Colossians 1:7-8

Colossians 1:7-8

[7] As  learned  of  Epaphras  dear  fellowservant,  who  for  a faithful  minister  of Christ;  [8] Who  also  declared  love  in  the Spirit. 

What does Colossians 1:7-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Epaphras had evangelized the Colossians. It is unlikely that this Epaphras is the same man that Paul referred to as Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:18; Philippians 4:23 since this Epaphras appears to have been from Asia Minor and that Epaphroditus was evidently from Macedonia. Since evangelizing Colossae Epaphras had come to Rome and was now ministering to the apostle during his first Roman imprisonment ( Colossians 1:7; cf. Colossians 4:12). It appears that Epaphras" bondage was in God"s will, not in jail, with Paul (cf. Philemon 1:23). He had given Paul a good report of the Colossian Christians even though false teachers were trying to make inroads into the church. Paul mentioned him here to pass along some good word about their father in the faith and to associate Epaphras with himself. He probably did this so his readers would realize that the founder of their church shared the views Paul presented in this letter. This would have made them more persuasive to the Colossians.
The Holy Spirit had created love for Paul in the Colossians. This is the only reference to the Holy Spirit in this epistle. In Colossians Paul ascribed the activities of God that he normally associated with the Holy Spirit to Christ. He probably did this to glorify Jesus Christ before the Colossians who were being taught that Christ was less than He is.
"As in the other Pauline letters, the themes and language of the thanksgiving are echoed in the rest of the letter ..." [1]