Colossians 1: 4 – Faith, love and expectation

…on hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, because of the expectation…

What Paul had to say about the Colossians he had heard from Epaphras. Three elements are mentioned, the well-known trio of faith, love and expectation, as we also encounter in many other places (1Cor.13:13; 1Thes.1:3). It starts with faith, which is trust in what is communicated. “Faith comes by hearing,” we read in Romans 10:17. But hearing alone is not enough, for the heart must also be opened for this and only One is able to do that. Hence Ephesians 2:8 says that faith is a gift, so that all boasting is excluded.

Where the word about Christ Jesus is well received, it will not fail to have an effect. After all, the Gospel is a good news and a power of God in everyone who believes. It makes people happy and naturally creates love for all who are also ‘set apart’ (= saints). When Paul heard of the effect the Gospel had on the Colossians, he recognized that this was not the work of man. Also not the result of law, tradition or rituals, but the effect of the living word about the resurrected Christ!

Delen: