Colossians 1:6
“Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The gospel that reached Colosse is the same one bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, as it has among them since they grasped God's grace.
What Does Colossians 1:6 Mean?
Paul situates the Colossians within something vast. The message that came to their small town is the very gospel spreading across the known world, not a local or private version of it.
The image is agricultural and alive: the gospel bringeth forth fruit and grows wherever it lands, including among them. This both reassures and steadies a church tempted by novel teachings -- what they received is no fading fashion but a living word advancing everywhere. Paul marks the turning point as the day they knew the grace of God in truth, when grace stopped being a rumor and became reality to them. A gospel that produces real fruit in real lives needs no exotic supplement. Its own growth is the proof of its truth.