Colossians 1:3

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints.

Some commentators have supposed that Paul copied his habit of beginning his letters with prayers of thanksgiving from the stylized letters of that period, each containing an expression of thanks to some pagan deity; but strong agreement is felt with Ashby who declared that Paul's prayers were "no merely conventional opening." The omission of such prayers in Galatians and 2Corinthians indicates that they were included only when the progress of the converts was a real cause for thanksgiving."[7]

Faith ... hope ... love ... make up Paul's famed triad, found in these two verses and the verse following, and reminding one of 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 13:3, etc.

Hendriksen observed that Paul's letter to Titus also omitted the prayer of thanksgiving; thus it is correct to say that "In all of Paul's epistles, with the exception of Galatians and Titus, the opening salutation is followed, either immediately or very shortly, by a thanksgiving and/or doxology."[8]

Having heard of your faith ... This is interpreted to mean that Paul did not have first-hand knowledge of the Colossians, but such an interpretation is probably incorrect. As Macknight said, "It was Paul's custom when absent from the churches which he had planted to make inquiry as to their state."[9] Thus it is very possible that Paul here referred to their continuing in the faith and not to their being converted. Colossae was a Phrygian city; and the New Testament emphatically declares that Paul "went throughout Phrygia" (Acts 16:6).

Your faith in Christ Jesus ... It is refreshing to find a scholar such as Ashby firmly declaring what is undoubtedly true in this passage, as well as in a great many other New Testament Scriptures, namely, that:

Christ is the sphere in which this faith works rather than its object; in other words "faith" derives its significance from their position "in Christ."[10]

"Faith" that saves the Christian is not a subjective trust/faith in his heart, but a faith properly exercised by one who is "in Christ." "Faith in Christ," properly understood, usually means the Christian's fidelity to God as he continues to walk "in Christ." Paul's strong word for this was "obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26).

DID PAUL CONVERT THE COLOSSIANS?

Although disputed by some, this question was answered affirmatively by Macknight. Here is a summary of his argument:[11]; Colossians 1:4 does not mean that Paul did not convert the Colossians; because Paul used this same language when addressing both churches and individuals for whom the apostle was undoubtedly the instrument of their conversion (Philemon 1:1:5,19; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; Ephesians 1:15). Just as emphatically, Colossians 1:7 and Colossians 2:1 cannot mean that Paul did not convert them. See notes on those verses.

Positively: (1) Paul stated that on "your account," that is, the account of the Colossians, he had been made a minister; and this implies that when Paul was in Phrygia he preached to them.

(2) Paul's recommendation of Epaphras to them has the ring of coming from one who, in some sense, was responsible both for them and Epaphras.

(3) Paul wrote the salutation with his own hand, as he did to other churches where he was acquainted and they knew his handwriting.

(4) "Even as ye have been taught" (Colossians 2:6) declares that Paul had the most intimate knowledge of their teaching, and this argues that he himself had done it.

Whether or not one agrees with this reasoning, it seems to be convincing enough.

[7] Ernest G. Ashby, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 483.

[8] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 46.

[9] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles with Commentary, Vol. III (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 479.

[10] Ernest G. Ashby, op. cit., p. 483.

[11] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 480-482.