“...the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf and who also told us of your love in the Spirit” (Colossians 1:5-8)

I have spent a lot of reflection on the first line of this verse, the apostle opened with a prayer of thanksgiving for this church because he had heard of their faith and the love they showed. This is where those things were rooted, “...the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven”. Apparently, this hope was the source that produced their famous faith and their continuous love. So the questions becomes, what is the hope? 

The Gospel of Hope, The Power of God

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints” (Colossians 1:3-4)

I used to gloss over the introductions in each letter to the church, thinking that the important stuff came afterwards. Many times it seemed the trite, opening with a greeting and prayer as if it was common practice. However, after spending time thinking on them, I realized these words came from a genuine and sincere heart.

In this specific letter to the church in Colosse, Paul rejoices as he had heard of their faith and of the genuine love they exhibited toward each other. At this time, Paul had never met these believers personally (vs 2:1). This church heard the gospel from Epaphras, a friend of Paul’s (vs. 1:7).

The Gospel’s Impact