Colossians 1:8
“Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →It was Epaphras who told Paul of the Colossians' love, a love produced by the Spirit.
What Does Colossians 1:8 Mean?
Paul completes the circle: Epaphras carried the gospel to Colosse and then carried back the good report of the Colossians' love. This single verse closes Paul's opening thanksgiving.
The crucial phrase is in the Spirit. The love Paul celebrates is not merely human warmth or natural temperament; it is the fruit of God's own Spirit working in them. This is why their love can reach all the saints and not just the agreeable ones. When affection among believers runs deeper than personality and preference, it bears the mark of God at work within. Paul wants the Colossians to recognize their own love as evidence of the Spirit's presence -- a quiet sign that the God who saved them is also actively shaping how they treat one another.