Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Colossians 1:4

"having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints," — Colossians 1:4 (ASV)

Verses 4–8 express the grounds and occasion of Paul’s thanksgiving. The apostle specifically mentions three things, the first being the good report that had come to him of the well-being of the Colossian Christians. His reference to “hearing” about their spiritual condition is in keeping with the fact that he had not personally visited Colosse (cf. 1:9; 2:1). The source of this information was probably Epaphras (cf. v.8), though we must not rule out the possibility that Paul’s reference includes other previous reports of the faith of the Colossians.

The triad of “faith” (v.4a), “love” (v.4b), and “hope” (v.5a) appears with some degree of frequency in Paul’s writings (e.g., Romans 5:2–5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:8). “Faith” (GK 4411), which is commitment to or trust in another person, is defined as being anchored “in Jesus Christ.” Theirs was a Christ-centered faith.

“Love” (GK 27) is the fruit of faith and the proof of its genuineness (cf. Galatians 5:6; James 2:14ff.). It means caring love, the love that counts no sacrifice too great for the one loved (cf. the verb used in Jn 3:16.) The Colossians’ love was expressed toward “all the saints,” i.e., toward all God’s people. Perhaps the apostle was contrasting the broad goodwill of the Colossian believers with the narrow exclusiveness of the heretical teachers.

“Hope” (GK 1828) is sometimes subjective (what a person feels; cf. Romans 5:2), sometimes objective (denoting what believers hope for; cf. Galatians 5:5; 1 Peter 1:3). Here it is the latter, referring to the glorious reward and future heavenly blessedness of God’s people. This hope is securely “stored up” for the Colossians in heaven, like a treasure. Moreover, their knowledge of hope came from hearing “the word of truth,” the Gospel that had come to them when Epaphras originally preached the Gospel to them and they were converted. That message seems to be contrasted tacitly with the more recent and heretical preaching of the Colossian errorists.

How does the word “hope” tie into this sentence? One possibility is that along with their faith and love, the Colossians’ hope gives a reason for Paul to be grateful. It is also possible, as in the NIV, to interpret hope as a ground for, or an incentive to, faith and love. Whatever construction one chooses, hope is a part of the total experience of the Colossians that Paul thanks God for.