Paul’s Thankfulness
Colossians 1:3–8
The Bible admonishes believers to be constantly and consistently thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will. Jesus’ brother James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas. 1:2).
The apostle Paul faced a multitude of trials. While penning the Colossian epistle, he was a prisoner of Rome, awaiting trial, not knowing if he would be convicted and killed. Yet, Paul was thankful to God in all his experiences, especially when he heard of people forsaking paganism and finding redemption through Christ.
Since Paul had not met the Colossian believers, he provided them proof of his authority in Christ. Thus, he introduced himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (Col. 1:1).
After Paul wrote the salutation to this epistle (vv. 1–2), he followed it with a note of thanksgiving to God for the Colossian church. Paul identified himself as the author of 13 epistles and gave thanks in 11 of these letters. No reason is given as to why he did not offer thanksgiving in the salutations of 2 Corinthians and Galatians, but most scholars believe the exclusion was due to sin being manifested in these churches.
Thankful for the Colossians’ Faith
Seeking to encourage the Colossian believers’ faith, Paul began the epistle with a compliment. In the Greek text, verses 3–8 compose one long sentence praising the church for its commitment. Paul thanked God for the Colossians and offered prayer for them, writing, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints” (vv. 3–4).
As was Paul’s custom, neither he nor Timothy, his son in the faith, took credit for the great things taking place in the Colossian church. Instead, they willingly praised God the Father and Jesus Christ (v. 3).
Scholars have debated whether the word always (Greek, pantote) in verse 3 modifies giving thanks to God the Father (and is not in the Greek text) or “praying.” Although both translations are correct, the phrase is grammatically ambiguous as to which position Paul is referring. Many scholars believe the word always refers to giving thanks to God for the Colossian believers’ salvation whenever he prayed for them.
Paul gave three reasons why he thanked God for the Colossian believers:
1. Their past faith. The Colossians had left paganism and were redeemed by “faith in Christ” (v. 4). The Christian life begins at redemption when a person is born again by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. It is not simply having faith that makes the difference. It is having faith specifically in Jesus Christ. Only He can provide salvation.
2. Their present love. The Colossians held a “love for all the saints” (v. 4). The word love is translated from the Greek word agape. Agape love transcends every expression of love, though it is foreign to man’s nature. God the Father is the source of such love, and He freely bestows it on those He chooses. Agape love flows downward from our loving God and outward to others. Saving faith in Christ must come first before Christian love can be manifested to others. Love is the outworking of faith. Jesus Christ declared, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35). The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 Jn. 3:14).
3. Their future hope. Paul wrote of “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel” (Col. 1:5). The word hope (Greek, elpis) means to anticipate with great expectation and confidence what God has for believers in the future. The Colossians possessed this spiritual hope, which was anchored in their commitment to Christ and God’s infallible Word and linked to their faith and love. Christians’ lives are grounded in faith; expressed in love to all; and consummated in expectation of Christ’s return to take them to heaven, which Paul called “the blessed hope” (Ti. 2:13). The fulfillment of this hope awaits believers in heaven according to Christ’s promises.
The apostle Peter described the wonderful inheritance that awaits believers in heaven, calling it “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Therefore, the Christian life is described in four ways: (1) incorruptible or imperishable, not subject to decay or dissolution; (2) undefiled, or uncontaminated, by sin; (3) not susceptible to fading away, losing its glory and charm like a flower, nor decaying and dying; and (4) reserved in heaven, or placed under safekeeping, guarded, and watched over by God.
Paul linked his thanksgiving with the gospel (Greek, euaggelion), which means “good news.” The gospel message of salvation is the “word of truth” (Col. 1:5). In His high-priestly prayer, shortly before He was betrayed and crucified, Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). That is, the revelation that God the Father gave to the world (including Christ’s words) is now contained in the Scriptures written by the apostles and called “the truth” (Col. 1:5). All Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is truth (Ps. 119:160; 2 Tim. 3:16–17).
Paul echoed Jesus’ claim that God’s Word is not only true but, more definitively, “the truth.”
Thankful for the Gospel’s Fruitfulness
Paul declared that the gospel, “which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:6). In other words, the gospel, which is “the truth,” is universally fruitful. Wherever the gospel goes, it surpasses all religious systems ever taught.
Paul compared the gospel to plant life that will continually bear fruit like itself. Thus, the gospel of Christ is living and powerful and, when preached and accepted, produces spiritual life.
When Paul wrote “in all the world” (v. 6), he did not mean that the gospel reached every area of the world in his day, but it produced fruit everywhere it went. Thus, the Christian life is received by faith, linked to love, and consummated in hope.
Thankful for Epaphras’s Fellowship
Paul trained many of his close friends, who then evangelized in areas where he never traveled. One such friend was Epaphras.
Epaphras is mentioned only three times in the New Testament. Paul called him “our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit” (vv. 7–8). In Colossians 4:12, Paul labeled him “a bondservant of Christ.” In Philemon 23, Paul referred to Epaphras as “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.” The word bondservant (Greek, doulos) signifies one who gives himself or herself up to another’s will. Thus, Epaphras voluntarily gave himself to Christ to advance His cause in whatever way he was called to serve.
It is believed that Epaphras was born again during Paul’s ministry while he taught in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). After Paul trained him, Epaphras went out and evangelized his hometown of Colossae and many other cities in the Lycus Valley. Of all the workers Paul taught throughout his ministry, only Epaphras received the apostle’s commendation for his intensive prayer life. Epaphras had traveled to Rome to seek spiritual counsel from Paul regarding false teachers seeking to undermine believers’ theology and faith.
Paul concluded his thanksgiving comments by writing, “who also declared to us your love in the Spirit” (Col. 1:8). Epaphras had relayed to Paul the great love the Colossians shared with one another. Paul’s response was that such love would not be possible unless the Colossians were believers; and, being believers, their love toward one another came from the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.
We, like Paul, need to be thankful for the salvation we possess in Jesus Christ, never forgetting also to give thanks for other Christians and their commitment to the Lord.
