Colossians 1:4

Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have (hn ecete, Revised Text) toward all the saints (Eph_1:15, B.V; Phm_1:5, R.V; 1Th_4:9, 1Th_4:10; 1Jn_3:23 2Jn_1:4 3Jn_1:3, 4) "Having heard "more immediately from Epaphras (vers. 8, 9). Note the characteristic recurrence of this word: he had heard of their faith and love, as they had heard before the word of truth (ver. 5); from the day they had heard they had borne fruit (ver. 6), and he, in return, from the day he heard of it, had not ceased to pray for them (ver. 9); see note on ver. 8; and comp. 1Th_1:5 and 2:2 with 3:6 (Greek). "In Christ Jesus" is attached to "faith (as to "brethren" in ver. 2) so closely as to form with it a single idea; to be "in Christ Jesus" is of the very essence of this faith and brotherhood. "Faith in Christ," "believe in Christ," in our English Bible, commonly represent a different Greek preposition, eijv (literally, into or unto Christ); only in the pastoral Epistles and in Eph_1:15 not (Gal_3:26 see Lightfoot) or (Rom_3:25 see Meyer or Beet) do we find, as here, pistiv ejn Cristw. In Christ faith rests, finding its abiding ground and element of life. In the Epistles of this period the Christian state appears chiefly as "life in Christ;" rather than, as in the earlier letters, as "salvation through Christ". (comp. e.g. Ro 5 and Col_2:9-15) The "love" of the Colossians evokes thanksgiving, as that which they have "toward all the saints;" for as the Church extended Christian love needed to be more catholic (ver. 6; Col_3:11) and Colossian error in particular tended to exclusiveness and caste feeling (see note on ver. 28). The iteration of "all" in this Epistle is remarkable.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:4 God’s people (literally holy ones, or saints): In the New Testament, all Christians are saints, people who have been specially set apart by God as his own holy people (3:12).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Col 1:4. Πάντας, all) present and absent.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Col 1:4 . Paul now introduces the grounds of his thankfulness, the good report he has heard as to the faith and love of the Colossians. He refers to it again (Col 1:9 ). πίστιν ἐν Χ . ἐν may be equivalent to εἰς , but probably indicates “the sphere in which their faith moves rather than the object to which it is directed” (Lightf.). This faith rests upon Christ. πίστ . is wrongly taken by Ewald to mean “fidelity”. πάντας , i.e. , all Christians throughout the world, whose unity in the universal Church was a thought much in Paul’s mind at this time.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Since we heard--literally, "Having heard." The language implies that he had only heard of, and not seen, them (Col 2:1). Compare Rom 1:8, where like language is used of a Church which he had not at the time visited.

love . . . to all--the absent, as well as those present [BENGEL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. Since we heard of your faith] This is very similar to Eph 1:15. And it is certain that the apostle seems to have considered the Church at Ephesus, and that at Colassa to have been nearly in the same state, as the two epistles are very similar in their doctrine and phraseology.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Having heard of your faith. This was a means of stirring up his love towards them, and his concern for their welfare, when he heard it that they were distinguished by faith and love. And, unquestionably, gifts of God that are so excellent ought to have such an effect upon us as to stir us up to love them wherever they appear. He uses the expression, faith in Christ, that we may always bear in mind that Christ is the proper object of faith.

He employs the expression, love towards the saints, not with the view of excluding others, but because, in proportion as any one is joined to us in God, we ought to embrace him the more closely with special affection. True love, therefore, will extend to mankind universally, because they all are our flesh, and created in the image of God, (Genesis 9:6;) but in respect of degrees, it will begin with those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10.)

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

4. since we heard] More simply, having heard. He refers to the information given by Epaphras (Col_1:7), probably quite recently. On the question whether he had ever visited Colosssæ, see on Col_2:1 below, Introd., pp. 20, 21, and Appendix A. This verse gives no decisive evidence in the matter.

faith in Christ Jesus] Cp. Eph_1:15 for a closely parallel passage. “The preposition [‘in’] here … denotes the sphere in which their faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed” (Lightfoot). But it is not easy to draw a clear distinction between “sphere” and “object” in this case. And surely Mar_1:15 (Greek) (cp. Rom_3:25; Joh_3:15; and, in the LXX., Psalms 77 :(Heb. and Eng. 78.) 22) proves the possibility of reference here to the Object of faith, on and in whom it reposes, as an anchor in the ground. On the other hand 2Ti_1:13 (quoted by Lightfoot) shews the possibility of explaining, “faith maintained by union with Christ.” But this more recondite meaning scarcely fits this context, where the parallelism of clauses seems to suggest the saints’ regard towards Christ first and then one another.

and of the love … saints] “This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1Jn_3:23). Divine faith, in true and full exercise, issues by its nature in a life and work of love towards men, regarded as either actual (as here) or potential brethren of Him who is faith’s goal and rest.

all the saints] Doubtless not at Colossæ only, but everywhere. It was one of the earliest glories of the Gospel, illustrated everywhere in the N.T., to bind together in love a world-wide family. Cp. Col_3:11 below.—The words which ye have are probably in the true text.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,.... This expresses the matter of their thankfulness, or what it was they gave thanks to God for, their faith in Christ; by which is not only meant their hearty assent to the whole doctrine of faith, concerning the person, offices, and grace of Christ, their soundness and steadfastness in it, and their sincere and constant profession of it; but the grace of faith in them, the operation of the Spirit of God in their souls, which had not Moses, nor any mere man, but Christ for its object; by which they looked unto him as a Saviour, went unto him as such, ventured on him, committed themselves unto him, leaned and relied upon him; that grace which comes from him, has him for its author and finisher, and returns unto him, and lives on him. This Paul and Timothy had heard of by their minister Epaphras; and it shows that they made no secret of it, did not keep it to themselves, but declared, confessed, and published it to others, as is the duty of all believers to do; and thanks being given for it to God, makes it a clear point that it was not of themselves, but was the gift of God, otherwise there would have been no need of thankfulness for it; as also, that it is a very eminent grace, and of great use and service to such who are possessed of it,

And of love which ye have to all the saints; this is another thing for which thanks are given to God. The object of this grace are "saints"; all men indeed are to be loved, and even our very enemies; and good is to be done to all, but especially to holy and good men, to the household of faith; and these are "all" to be loved and respected; nor is any respect or difference of persons to be made on account of country, or natural relation, as Jews or Gentiles, or of outward state and condition, as rich or poor, bond or free, or of greater or lesser gifts and grace, weak or strong believers, or of different sentiments in the lesser matters of religion. It denotes both the grace of love itself, which is a fruit of the Spirit implanted in regeneration, and is an evidence of the new birth, and always is where true faith in Christ is, for faith works by it; and also the effects of it, which lies not in bare words, in expressions of spiritual affection and friendship, but in deeds, by serving one another in love, by relieving in necessity, sympathizing in distress, praying with and for one another, and the like; all which these saints were famous for.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Ver. 4. And of the love, &c.] Faith in Christ Jesus maketh love to all the saints. Therefore they go commonly coupled in Paul’s Epistles. And therefore when the disciples heard how often they must forgive an offending brother, "Lord, increase our faith," say they, Luk 17:5. {See Trapp on "Luk 17:5"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus - To wit, by Epaphras, who had informed Paul of the steadfastness of their faith and love; Col 1:7-8. This does not prove that Paul had never been at Colossae, or that he did not establish the church there, for he uses a similar expression respecting the church at Ephesus Eph 1:15, of which he was undoubtedly the founder. The meaning is, that he had heard of their faith at that time, or of their perseverance in faith and love.

Which ye have to all the saints - In what way they had manifested this is not known. It would seem that Paul had been informed that this was a character of their piety, that they had remarkable love for all who bore the Christian name. Nothing could be more acceptable information respecting them to one who himself so ardently loved the church; and nothing could have furnished better evidence that they were influenced by the true spirit of religion; compare 1Jo 3:14.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He instanceth in principal graces, as the matter of his thanksgiving, beginning with faith, described and differenced from the special object of it, Christ Jesus, implying not a bare knowledge or assent, but a trust in him alone for salvation; so Rom 1:8. Understanding this saving grace with the consequent was wrought in them, as he heard it was in the Ephesians, and Philemon, it, was a cogent motive to engage them in solemn thankfulness to God: see on Eph 1:15, compared with Phm 1:5. He joins love, or charity, to all the saints, with faith to our Saviour, because they are in effect inseparable, there being no real embracing of Christ without loving of him, and all his members for his sake, Gal 5:6; 2Ti 1:13; not as if believers were not to show love or charity to others, who are of the same nature, and so bear the image of God, for this Christ requires of them, Mat 5:44,45; but by how much the nearer any are brought to God by sanctification, by so much the more a special love is to be showed to them, as fellow citizens, of the household of God, and the hosehold of faith, Rom 15:26, with Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Since we heard—Faith, love, and hope are three graces inseparably connected. Faith instrumentally saves the soul, makes it the home of love, and prepares it for the final glorification in heaven. This becomes at once an object of hope to the believer, in accordance with the prayer of our Lord: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” Joh_17:24. Children of the same Father, believers in the same Saviour, and travellers together to the same heaven, cannot well fail of a deep, broad Christian love. This heavenly home is prepared, set apart, laid up, and so made secure for all believers, to be given them in its fulness of bliss at our Lord’s appearing.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ARGUMENT 1

FAITH AND LOVE

4. “Hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the Divine love which you have toward all the saints.” Here, again, we see the magnificent globe of human salvation, exhibiting the two distinct hemispheres; i.e., the human and the Divine. We do the believing, and God does the saving. Salvation must be subjective before it can be objective. We must first receive heaven in us, before we are in a fix to go to heaven. This Divine love, the heavenly agapee, constitutes the very atmosphere of heaven. We can not possibly love in the Bible sense, till we have it in our hearts. It is exotic in humanity, and indigenous in God alone. When the sinner meets the condition by an utter and eternal abandonment of sin, and casts himself, in a moment of desperation, on the mercy of God in Christ by simple faith alone, he freely forgives him for Christ’s sake, imputing to him the righteousness of Christ. At that moment the Holy Ghost, the commissioned executive of the new creation, pours out (Rom 5:5) into his heart this Divine love, which is the nature of God (1Jn 4:18), thus imparting the Christ-life and nature to the dead soul, resurrecting it into the new life of God and heaven. The popular Churches on this problem are wrapped in an awful delusion, preaching human love as a substitute for the Divine, there being no salvation in it, as illustrated in case of the rich man in hell, who there had it in behalf of his brethren in the superlative degree. Faith is your own act, co-operated by the Holy Ghost, who is always on hand and ready to give you all the help you need to believe God’s Word, and as a sinner to trust him implicitly for a free pardon, and as a Christian to trust him triumphantly for entire sanctification, and as a wholly sanctified servant of the Lord to trust him incessantly to keep you by his power, fill you with his Spirit, and give you momentary and perpetual victory over every foe. All the other graces are resolvable into these two; i.e., faith and love, which focalize at the constituents of the two spiritual hemispheres, and represent the entire plan of salvation. Hence, your faith is positively the measuring line of your experience. When the sinner believes God’s convicting truth, he always gets convicted. When he believes converting truth, he always gets converted. When the Christian believes God’s copious illuminating truth, everywhere revealing inbred sin surviving in the heart of the regenerate, he invariably gets convicted of it. When he walks in the light of that conviction, and believes God’s wonderful truth, revealing entire sanctification in the cleansing blood, he sweeps into Beulah land with a shout.

5-7. “From the day in which you heard, and have truly and perfectly known the grace of God.” We know the grace of God in regeneration, but truly, perfectly know that grace in sanctification. We reach experimental certainty.

8. “Who also revealed to us your Divine love in the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the only Dispenser of the Divine love, native only in the heart of God, and poured out into our hearts by the Holy Ghost. (Rom 5:5.) Hence, Holy Ghost religion only is characterized by love. All others are carnal and selfish.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. Since we heard of your faith … and love. He probably heard through Epaphras, a member at Colosse (verse 7 and 4:12), who was at that time with him in Rome.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

We have heard

Paul is excluding his audience. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")

your faith in Christ Jesus

"your belief in Christ Jesus"

because of the certain hope reserved for you in heaven

Here "certain hope" stands for what the believer can confidently expect, that is, the things that God has promised to do for all believers. These things are spoken of as if they were physical objects that God was keeping in heaven for the believers to possess later. AT: "because you are certain that God, who is in heaven, will do the many good things that he has promised you" (See: Metonymy)

the word of truth, the gospel

Possible meanings are 1) "the message about the truth, the gospel" or 2) "the true message, the gospel."

This gospel is bearing fruit and is growing

"Fruit" here is a metaphor for "result" or "outcome." AT: "This gospel is having good results, more and more" or "This gospel is having increasing results" (See: Metaphor)

in all the world

This is a generalization referring to the part of the world that they knew about. AT: "throughout the world" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

the grace of God in truth

"the true grace of God"

translationWords

faith

Jesus

love

God

heaven

word

true

good news

fruit

grace

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

4. τὴν ἀγάπην [ἣν ἔχετε] εἰς πάντας κ.τ.λ. ἣν ἔχετε אACD*G, the versions except Pesh.; τὴν DcKL, Pesh. Chrys., as in || Eph 1:15. B omits altogether.

It is hard to decide whether to retain ἣν ἔχετε or to simply read τὴν ἁγάπην εἰς πάντας κ.τ.λ., and the question is complicated by Phm 1:5 τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἦν ἔχεις εἰς τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. Perhaps on the whole B is preferable, each of the other readings being an attempt to improve the harsh grammar.

