Colossians 1:6 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and growing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth;
This verse reflects back on the gospel in which the Colossians had come to believe. Verse 7 indicates that it was Epaphras who brought the gospel to them. When they heard it, they accepted it in faith. When people hear the message about Jesus Christ, they lives are changed. The power of the truth is undeniable. People reject the truth and exchange it for a lie, and as a consequence, experience many hardships and ultimately God’s wrath (Romans 1:25). The Colossian believers joined many other people and had accepted this message and were bearing fruit and growing. Verse 6 helps them realize that they were not alone but were part of a great throng of people who had put their faith in Jesus.
Verse 6 gives a two-part sequence of how the Colossians came to believe. First, they heard the gospel. Someone came to their city and preached the word to them. We have little historical information about how and when this happened. The next two verses will give a clue. Preaching the word of Christ is crucial for people to come to faith (Romans 10:14). Second, they deeply understood the grace of God in truth. The verb understood (epegnōte) can simply mean to know or learn, but the preposition epi could add emphasis. This was more than simply head knowledge. It was deeply personal and experiential. The new knowledge they had gained from the preaching penetrated down to their heart and sparked the response of faith, love, and hope. The focus of this knowledge was the grace of God. The connection here between the message about Christ and the grace of God is crucial.
The mention of God’s grace here is also significant in the letter because the problems in the church may have been related to a wrong understanding of salvation and Jesus Christ. As in other churches, there was the danger of Jewish legalism based on human good works through rituals. There is also the possibility of an incipient Gnosticism, which was also based on human works of knowledge. There are two types of religions int he world: religions of grace and religions of human effort. Often, the gospel of grace is distorted to become about how good people can be by following a set of rituals or teachings. The Colossians were danger of diverting from where they started. This gospel of grace is the truth.
The danger of distorting the gospel is ever presence today. The Colossians started off well, but they needed to keep their focus on the correct understanding of Jesus. It is crucial that every believer today understand deeply the truths of God’s grace in Christ. This understanding will grow to bear much fruit through holy living and effective mission.
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