BEAR FRUIT AND GROW

Passage: Colossians 1:1-14

Key verse: 10

NIV

1 Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,

2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ:

Grace(D) and peace to you from God our Father.[b](E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We always thank God,(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love(G) you have for all God’s people(H)— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope(I) stored up for you in heaven(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message(K) of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(L) and growing throughout the whole world(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras,(N) our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister(O) of Christ on our[d] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(P)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e](T) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(U) of the Lord and please him(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(W) 11 being strengthened with all power(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(Y) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(Z) who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(AB) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(AC) and brought us into the kingdom(AD) of the Son he loves,(AE) 14 in whom we have redemption,(AF) the forgiveness of sins.(AG)

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
  3. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  4. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  5. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  6. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God, and Timothy (C)our brother,

2 To the (D)saints and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae:

(E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 (F)We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of (G)your faith in Christ Jesus and of (H)the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of (I)the hope (J)laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in (K)the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed (L)in the whole world it is (M)bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you (N)heard it and understood (O)the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from (P)Epaphras our beloved (Q)fellow servant.[b] He is (R)a faithful minister of Christ on your[c] behalf 8 and has made known to us your (S)love in the Spirit.

9 And so, (T)from the day we heard, (U)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that (V)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all (W)spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as (X)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (Y)fully pleasing to him: (Z)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 (AA)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for (AB)all endurance and patience (AC)with joy; 12 (AD)giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in (AE)the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He (AF)has delivered us from (AG)the domain of darkness and transferred us to (AH)the kingdom of (AI)his beloved Son, 14 (AJ)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  2. Colossians 1:7 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word sundoulos, see Preface
  3. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts our
  4. Colossians 1:12 Or patience, with joy giving thanks
  5. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

COLOSSIANS

Paul wrote this letter from Rome during his first imprisonment there (c. 6

AD) to the Christians of Colosse. Colosse was a city of Asia Minor (Turkey), located between Ephesus and the Aegean Sea. The church there had been pioneered by Epaphras (7). He was converted through Paul in Ephesus. When he visited Paul in Rome, he shared prayer topics for his sheep in Colosse with Paul. So Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Colosse.

Paul exalts Christ and emphasizes his complete sufficiency. This was what the Colossians needed to hear, because some false teachers had visited them and sown seeds of deceptive human philosophy based on pseudo-wisdom. Some of the believers there had become confused. These days, many Christians have been confused by the good-sounding but false teachings of psychology and secular humanism. We, too, need to be reminded of the complete sufficiency of Jesus Christ, and the inadequacy of human philosophy and wisdom. This letter may be divided as follows:

I. Introduction and prayer (1:1-14)

II. Christ is supreme (1:15-23)

III. To this end I labor (1:24-2:7)

IV. Live in Christ and be free (2:8-23)

V. Live holy lives (3:1-4:6)

VI. Final greetings (4:7-18)

1. Greetings and thanksgiving (1-8)

Paul is in prison in Rome, but he encourages the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse. His blessing of grace and peace from God is not superficial--he thanks God because their faith is based on truth. The gospel is the word of truth. Their hope is in the heavenly kingdom, and faith in Jesus and love for the saints spring from that hope. Paul reminds them that they are a part of a world-wide fellowship of believers. The gospel is for all people. The gospel is bearing fruit all over the world.

2. A life pleasing to the Lord (9-14)

Paul prays for them to live lives that please God. It pleases God for his people to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God. How can we do this? (i) We must put our hope in heaven; (ii) we must joyfully give thanks in times of trial, and so grow in inner strength, in patience and endurance; (iii) we must remember the basic grace of God who rescued us from the power of darkness, forgave our sins, and brought us into his kingdom of light.

Prayer: Lord, help me to grow and bear fruit, and live a life that pleases you. Renew my vision for the world.

One Word: Grow; bear fruit; please God