4. ἀκούσαντες, ‘for we heard.’ Prob. not temporal, but causal. Cf. Eph 1:15; contrast Phm 1:5.

τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. The article is often omitted before ἐν Χρ. Ἰησ.; cf. also Col 1:8. In the spoken language the absence of the article would be easily supplemented by the tone.

ἐν—here marking not the sphere, but the object of faith—centred on Christ and resting in Him, cf. Gal 3:26. It is thus rather fuller in thought than εἰς, Col 2:5. Hence perhaps the curious change from ἐν to εἰς in Eph 1:15 if ἀγάπην is not genuine there.

καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην. In Eph 1:15 (W.H.) love is not expressly mentioned, but is regarded as part of faith.

ἀγάπην. Not found before the LXX., yet in view of the fact that it occurs with comparative frequency there (perhaps twenty times in all, of which eleven are in Cant.) it is curious that no certain occurrence of it seems to be yet found in the papyri, and but once in Philo (see Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 199). Yet the number of words supposed to have been coined by the LXX. translators is diminishing so rapidly that it is very improbable that this will remain to them.

[ἣν ἔχετε] See notes on Textual Criticism. Apparently unique, but Phm 1:5 is very similar.

εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, “toward all the saints,” R.V.; cf. Php 4:22 and 2Th 1:3.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Assigns the ground of his thanksgiving. He had heard from Epaphras, ver. 8. The addition of ἐν Χρ. Ἰης. as a more precise definition of πίστις, which of itself expresses only a psychological conception, is quite natural here, where St. Paul is addressing for the first time those who were unknown to him. So in Eph 1:15. In Rom 1:8 the specification of πίστις had preceded vv. 2, 3. The article is unnecessary, as πίστις ἐν Χρ. is one notion. See Eph. l.c.

καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχετε εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους.

ἣν ἔχετε is read in א A C D* G P 17 37 47, al. Old Latin, Vulg., Boh., Syr-Harcl., Arm. But Dc K L and most MSS. Chrys., Theod., Syr-Pesh have τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς, while B has τὴν ἀγάπην εἰς. The reading with ἣν ἔχετε might be a conformation to Phm 1:5, while τὴν ἀγάπην τήν might be a conformation to Eph 1:15.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

πάντοτε κ.τ.λ.] We here meet the same difficulty about the connexion of the clauses, which confronts us in several of St Paul’s opening thanksgivings. The words πάντοτε and περὶ ὑμῶν must clearly be taken together, because the emphasis of περὶ ὑμῶν would be inexplicable, if it stood at the beginning of a clause. But are they to be attached to the preceding or to the following sentence? The connexion with the previous words is favoured by St Paul’s usual conjunction of εὐχαριστεῖν πάντοτε (see the note on Phil. i. 3), and by the parallel passage οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν in Ephes. i. 16. Thus the words will mean ‘We give thanks for you always in our prayers.’ For this absolute use of προσευχόμενοι see Matt. vi. 7, Acts xvi. 25.

4. ἀκούσαντες] ‘having heard’ from Epaphras (ver. 8); for the Apostle had no direct personal knowledge of the Colossian Church: see the introduction, p. 27 sq.

ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ] to be connected with τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν. The strict classical language would require τὴν ἐν Χ. Ἰ., but the omission of the article is common to the New Testament (e.g. ver. 8); see the note on 1 Thess. i. 1, and Winer § xx. p. 169 (ed. Moulton). The preposition ἐν here and in the parallel passage, Ephes. i. 15, denotes the sphere in which their faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed (comp. 1 Cor. iii. 5); for, if the object had been meant, the natural preposition would have been ἐπὶ or εἰς (e.g. ii. 5). This is probably the case also in the passages where at first sight it might seem otherwise, e.g. 1 Tim. iii. 13, 2 Tim. iii. 15; for compare 2 Tim. i. 13 ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, where the meaning is unambiguous. There is however authority in the LXX for the use of ἐν with πίστις, πιστεύειν, to denote the object, in Jer. xii. 6, Ps. lxxviii. 22, and perhaps in Mark i. 15, Rom. iii. 25, and (more doubtfully still) in Joh. iii. 15.

ἣν ἔχετε] See the detached note on the various readings.

J. B. Lightfoot, St Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon: a revised text with introductions, notes and dissertations (London: Macmillan, 1875) — public domain. Electronic text from Project Gutenberg (ebook #50857). Covers Colossians and Philemon only (the verse-by-verse notes; introductions and dissertations are omitted); Lightfoot's companion Galatians and Philippians volumes are not included, as the available public-domain scans carry garbled Greek that cannot be faithfully reproduced.