6 … [the gospel] has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
Gospel spreading—that is normal New Testament Christianity. The Colossians were examples of what was happening throughout the Roman Empire. The message of the gospel, “the good news,” conveys the truth that God has brought redemption to all people by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to all who believe. And it had produced results, “constantly bearing fruit and increasing.” That is bible-speak for many people coming to Christ and leading others to Him.
The Colossians themselves had experienced the expansion of the gospel. Notice they had heard about it from Epaphras, not from Paul directly. We don’t know how Epaphras came to faith, but it is entirely possible it happened during Paul’s second missionary tour when he was redirected from the Galatian area, where he was reinforcing the churches established on the first tour. Paul had traveled through the general area of Colossae, though not apparently visiting the city itself. Epaphras may have met Paul at that time, and then taken the message to Colossae.
He originally hailed from Colossae but was with Paul at the time of writing, as indicated later in the letter, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God” (Col 4:12). Notice the apostle’s description of him: a bondslave of Jesus Christ, a term he also used of Tychicus (Col 4:7). Paul always had a cadre of younger men whom he was discipling. They were not just students but co-workers in the labor for the Lord, partners in sacrificing everything to follow their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. They were men who had proved themselves to be “faithful” (vs. 7) and to be servants.
There is a connection between the spread of the gospel and the dedication of workers willing to tell others and to sacrifice everything to get the message out. Oh that the Lord would raise up more workers for the harvest, those willing to explain the gospel in a way that people “understand” “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Mt 9:38).
Lord, please raise up more workers to fearlessly share the message with others, so that the gospel would continue to bear fruit and increase.
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