Col 1:3-9 (NIV) We always thank God, ... when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus ... and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
NOTE: This is an interesting letter, and I look forward to studying it in-depth. I think I forgot, but apparently, Paul does not know the recipients. He did not plant the church or start the work, but he is still writing a letter to the church. It would make sense that Paul would want to make sure that the church is grounded in the most absolute essential truths of the faith. It could also be that someone has told him of some struggles / false teaching that the church is going through, and he is using his status as an apostle to lend support to right teaching. I have read Colossians many times in my life. From memory, I know he talks about the supremacy of Christ, the nailing of the law to the cross (possibly in response to Judaizers), the unimportance of rituals or special days, and certain character qualities and behavior that are important. If I was to write to someone in four short chapters, what would be the essential things I would want them to know? And how am I exhibiting those essentials in my everyday life? If the essentials and my life are in disconnect, then how important are the essentials really? And who am I fooling? Surely, not God.
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