With these facts the noble narrative of Luke ceases entirely, and
henceforth no means are left of ascertaining the events of Paul’s life,
except in those incidental allusions which his subsequent writings
make to his circumstances. Those epistles which are certainly known
and universally agreed to have been written from Rome during this
imprisonment, are those to the Philippians, the Ephesians, the
Colossians, and to Philemon. There are passages in all these which
imply that he was then near the close of his imprisonment, for he
speaks with great confidence of being able to visit them shortly, and
very particularly requests preparation to be made for his accommodation
on his arrival.
There is good reason to think that the epistles to the Ephesians,
to the Colossians, and to Philemon, were written about the same time
and were sent together. This appears from the fact, that Tychicus
is spoken of in both the two former, as sent by the apostle, to make
known to them all his circumstances more fully, and is also implied as
the bearer of both, while Onesimus, the bearer of the latter, is also
mentioned in the epistle to the Colossians as accompanying Tychicus.