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Colossians 1:3-8
Expanded Bible
Colossians 1:3-8
Expanded Bible
3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 ·because we have [or ever since we; L having] heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all ·of God’s people [T the saints]. 5 You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is ·kept safe [stored up; reserved] for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the ·message about the truth [or true message; L word of truth], the ·Good News [Gospel] 6 that ·was told [L has come] to you. [L …just as] Everywhere in the world that ·Good News [Gospel] is ·bringing blessings [L bearing fruit] and is growing. This has happened with you, too, ·since [L from the day] you heard and ·understood the truth about [or truly understood] the grace of God. 7 You learned about ·God’s grace [L it] from Epaphras, our ·dear [beloved; much loved] fellow ·servant [slave; bondservant], who is a faithful ·servant [minister] of Christ ·for us[a] [on our behalf]. [C Epaphras apparently established the church at Colossae during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus; Acts 19:10.] 8 He also told us about the love you have ·from [or in] the Holy Spirit.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Colossians 1:7 for us Some Greek copies read “for you.”
Colossians 1:3-8
Amplified Bible
Colossians 1:3-8
Amplified Bible
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] [a]love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); 5 because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation] 6 which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it]. 7 You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf 8 and he also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Colossians 1:4 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
Colossians 1:3-8
New International Version
Colossians 1:3-8
New International Version
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God,(A) 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(B) you have for all God’s people(C)— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope(D) stored up for you in heaven(E) and about which you have already heard in the true message(F) of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(G) and growing throughout the whole world(H)—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,(I) our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister(J) of Christ on our[b] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(K)
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:7 Or slave
- Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
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