"3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
Colossians 1:3-12
The second point which arises from Paul's prayer of thanksgiving is his ringing commendation and affirmation of Epaphras' Gospel. Paul has no doubt, both that the Colossian experience of Christ is genuine and that this Gospel, which they have heard from the lips of Epaphras, despite what the false teachers imply, is indeed the authentic Apostolic Gospel. Paul places all his apostolic weight behind Epaphras. In v 7, to uphold an authority which has been attacked and to defend a character which has been hurtfully maligned, Paul gives Epaphras his apostolic imprimatur. He identifies himself, his ministry and his Gospel with that of Epaphras: If that were not enough of a commendation, Paul also makes it absolutely clear that there is no difference between the Apostolic Gospel and the message of Epaphras. The Gospel which Epaphras preached to them, Paul affirms, is exactly the same Gospel which is being preached, which is producing fruit and growing all over the world (v 6). This then is the reassuring and encouraging thrust of Paul's prayer of thanksgiving.