Colossians 1:7–8

In common with the letter to the Romans, this letter was addressed to saints in a place where Paul had not worked (2:1). The apostle did not found the church at Colosse. It seems God chose Epaphras to bring them the gospel — one of them, a servant of Christ (4:12), Paul's beloved fellow servant, and their faithful minister of Christ (1:7).

It would appear from verse 7 that Epaphras had been the servant of Christ who brought the light to them. They had learned the Glad Tidings of the grace of God and of the hope of glory from his lips. Then verse 8 shows that he had travelled to Rome. There he told Paul what God had done among the Colossians, and how deep and sincere their Christian love was.

Paul was a deacon (minister) both of the gospel and of the Church, Christ's body (Col. 1:23 and 25). Tychicus was a faithful minister, or deacon, of Christ (4:7). And Epaphras was another. Both "minister" in Colossians 1:7 and "servant" translate the Greek word diakonos, "deacon."

Several manuscripts read "a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf," and the editors Lachmann, Tregelles, and Alford follow them. This is perhaps the more correct reading. By it Paul is vouching for Epaphras' work at Colosse.

So the Apostle takes the opportunity, as he often did, to strengthen the hands of one who was Christ's minister and faithful on their behalf. He calls him here, with affection, "Epaphras, our beloved fellow bondman." The speculative views and the Jewish ritual forms no doubt had their promoters. Such men would seek to win favour at a faithful labourer's expense. We can easily see why Colosse needed this word commending Epaphras.

It seems Epaphras brought them this knowledge. Paul speaks of him as his fellow servant, and as a faithful minister of Christ for them. The work showed what the workman was. Through him, the apostle himself saw their love in the Spirit.

God used Epaphras (Col. 1:7) as His servant for the blessing of the Colossians. Thinking of that, we might be tempted to ask, "Was Paul interfering with somebody else's work when he sent this letter to them?"

It would help us all to remember this. In Christianity, God works the service, and it is not the private property of a servant. The gospel reaches souls to give them a living link with the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory. He uses one or another, but His object is to form this link with Himself.

Earlier in the letter we learnt that Epaphras had laboured among the Colossian saints as a faithful minister of Christ. Now we learn that he is no longer with them. Yet he still laboured hard in prayer for them, and for the saints in the neighbouring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis... A wholesome and encouraging reminder that prayer is a powerful weapon in meeting the opposition of the enemy.

His labours, so far as the inspired writer has recorded them, do not seem to have been very showy or attractive. They were not designed to catch the human eye or win human praise. But they were most precious labours — peerless, priceless labours! They were labours done in private, labours behind the closed door, labours in the sanctuary. Without them everything else must prove barren and worthless.

It would appear from verse 7 that Epaphras had been the servant of Christ who brought the light to them. They had learned the good news of the grace of God and of the hope of glory from his lips. Then verse 8 shows that he had travelled to Rome. There he made known to Paul what God had worked among the Colossians, and the depth and sincerity of their Christian love. We can see how highly Paul esteemed him. He speaks of him as a faithful servant of Christ. At the end of the letter we learn how truly devoted he was to the spiritual welfare of the Colossians.

The work showed what the workman was. Through him they showed their love in the Spirit to the apostle himself.

It is remarkable too that Paul had not seen them... He wrote in this way because of a report. A faithful servant of the Lord had been working among them, and Paul heard from him that they did not just profess to be Christians. They also showed the two central marks of Christianity: "faith in Christ Jesus, and love for all the saints." He also declared to the apostle their "love in the Spirit." It hardly needs adding that these activities of soul are never found in the natural man. Only a divine work can produce them. On one hand, there may be much natural kindness and generous, self-denying service to others, without any knowledge of Christ. On the other hand, there may be a boastful faith that can remove mountains, without any sense of the love of God in Christ. But when the apostle heard of their faith in Christ Jesus, and of their love for fellow believers, the Spirit led him to assure them, without hesitation, of their present standing and blessings, and of the certainty that they would be with Christ in glory.

It does not present the Spirit of God as a person down here, though of course He is a person. It presents Him as giving the love its character. The love was not natural affection; it was love in the Spirit.

Here their love to the saints unfolds and grows. They did not know Paul in the flesh, so it could only be in the Spirit that they loved him. I might know a brother and be drawn to him by something attractive in the flesh. But love in the Spirit loves him because he belongs to Christ. Now love in the Spirit takes in "all the saints," as we have it in verse 4.

This is the only mention of the Holy Spirit in Colossians. The letter gives no doctrine about Him at all, unlike Romans, Galatians and Ephesians. Here instead the Holy Spirit is drawing attention to the Person of Christ as enough food for the wilderness. So He says nothing of Himself.

In Colossians the main subject is the glory of Christ, as Head, and the unfolding of His glories as the head of His body. We are all members of that body. So "love in the Spirit" is a mark of the life that each member has.