Colossians 1:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Since the day you heard." It is wondrous that you came quickly, believed, and immediately showed fruit from the very beginning.

"Since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth." Not in speech, not in deception, but in deeds themselves. He expresses this with the words "bearing fruit," that is, rich in signs and wonders.

You received these as soon as you knew the grace of God. And when something at once displays its power, is it not grievous to disbelieve it?

"As also among you." As before, he disposes them favorably by praises, so that they may not fall away, even if they should wish to do so. For if the gospel was preached in the same way to all and to you, how do some teach otherwise?

"Since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth." The gospel bears fruit and grows in you, he says, from the day you knew grace. In what way? Not by deception and empty words, but in truth, that is, by extraordinary signs and deeds.

The Latin is fructificans et crescens, "bearing fruit and growing". Compare the Vulgate, fructificat et crescit, corresponding to the phrase "bears fruit and grows."

"Bearing fruit and growing in all the world," God said in the words of the Apostle. "You shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8), was spoken by the mouth of the Son of God Himself.

Both the good and the evil are in the catholic Church. It is not only in Africa, like the party of Donatus, but among all nations (cf. Gen 22:18). It spreads and expands throughout the whole world, as the Apostle says, bearing fruit and growing.

Honor, love, and proclaim the holy Church, your mother, like the heavenly Jerusalem, the holy city of God. She is the one which, in faith, is "the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15).

In communion with the mysteries she endures the evil, who must be separated at the end. For now she withdraws from them by reason of the incompatibility of their morals with her.

For the sake of her wheat, now groaning amid the chaff, whose due portion for the granary will appear at the final winnowing (see Matt 3:12; Luke 3:17), she receives the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (see Matt 16:19).

He likewise heard that the true word of the gospel of Christ, proclaimed to them by Epaphras, not only remains among them, but also bears fruit and grows. From that very day he prays that they may be filled more and more with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He prays also that they may be strengthened according to the might of God's glory in all patience and long-suffering.

Especially encouraging could be the awareness that this teaching is worldwide and spreads throughout the whole universe. "Many are more firmly established in the teaching," says St. John Chrysostom, "when they learn that they have many fellow-partakers in receiving it."

"It abides everywhere, rules everywhere, and stands everywhere. And it does not merely stand, but is fruitful and grows."

"By the growth of the gospel, according to Blessed Theodoret, the Apostle denotes the multitude of believers. By the fruit-bearing of the gospel he means the faith and praiseworthy life of those who heard."

"The Colossians saw this external spread of Christianity and its inward, transforming power in themselves from the first days when they heard the preaching about Christ."

"Because of its saving and transforming influence, the Apostle calls Christian teaching the grace of God. With the words 'in truth' he defines its true understanding, in contrast to the understanding of the Colossian Christians."

At the same time, the Apostle intends to set forth the greatness of Christianity and the nothingness of the heresy that threatened to invade the Church of Colossae. He says that the faith of Christ, or the gospel, has already spread throughout the whole world. Everywhere, like a tree, it bears fruit and constantly increases in the number of its confessors.

At that time it was not yet everywhere. Yet in the principal places it had already been firmly sown, and only time was needed for it to gain strength and grow.

This is exactly what happened, as the Apostle immediately says. “And is bearing fruit and increasing, as also among you.”

It is in you, as also in all the world. And in all the world it bears fruit and increases, as also among you.

“It abides everywhere, rules everywhere, and stands everywhere. And it does not merely stand, but bears fruit and increases.

It bears fruit by works. It increases by receiving many. But neither would happen if it did not remain unchanged. Plants too become thick when they stand firmly in the ground,” say Saint Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact.

The Apostle expressed himself in such a way as to give the thought that fruitfulness and growth are inherent properties of the Gospel.

Let it only be planted in a few hearts somewhere, and from there it will itself begin to bear fruit and expand.

These qualities can be outlined in this way. It is fruitful: it enlightens, sanctifies, and blesses. It increases: it grows in depth, height, and breadth.

It grows inwardly in each person, and outwardly in drawing more and more persons.

“As also among you.” “By praises he wants to anticipate them and take possession of them, so that later, even if they wished to depart, they would be ashamed,” say Saint Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact.

This also gave firmness. If they had already received fruit, what sense would there be in leaving something manifestly fruitful and rushing toward something new and unknown?

“From the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth.” “The Gospel bears fruit and increases in you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God.

How? Not in appearance, not in deceptive words, but in truth, that is, by the action of signs and wonders,” says blessed Theophylact.

“And is it not hard now to begin disbelieving something that immediately, at the very beginning, showed its power?” says Saint Chrysostom.

They heard the Gospel and believed. Having believed, they received the grace of God. By its enlightening, sanctifying, and blessing action in their hearts, it gave each person tangible understanding.

They understood that the faith proclaimed by the Gospel was undoubtedly true. From then on, you did not cease bearing fruit and increasing.

You were both being perfected in spirit within yourselves and drawing others to the faith. How many of you were there at first?

Epaphras and Philemon with his household. But now among you there are many believers, and beyond you also in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

All are from one seed. And all of you are wise, holy, and skilled in every work. All this is still growing and will continue to grow.

How can one cease to believe something so fruitful and increasing? The Apostle wanted to impress two images on their mind.

These were the universality of the faith and its beneficence, the strongest indications of the truth of the faith.

Saint Chrysostom says: “You see that the whole universe is turning to the faith. And is it necessary to speak of what is happening among others?

What is happening among you is convincing even without that. For you understood the grace of God in truth, that is, from the deeds themselves.

Thus faith is confirmed by these two things: that all have believed, and that you have experienced it.”

“You understood the grace of God in truth” can mean this: by the deed itself and from experience you came to know how great the grace is that the Gospel brings to those who receive it with faith.