Tychicus

:"Tychicus" is also a spider genus in the Sparassidae family.

In Christianity, Tychicus was a biblical disciple and companion of Paul of Tarsus. He was a native of the Roman province of Asia (Acts of Apostles 20:4), born, probably, at Ephesus. About his conversion nothing is known. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15106c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia Article] ]

From Acts 20 we learn that Tychicus joined Paul towards the end of his third missionary journey from Corinth through Macedonia and Asia Minor to Jerusalem remaining with the Apostle to the final point of the journey.

Paul mentions in his Second Epistle to Timothy (4:12) that he has sent Tychicus to Ephesus. Since it is also stated that Tychicus shared the Apostle's first Roman captivity and was the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians, that to the Ephesians and to Philemon, this may have been the purpose of the trip. Paul indicated that he would tell them of the state of the apostle (Colossians 4:7-9). After friendly greetings (10-14), he bids them interchange this letter with that he had sent to the neighbouring Laodicean Church. Tychicus is also mentioned in Paul's Epistle to Titus (3:12) as one of two people who might be sent to help Titus.

Several cities claim him as their bishop. The "Menology" of Basil Porphyrogenitus, which commemorates him on 9 April, makes him Bishop of Colophon and successor to Sosthenes. He is also said to have been appointed Bishop of Chalcedon by St. Andrew the Apostle [Lipsius, "Apokryphe Apostelgesch.", Brunswick, 1883, 579.] . He is also called bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus [Le Quien, "Oriens christianus", Paris, 1740, I, 125; II, 1061.] . Some martyrologies make him a deacon, while the Roman Martyrology places his commemoration at Paphos in Cyprus. In Roman Catholic Church his feast is kept on 29 April. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15106c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia Article] ]

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