Introduction
As a Christian, I think it is fair to say that most, if not all of us, have had someone praying for us during our Christian walk. Without those prayers, our paths may have had another bump or two along the way—maybe more! Those prayers may have come from a parent. For others those prayers may have come from a close Christian friend or mentor. Perhaps even from a spouse. For the Colossian Church, the apostle Paul was one of those people.
Paul’s Prayer (Thankfulness)
Paul consistently prayed for the Colossian Church because he was both thankful and concerned. He was thankful for the genuine reproducing Christian love of the Colossian Church. He was concerned because there was a heretical teaching that was endangering churches in the area and he wanted to protect them from heretical false teachings (The nature of the heresy is described in the previous post “Meeting the Colossian Church”).[i] In verses 3-8 of chapter 1, Paul expressed his thankfulness. In verses 9-14 of the same chapter, Paul prayed so that the Colossian Church would be equipped and prepared for any possible spiritual battles ahead. We will look at verses 9-14 next time. For now, we will focus our attention on why Paul was so thankful for the Colossian Church—faith, love, hope, and the reproducing nature of their faith in Christ.
Faith
What is faith? When Paul described the faith of the Colossian Christians, he used the word, πίστις (pistis). It is used to express assurance or firm conviction. Faith is different from belief. Belief is an acknowledgement that something is true. An engineer may tell you that the foot bridge he just built across the Grand Canyon is safe to use to cross the canyon. You may believe he is telling you the truth. But faith is not exercised until you step onto that bridge and begin to cross the canyon. Faith requires action. For the Christian, faith results in a changed life. Belief alone does not bring salvation. James 2:19 says that even the demons believe in Jesus. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (ESV). The demons believe that Jesus is who He says He is. But the demons don’t put their faith in Jesus to save them from eternal damnation. For this reason, the demons can know the truth about Jesus and continue in their evil deeds.
The Faith of the Colossian Church
The Colossian Christians didn’t simply believe in Jesus. They put their faith in Jesus to save them from their sins. Their faith was an active faith and was shown in their love for their Christian brothers and sisters of every race and nationality. The Colossian Church included both Jew and Gentile Christians. In that time in history, there was contempt between the two groups. It was unusual for Jews and Gentiles to worship together.[ii] The fact that they were able to worship together and that they shared a genuine Christian love for one another is evidence that their faith was an active faith that produced a change in their hearts and in their lives.
Love
Love has various meanings in today’s world. It seems to me that most commonly it is used hyperbolically. You may hear someone say that they love ice cream. But do they really love ice cream? Do they pray for the safety of ice cream? Do they make financial sacrifices so that the ice cream can live a long and healthy life? Do they encourage ice cream to strive to achieve its goals in life? Would they step in front of a quart of ice cream to protect it from a charging bull? Of course, they would not, and the thought of someone behaving in this way is ridiculous. We know they really don’t love ice cream and that what they mean is that they enjoy ice cream very much. Let’s look at another example. How often have we heard people say “love is love” while defending a lifestyle that expresses this supposed love in sinful relationships? If one person truly loves another, they will not lead them to participate in sinful activities or lifestyles. These are just two examples. But it is clear the misuse of the word “love” has become commonplace.
What is Love?
To answer the question, “what is love?”, one may be drawn to the dictionary for answers. But dictionaries focus primarily on emotion, desire/passion and affection. Even when God is mentioned in the list of definitions or uses, the love of God is defined, in its basic sense, as an emotion. These definitions may describe the word in its current usage in modern vocabulary. But these definitions fail to describe love in its truest meaning.
The apostle John explains that love is not simply an emotion that God has. Rather, God is love. If God is love, He is the source of all love. John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8) (ESV). In John 13:34-35, Jesus teaches His disciples: “A new command I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love for fellow Christians is one of the marks of true Christianity. This is evident in the Colossian Church in their indiscriminate love for each other regardless of race or nationality. For this, Paul is thankful.
It’s Greek to Me!
