Ep´aphras, an eminent teacher in the church at Colosse, denominated by Paul 'his dear fellow-servant,' and 'a faithful minister of Christ' (; ). From Paul's Epistle to Philemon it appears that he suffered imprisonment with the Apostle at Rome. It has been inferred from , that he was the founder of the Colossian Church, and most probably he was one of its earliest and most zealous instructors.