Colossians 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,

NIV: that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world--just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.

NASB: which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth;

CSB: that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God's grace.

NLT: This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

KJV: Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

NKJV: which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

Paul notes that the gospel has already come to this community. Paul is not writing to unbelievers, but to an existing church. Verse 7 will state that Epaphras was the person responsible for the growth of Christianity in this city. In addition to those in Colossae, the gospel was reaching many other regions at this time. From Paul's perspective, the specific "world" he had in mind was likely modern-day Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, all of which were experiencing Christian growth by this time. Paul primarily served as a missionary in the Middle East and Europe, writing to the Colossian believers while under house arrest in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.

The gospel was growing among the people of Colossae, and had been ever since it was first accepted by people of the city. The "day" is likely a general reference meaning "since the time." This implies a prompt and positive response to the gospel under the leadership of Epaphras. Both grace and truth are presented together, a theme presented elsewhere by John (John 1:14, 17).

Colossians 1:3–8 expresses Paul's gratitude for the growth of the Colossian church. As a result of Epaphras' efforts, the believers there are growing in their faith. In particular, Paul is hearing positive things about their Christian love. Paul also connects his gratitude to the growth of Christianity in other places around the world.

In chapter 1, Paul introduces himself, along with his co-author Timothy. As he often does, Paul gives thanks for what he hears about the faith of the believers in Colossae. Paul includes a prayer for their growth and spiritual strength. The letter then transitions to praise of Jesus, describing Him as absolutely supreme. All created things were made through, by, and for Him. And, since it was His sacrifice which saved us from sin, we can have confidence in our eternal destiny.

Colossians chapter 1 is mostly focused on describing Christ as supreme. Jesus is not only the God of creation, He is the ultimate authority over all created things. The penalty for sin has been completely removed because of His perfect sacrifice. These are foundational ideas which Paul will use to set up his later points. In chapters 2, 3, and 4, Paul will explain why contrary claims are untrue, and show the right way for Christians to live out what we believe about Jesus.

The book of Colossians describes Christ as superior to all other teachers, faiths, and philosophies. In this letter, written from prison, Paul once again tackles false teachings. Among these errors are claims that Christians need to give up all physical enjoyments, that they should worship angels, and that they need to rely on the wisdom of an elite few. These problems are consistent with an ancient heresy known as Gnosticism. In response, Paul explains that Christ is supreme, and sufficient for our salvation.