August 15, 2022 – Monday
Colossians 1:6 NIV
6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
Colossians 1:6 NET
6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.
Colossians 1:6 CJB
6 has made its presence felt among you, just as it is also being fruitful and multiplying throughout the world in the same way as it has among you since the day you heard and understood the grace of God as it really is.
Comments
While the NIV and the NET are remarkably similar, the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) version of verse seven above has some key differences. First after the opening phrase, it does not begin a new sentence, but neither did the original when in Greek. Plus I really like how in the CJB the gospel is not only growing, but multiplying throughout the world.
For context Paul, along with Timothy, is writing to the Colossians about what he has heard of their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ (vv3-4). Then he writes how this faith and love came about in verse 5 into verse 6, the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. Then we have the rest of verse 6, for our verse of the day, In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
This is something we can really grasp and hold close to our hearts. The gospel bears fruit and growth throughout the world just as it does in our own lives. The gospel is really about God’s grace and when that is understood, it can then bear fruit and grow in our lives. Its impact in our lives not only grows but multiplies as the CJB says. This is not unique to any one of us for as Paul makes clear it is happening throughout the world. What is unique for each and everyone of us is how the fruit will manifest itself in our lives and how the growth will also manifest itself in our lives.
A personal example is we once had a family dentist and as good as he was, he was also rough which was difficult to deal with his fingers and tools in your mouth while he was working. Then something happened and he became very gentle in his work inside my mouth. I had the temerity to ask him what had changed? While he appeared mildly embarrassed, he told me he had been on a Christian retreat over the past weekend where grace became more real to him than ever before and his work, his marriage, his dental business, etc changed. In effect it changed his world entirely and how he lived in it. He was still the same man, the same dentist, but the fruit of grace in his life was growing in ways I am sure he did not expect.
Have you ever looked at your life and become aware of the impact of grace upon it? The various fruits and how they manifest themselves? Even how grace grows in your life making you more and more aware than ever just how incredible the gift of grace truly is. The truth is the more we understand what grace is, as Paul said, the greater the impact on our lives and those around us. Bottom Line: Let grace abound in your life and in those around you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the wonderful gift of grace. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek