Faith, Love, and Hope: Colossians 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Paul had never been to Colossae. He had never walked its streets, never seen the faces of the believers there. But Epaphras had told him everything.

Colossae—a small city in the Lycus Valley, overshadowed by its neighbors Laodicea and Hierapolis. The church had been planted not by Paul but by Epaphras, who had learned the gospel from Paul in Ephesus.

And now Epaphras was with Paul in Rome, sharing news of the church he loved—and warnings of dangers threatening it.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

Always. Every prayer included them. Paul thanked God for a church he had never visited, people he had never met face to face.

Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people.

We have heard. Epaphras had reported. Your faith—genuine trust in Christ. Your love—not selective but for all God's people.

The faith and the love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel.

Three virtues: faith, love, hope. But here the order shifted. Faith and love spring from hope. The hope stored up in heaven—the certainty of future glory—generated present faith and present love.

That hope was not wishful thinking. It was stored up, secured, waiting. And they had heard about it in the true message of the gospel.

The gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.

The gospel had come. Active—the gospel moved, traveled, arrived. It was bearing fruit—producing transformation. Growing—expanding, multiplying. Throughout the whole world. The same gospel that reached tiny Colossae was conquering the Roman Empire.

Since the day you heard it and truly understood. The gospel could be heard without being understood. But the Colossians had truly grasped it. God's grace—unmerited favor, gift not earned.

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.

Epaphras. Paul honored him. Dear fellow servant—syndoulos, fellow slave of Christ. Faithful minister. On our behalf—Epaphras represented Paul's mission even where Paul hadn't gone.

And who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

The report was good. Love in the Spirit—not mere human affection but Spirit-generated love. The Colossians were genuine.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

Not stopped. Continuous. Since the day we heard. The prayer was unceasing.

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

The prayer's content began. Fill you—not partial knowledge but fullness. Knowledge of his will—what God wants, what God is doing, what God requires.

Through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Wisdom—the ability to apply knowledge. Understanding—insight into how things connect. The Spirit gives both.

So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.

The purpose of knowledge: worthy living. Knowledge that didn't shape behavior was useless. Paul prayed for knowledge that transformed.

Worthy of the Lord. Axios—matching, corresponding, appropriate. A life that matched who Jesus was.

Please him in every way. Not just some ways. Every way. Total alignment with his pleasure.

Bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Fruit-bearing and growth. Not static but dynamic. Every good work—comprehensive fruitfulness. Growing in knowledge—the knowledge increased as it was lived.

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.

Strengthened with all power. Not some power but all power. According to his glorious might—the measure was God's own strength, not human capacity.

The purpose of power: endurance and patience. Not flashy miracles but steady perseverance. The power to keep going, to bear difficulty, to wait without complaining.

And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Joyful thanks. Gratitude with joy. To the Father—the source of every blessing.

Who has qualified you. Made you fit. Made you adequate. You didn't qualify yourself—he qualified you.

To share in the inheritance. The inheritance of his holy people—what belongs to the saints. In the kingdom of light. Light versus darkness. They had been transferred.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Rescued. Rhuomai—snatched out, delivered from danger. The dominion of darkness—Satan's realm, the empire of sin and death.

Brought us into. Transfer complete. New citizenship. The kingdom of the Son he loves. Not just any kingdom—the kingdom ruled by the beloved Son.

In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In whom. In Christ. Location matters. Redemption—apolutrosis, the price paid for release. Forgiveness of sins—the slate wiped clean.

Paul set down his pen. The prayer was recorded. The thanksgiving expressed.

He had never met them. But he loved them. He prayed for them without ceasing.

And now he would tell them who this Christ really was.