As was pointed out earlier, love in today’s vocabulary has different meanings. To understand the intended meaning of the author, we must examine the original word used by Paul. The New Testament writers used Greek to write the New Testament. This is so because much of the world, in the time of the Apostles, was able to understand Greek. Writing in Greek allowed their writings to reach larger audiences that included Gentiles. Greek has three words in its vocabulary that is translated as “love” in the English language. They range in meaning from romantic love, brotherly love and pure love. In the apostle John’s examples above, he uses ἀγάπη (agapē). Paul uses the same word to describe the love that the Colossians have for “all the saints” (1:4). It is used to describe the love of Jesus toward mankind and God’s love toward Jesus. It describes an indiscriminate love that is pure in motive. Of the three attributes of true Christianity, faith, hope and love, love is the primary characteristic (1 Cor. 13:13). This is a love that can only originate from God. Paul writes that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
Hope
Hope is another word that is used in different ways. It seems that most definitions have a form of desire or wishful thinking as their definition. You may hear a job seeker say, “I sure hope I get that job.” Patients waiting on test results from their doctor may say in their minds or to a loved one, “I hope it’s nothing serious.” It is more like a form of wishful thinking than an expectation. When Paul speaks of the hope of the Colossian Christians, he is referring to something more than mere wishful thinking. Hope, as Paul describes, is the basis for the faith and love the Colossians have for one another. Their faith and love are “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” (v. 5). Paul uses the word ἐλπίς (elpis) which is defined as a trust or confident expectation. This hope became a reality with the Colossians when they heard the truth of the gospel (v. 5).
What “Fruit” is This?
I’ve always admired people that can look at any plant or tree and know exactly what kind of plant or tree it is before its fruit has grown. I wouldn’t know the difference between an apple tree and a pear tree, or a cucumber plant and a watermelon plant until it produces fruit. Once the fruit begins to grow, it will be abundantly clear to me what type of tree or plant it is. This is also true of people. I can’t look at a photo of someone and know for certain they are a Christian. But I can observe them and, in time, their fruit will reveal whether there is reason to believe they are a Christian or not. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns about false prophets—wolves disguising themselves as sheep. He assures His listeners that they will know if a prophet is a sheep or a wolf based on their fruit. He explains that a healthy tree produces good fruit and a diseased tree bears bad fruit (Matt. 7:17).
Paul has heard the report from Epaphras that the Colossian Christians were “bearing fruit.” We know that their fruit is good because Paul is thankful for their “love in the spirit” (v. 8). But what does it mean to bear fruit? Christians aren’t apple trees or watermelon plants. “Fruit” has been known primarily as good deeds. Some have suggested that the “fruit” of the Colossians Christians is in reference to making converts. I think that both descriptions can be attributed to the “fruit” of the Colossian Christians, but I think, in this scenario, Paul is primarily referencing the reproductive quality of their faithful service. The love in the spirit that the Colossian Christians possessed was sure to produce good deeds. The connection of this love in the spirit with the gospel suggests that some aspect of their “good deeds” was producing new disciples for Jesus Christ through the gospel of the grace of God.
Plant and It Will Grow
A seed, by its appearance, seems insignificant. But if the seed is planted in the correct soil, in a favorable location and nurtured properly, that seed can grow into a plant or a tree that can produce beauty that can be enjoyed, shade that can provide comfort on a hot day, or fruit that can provide nourishment. The seed that produced the “fruit” of the Colossian Christians is the gospel of the grace of God (v. 5-6). Epaphras is the one who planted that seed (v. 7). As the leader of the Colossian Church, Epaphras led them to a sound understanding of the gospel. This in turn led the church to grow into a mature body of believers. They were true disciples of Jesus Christ. As the saying goes, disciples make other disciples.
Sharing the gospel should be a natural part of the life of every Christian. In Matthew 28: 16-20, Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission. His instructions were to “make disciples of all nations” and “teach them all that [Jesus] has commanded [them].” Paul praised them because the gospel was “bearing fruit” and “increasing” among them.
Growth from Maturity
We have already examined what Paul means by “bearing fruit.” But what does he mean when he says that the gospel was “increasing” among them? One might say that the term “increasing” has a twofold meaning. They were “bearing fruit” and that caused the church to grow numerically. The gospel is the center point of their increase. Also, the phrase “bearing fruit” in connection to the love and hope shown by the Colossians also suggests a maturing quality to their increase. They have become a spiritually mature church that shares the gospel.
Conclusion
I am thankful for the prayers of friends and family members. I am thankful for those in my life that took time to share the gospel and disciple me. The gospel changes lives and my life is much better because of it. Paul was thankful for the spiritual growth of the Colossian Christians. He praised them for their love in the spirit and the hope that they have in the gospel of the grace of God. Epaphras was a faithful minister and evangelist. As a result, the Church at Colossae grew to become a spiritually mature body of believers—disciples that make disciples. We may not all be called to be a pastor or an evangelist. But, just as Epaphras shared the gospel that he received from Paul, we can share the gospel that we have received. It doesn’t have to be a long or fancy gospel presentation. Just simply come alongside someone and share the love in the spirit that you have. Who do you know that needs the love of hope in the gospel? How might you begin to plant the seed of the gospel in the hearts of those who need it.
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[i] Richard R. Melick, Jr., Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Vol. 32, New American Commentary. (Nashville, TN: Broadman, 1991), 164.
[iii] David E. Garland, Colossians/Philemon, NIV Application Commentary. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), 43.
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