifies this at greater length: "In Asia, Saint Archippus, who, as Bishop of the Church of Colossae, a disciple of Blessed Paul the Apostle, distinguished by the testimony of the same, having holily and devoutly discharged the preaching of the Gospel, underwent martyrdom and departed to the Lord." But on the contrary, in the German Martyrology of Canisius he is said to have died in peace; in the second edition of which, however, considerably augmented from Galesinius, it is added that others report he died by shedding his blood for Christ. We would prefer these claims to be confirmed by the testimonies of the ancients. But let us return to the ministry of Archippus.
[3] Saint Thomas in his Commentary calls him the Prelate of the Colossians, and more clearly in the Secunda Secundae, question 32, article 4, reply to objection 2, he calls him Bishop, as one who had received after Epaphras the charge of governing that Church. On the other hand, Primasius judges that he only performed the office of a Deacon, held by others to be a Deacon and Baronius seems to adhere to this opinion in his Annals for the year 60, number 11. Estius admits neither view. "For," he says, "no reason appears why Epaphras should have ceased to be their Bishop, nor could a Deacon supply for the absence of the Bishop by his ministry. Wherefore it is probable that he was a Presbyter of that Church, who, in the absence of the Bishop, fed it with the word and the Sacraments," or a Presbyter "so that the meaning of Paul's words is: Say to Archippus, the Presbyter of your Church, that he diligently and carefully carry out the ministry entrusted to him by Epaphras at his departure, in the things that are of the Lord, and fulfill all the parts of his office."
[4] In the manuscript Florarium, to the words of Usuard is added: "He was one of the seventy-two disciples of the Lord." Was he one of the 72 disciples? But his name is not inserted in the Synopsis published under the name of Saint Dorotheus concerning these disciples.