Colossians 1:1-14 (NRSV)
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Chapter 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, Verse 2To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Verse 3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Verse 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, Verse 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel Verse 6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. Verse 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, Verse 8and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Verse 9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Verse 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. Verse 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
Verse 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Verse 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, Verse 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Devotion
Can you recall the first time you heard the good news proclaimed and who proclaimed it? Whether you can or not, someone or some community proclaimed the gospel hope of God's love to you, and in this proclamation the Holy Spirit began working faith in you. Paul here celebrates the ministry of Epaphras in Colossae. Through his proclamation the Spirit inspired faith, hope, and works of love for which Paul and Timothy give thanks.
This confidence is central to our proclamation yet today. Faith is a gift, given through the work of the Spirit, in the proclamation of the gospel. It is not a transaction we decide to enter into by our own initiative. The works we do come from that gift of faith, and we give the glory to God. This is why the work of seminaries—like Luther Seminary—that prepare leaders for proclamation is critical, so all may hear the good news of God's salvation.
Prayer
Loving God, we give you thanks for all who have proclaimed the good news in word and deed. Strengthen our faith so we may be committed to proclaiming that good news and preparing others so the world many know the joy of your salvation. In your steadfast love. Amen.