Epaphras

3We thank God every time we pray for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4We thank him because we heard that you trust Christ Jesus. We heard that you love all of God's people.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

5Your faith and love come from what you are waiting for. God is keeping a gift safe for you in heaven. You already heard about it in the true message, the good news.

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

NoteThe word "gospel" means good news. Here it is the news about Jesus.

6That good news came to you. All over the world it is doing good. It has done the same with you since the day you heard it. That is when you truly understood how kind God is.

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:

NotePaul talks about the news like a plant in a garden. It grows and it makes fruit. That is his picture for people changing in good ways.

7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear friend who works beside us. He serves Christ faithfully, and he does it for you.

As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

NoteEpaphras was a man from Colosse. He was the one who told that town about Jesus. Then he went to visit Paul and told him how they were doing.

8He also told us how much you love others. God's Spirit gave you that love.

Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

Note"The Spirit" is a name for God being with his people. He helps them from the inside.

12Epaphras says hello. He is one of your own people, and he serves Christ. He prays hard for you all the time. He asks that you stand strong and grown up, sure of all that God wants.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

NoteEpaphras came from Colossae too. He was the one who first told that town about Jesus. The old words say he was working hard in prayer. Praying can feel like real work. Grown up here means grown up on the inside, not in age.

13I can tell you that he works very hard for you. He works hard for the people in Laodicea and Hierapolis too.

For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

NoteLaodicea and Hierapolis are the names of two towns.

23Epaphras says hello to you. He is in prison with me because we belong to Christ Jesus.

There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

NoteHere "salute" just means to say hello. It is not the kind of salute a soldier gives.

24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke say hello too. They work together with me.

Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

NoteMarcus is another way of writing the name Mark. Lucas is another way of writing the name Luke. These are older spellings of the same names.