The Gospel Growing All Over the World
You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 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. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit. (Colossians 1:5b-8)
Paul reminds the believers in the second half of verse 5 that the source of their hope comes from “the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.” The gospel, “good news,” has come into their lives. Because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty of sin through His death on the cross and resurrected, believers too can be hopeful of the future of living forever in heaven.
Paul then shares that the gospel is spreading all over. “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.” Paul wanted the believers in Colossae to know that this movement by God is growing beyond their city. God’s grace was not only shown to the believers that Paul was writing to, but was available to everyone in the world. There was no exclusivity, which was opposed to the false teachers and their secret revelations that only a few could know and be saved. Once the gospel message then enters the believer’s life, it will grow and bear fruit.
As Max Anders wrote about verses 7 and 8, “The gospel seed, which bears fruit in individual believers and grows all over the world, must be planted.” Before Christ ascended into heaven, He commissioned His disciples to go out into the world and preach the gospel, planting the seeds of the gospel all over. With the Colossians, Epaphras was the one who planted the seeds, “our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minster of Christ on your behalf.” Not only did Epaphras faithfully go about and share the gospel, but he also returned back to Paul and reported that the believers had “love in the Spirit.” One of the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 was growing and evident in the believers before Epaphras left, love for one another.
Because of the hope that is found in the gospel, which is the truth, believers, like Epaphras, went about the world, planting the seeds of the gospel message. In many hearts, the seeds grew, with many coming to the saving knowledge of Christ. In turn, they faithfully nurtured the relationship through the Word and began bearing fruit. May we be like Epaphras and the believers in Colossae, going about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to those around us. May we continue to grow in our faith, bearing fruit that is evident to everyone as well.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
