Having introduced himself, identified the recipients, and extended a heartfelt greeting, the apostle plunges into an earnest prayer of thanksgiving, based on the report that he has heard of the church in Colosse.
He begins by assuring the Colossians that he does give thanks for them in his prayers, directing that thanksgiving to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are several observations and applications that we can draw from this activity and its Godward direction:
(1) Timothy is still involved: 'We give thanks.' This is not an apostolic activity only, but the responsibility and privilege of all believers. (2) This should be our habitual (frequent and constant), sincere (heartfelt and genuine), and substantial (grounded in the realities of pilgrimage) activity. (3) God is to be glorified as the giver of every good gift. We can encourage one another in giving thanks to God, which will drive envy from our hearts. We should think of blessings from God not as things but as gifts. (4) We are reminded that the Father can be savingly known only through the Son; that the relationship God draws us into is warm, personal, and intimate. (5) We should learn the value of true encouragement, and the God-honouring way of pursuing it. (6) We should ask whether or not there is in us the spiritual substance over which true saints can rejoice. Are these gospel fruits and sweet relationships ours? Only from God, in Christ, can we receive them.
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