Colossians 1:1–5 ‘We have heard of your… faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven…’ (vv4–5)
Welcome to three weeks of exploring Colossians! Paul wrote to this church which he’d likely not visited, but had grown out of his mission to Ephesus through the conversion of Epaphras.
This man became a ‘dear fellow servant’ of Paul and Timothy (v7) and planted churches in several areas, including at his home of Colossae.
Epaphras must have told Paul that false teachers were influencing the Colossians. What that heresy was, we’re not exactly sure – biblical scholars differ in their assessments.
But Paul, who wrote from prison, wanted to encourage this new church to hold true to their faith in Christ.
As you read the verses allocated for today, note that Paul switches the order of what we normally think of as the great trio of ‘faith, hope and love,’ with ‘the greatest of these’ being love (1 Cor. 13:13).
Here Paul says that the faith and love of the Colossians springs from their hope in heaven. That is, their sure hope in God and His promises fuels their faith in Christ and fires their love for God’s people.
Paul isn’t contradicting himself, but rather placing the emphasis on hope over love for the needs of a specific local church.
He wants the Colossians to continue following the true and living God and not to heed the false teachers, so he reminds them of their hope in heaven.
And how about us – where do we put our hope? Do we really believe that God will follow through on His promises?
Ask yourself whether you’ve succumbed to a cynical outlook, and know that whatever you’re going through, God’s love won’t fail.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord Jesus Christ, build my hope in Your Word. Plant it and water it, that it may grow into a mighty tree that can provide shelter for others. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Read through the book of Colossians. It’s not long, and the overview will deepen your engagement as we look at it.
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 33:20–22; Jer. 29:10–14; 1 Cor. 13:1–13; Eph. 3:14–19
