Colossians 1:3-8

3–8. Introductory thanksgiving for their effective reception of the Gospel in the true form of it taught them first by Epaphras

(Colossians 1:3) We both always thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you; (Colossians 1:4) for we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your continual love towards all the saints; (Colossians 1:5) these being due to your reception of the news of your glorious future in the heavens, which you heard of before you were exposed to later errors, in the message of the Gospel in its integrity which is come unto you. (Colossians 1:6) But indeed you are not alone in this. It is already even in all the world, continually producing life and the results of life, and spreading—just as it does with you. For this was so with you from the very first; you recognised God’s surprising mercy accurately, (Colossians 1:7) This knowledge of yours corresponded to what you learned by word of mouth from Epaphras, who is our rightly-loved fellow-servant in the work Christ gave us to do, carrying out work faithfully for our benefit as a minister sent by the Messiah. (Colossians 1:8) It was he too who told us plainly about your love (as I said in Colossians 1:4) towards others in the new sphere of the Spirit in which you now live.