A native of Colossae (4:12, 'one of you') who founded the congregation there — and, on the evidence of 4:13, those at Laodicea and Hierapolis as well. Paul calls him 'our beloved FELLOW SLAVE' and 'a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf', which places the local evangelist on exactly Paul's own footing; it was Epaphras who brought Paul the report about Colossae that produced the letter, and Epaphras who 'struggles' for them in prayer. At Philemon 23 he is called Paul's 'fellow prisoner'. The name is a shortened form of Epaphroditus, but he is generally taken to be a different man from the Philippian of that name.