FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE (2 OF 18)
by Tony Nester
Scripture: COLOSSIANS 1:3-8
This content is part of a series.
Faith, Hope and Love (2 of 18)
Tony Nester
Colossians 1:3-8
Last week we began this series of messages on The Letter of Paul to the Colossians. We saw how Paul began by presenting himself as an apostolic leader and identifying the believers in Colossae as the saints of God. This was all by way of introduction. Now we're ready to get into the message of Paul's letter.
Let's begin with verses 3:
{3} "In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Paul loved hearing about this church. Whenever he went to prayer he thanked God for the church at Colossae. As we learned last week Paul had not established this church nor had he visited these believers. Here was a church that had come into existence through the ripple effect of Paul's ministry in nearby Ephesus. The Gospel had gone out from Paul, been carried forward by another, and planted with good results in Colossae. Paul was grateful that the Word of God was proving powerful in ways that went beyond his own immediate ministry.
Now Paul sums up the reputation of this church.
{4} for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, {5} because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
News of the church had reached Paul especially through its first pastor - Epaphras. His name will appear in verse 7. Near the end of the letter in Chapter 4 we find that Onesimus is another member of the Colossian church who had spent time with Paul telling him about this church.
Paul did not listen to these reports with a blank image of the church.. Although every congregation had its own unique setting and character there were, nevertheless, certain qualities that Paul looked for in a church. It's as though Paul had a spiritual template in mind as he looked at a church. There could be lots of variations on the template but certain things needed to be in place. As Paul listened to Epaphras and Ones ...
Tony Nester
Colossians 1:3-8
Last week we began this series of messages on The Letter of Paul to the Colossians. We saw how Paul began by presenting himself as an apostolic leader and identifying the believers in Colossae as the saints of God. This was all by way of introduction. Now we're ready to get into the message of Paul's letter.
Let's begin with verses 3:
{3} "In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Paul loved hearing about this church. Whenever he went to prayer he thanked God for the church at Colossae. As we learned last week Paul had not established this church nor had he visited these believers. Here was a church that had come into existence through the ripple effect of Paul's ministry in nearby Ephesus. The Gospel had gone out from Paul, been carried forward by another, and planted with good results in Colossae. Paul was grateful that the Word of God was proving powerful in ways that went beyond his own immediate ministry.
Now Paul sums up the reputation of this church.
{4} for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, {5} because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
News of the church had reached Paul especially through its first pastor - Epaphras. His name will appear in verse 7. Near the end of the letter in Chapter 4 we find that Onesimus is another member of the Colossian church who had spent time with Paul telling him about this church.
Paul did not listen to these reports with a blank image of the church.. Although every congregation had its own unique setting and character there were, nevertheless, certain qualities that Paul looked for in a church. It's as though Paul had a spiritual template in mind as he looked at a church. There could be lots of variations on the template but certain things needed to be in place. As Paul listened to Epaphras and Ones ...
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