“Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,”
My Notes
What Does Colossians 1:4 Mean?
Paul opens Colossians with a pattern similar to Ephesians — he gives thanks because he's heard about two things: their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints. These are the same two markers he valued in every church he wrote to.
Faith and love. Vertical and horizontal. Trust in Jesus and care for His people. Paul evaluates churches not by their programs, their growth metrics, or their theological sophistication — but by whether they trust God and love people.
"All the saints" is again key — not just the saints who are easy to love, but the full breadth of the believing community. This was especially meaningful for Colossae, which was dealing with false teachers promoting exclusivist spiritual practices. Paul's emphasis on love for all saints pushes against any tendency toward spiritual elitism.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If someone wrote a one-sentence report about your spiritual life right now, what would they say — and would it mention faith and love?
- 2.Is your faith currently rooted in Christ Himself, or has it quietly shifted to something adjacent?
- 3.Who are the 'saints' you find hardest to love — and what would it take to extend genuine care to them?
- 4.How do these two simple measures — faith and love — cut through the complexity of what you think you should be doing spiritually?
Devotional
The report card Paul cared about had two lines: faith and love. That's it.
Not how many people attend. Not how polished the worship is. Not how theologically precise the sermons are. Faith in Christ Jesus. Love for all the saints. Those are the measures that made Paul give thanks.
This is both simplifying and convicting. Simplifying because it cuts through the noise of what we think makes a good church or a good Christian. Convicting because if those are the two metrics, how are you doing?
Your faith — is it actually in Christ, or has it migrated to something else? Your theology, your tradition, your spiritual experience? And your love — does it extend to all the saints, or does it have a filter? Do you love the saints who agree with you and tolerate the ones who don't?
Paul didn't need a detailed report. He heard two things, and they were enough. Faith and love. Start there.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,.... This expresses the matter of their thankfulness, or what it was they…
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus - To wit, by Epaphras, who had informed Paul of the steadfastness of their…
Since we heard of your faith - This is very similar to Eph 1:15. And it is certain that the apostle seems to have…
Here he proceeds to the body of the epistle, and begins with thanksgiving to God for what he had heard concerning them,…
since we heard More simply, having heard. He refers to the information given by Epaphras (Col 1:7), probably quite…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture