Thanking God for faith and love produced by Gospel hope
Colossians 1:3-8
Here is yet one more passage in Scripture that undermines the idea that one can be too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.
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Published December 19th, 2016
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Commentary
Paul's fellow-servant, Epaphras (7b) shared the gospel with the Colossians (7a). The Colossians respond to the gospel with faith, love, and hope (4-5a). Epaphras reports this to Paul (8) to which he responds with thanks-filled prayers for them (3ab). The Colossians are part of a world-wide movement toward Christ (6ab). The fact that Paul thanks God for the Colossians faith, love, and hope shows that their response to the gospel is not ultimately a self-determined response, but a gift of God's sovereign grace (cf. 6d). One other thing to note is that future hope is the source of present faith and love (4-5a).
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Colossians 1:3-8
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Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ θεῷ πατρὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντοτε
We are always giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι,
( when we are) praying concerning you
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ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχετε εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους
(the reason we always give thanks is because we have) heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love which you are having toward all the saints
διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς,
(you have this faith in Christ and love for the saints) because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens
ἣν προηκούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
(Let me tell you more about this hope:) you heard this hope beforehand in the word of truth, i.e. the gospel
τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς,
(when) the gospel came to you
καθὼς καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν καρποφορούμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον
(let me paranthetically insert that what is happening for you is happening wherever the gospel goes in the world) just as it is also bearing fruit and growing in all the world
καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν,
just as it also is (bearing fruit and growing) among you
ἀφʼ ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐπέγνωτε τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ•
(this fruitful effect of the gospel in you was caused ) from the day you heard and came to know the grace of God in truth
καθὼς ἐμάθετε ἀπὸ Ἐπαφρᾶ
(the way you heard and came to know the gospel is that) you learned it from Ephaphras,
τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ συνδούλου ἡμῶν, ὅς ἐστιν πιστὸς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διάκονος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
( two things about Epaphras: he is) our beloved fellow slave who is a faithful servant of Christ on behalf of you,
ὁ καὶ δηλώσας ἡμῖν τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ἐν πνεύματι.
( furthermore he is also) the one who also made known to us your love in the Spirit
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