title (2 Cor. 8:23), and certain of the circumcision who are mentioned in

Colossians 4:10,11.  Timothy also is given this title in 1 Thessalonians 3:2,

so is Philemon and a number of others including Luke (Philem. 1 and 24).

These are some of the ways in which Paul refers to his companions.  May

the very reading of the passages stimulate fuller and more faithful service.

We have considered four titles given by the apostle Paul to his

companions in labour, which by their composition with sun, 'together with',

emphasize the idea of fellowship.  These four titles are sunkoinonos,

partaker, companion, one who has fellowship; suzugos, yokefellow; sunathleo,

fellow -striver; and sunergos, fellowworker.  There is one other title

similarly composed, and in order to make our study complete we must give it

like consideration.

Sunaichmalotos, 'fellowprisoner' (Rom. 16:7; Col. 4:10; Philem. 23).

The word aichme, meaning 'a spear' is from akme, 'a point', and is found in

our language in the word 'acme'.  When Paul refers to himself as 'the

prisoner of Jesus Christ', or of the Lord, in Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; 2 Timothy

1:8 and Philemon 1 and 9, he uses desmios, a word that emphasizes the 'bonds'

that went to make up his imprisonment.  To this aspect of his imprisonment he

refers several times in his epistles, speaking of his 'bonds' four times over

in Philippians chapter 1 and, with a touch of pathos, he refers to them in

Colossians 4:18, saying 'remember my bonds'.  Again, in 2 Timothy 2:9 and

Philemon verses 10 and 13 mention of his bonds is made.

It is this word which we associate with Paul's prison ministry.  He

had, however, suffered imprisonment many times before the occasion chronicled

in Acts 28.  We read of his imprisonment in Acts 16:23; 22:29 and 24:27,

while in 2 Corinthians 11:23, when comparing his experiences with that of

other apostles, he wrote: 'in prisons more frequent'.  We do not know how

many times Paul suffered this indignity, but both before and after Acts 28,

certain faithful souls shared imprisonment with him.  The first to be

mentioned are found in Romans 16:7:

'Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who

are of note among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me'.

It is difficult to decide whether by the word 'kinsmen' the apostle

intends us to understand that Andronicus and Junia were simply Israelites

(Rom. 9:3), or that they stood in the nearer place of relatives, as may be

indicated by the use of the same word in Romans 16:11,21.  In Mark 6:4 and in

Acts 10:24 the meaning is, undoubtedly, 'relatives', and we are inclined to

believe that Paul means us to understand that these 'fellowprisoners' were

relatives, and he tells us that they had been Christians longer than he.

When Paul intends to describe the national relationship of an Israelite and

not his kinsfolk, he uses the expression, 'of the circumcision' (Col. 4:11).

It is an encouraging thought that apparently some of Paul's kinsfolk were

amongst the earliest believers on the Lord, and had probably prayed for Saul

at the very time he made havoc of the church.  What joy would be theirs, even

in prison, to go over the wonderful ways of God, and how their tears would be

'lustred by His love' as they reviewed the grace of the Lord.

Aristarchus, the next to be mentioned, is introduced into the pages of

Scripture at a perilous moment.  Evidently there had been a rush to the