There Is No Greater Power than the Gospel (Colossians 1:5-8).

Class Outline:

Tuesday July 14, 2026

 

COL 1:5-6

of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

 

Intro:

 

Word of truth (power of God), the gospel would grow despite any opposition.

 

Honest historians are astounded at how much Christianity changed the world in a few centuries and so changed it that modern generations take for granted Christian ethics as if they had always been ingrained in society.

 

The gospel is just like the tree that Jesus prophesied, growing and bearing fruit.  

 

MAT 13:16-18

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.  17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower.

 

MAT 13:23

"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."

 

The parable tells us that the fruit of the gospel would grow only in soil that understands. This “understanding” is beautifully developed in the NT as the faith of the saints in the sphere of Christ - not by works but by faith.

 

COL 1:6

Even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth

 

And regardless of how many good soils there would be compared to the rocky, thorns and thistles, Christ prophesied that the church would grow to huge proportions and continue to do so until His return.

 

MAT 13:31-33

He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;  32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."

 

33 He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."

 

This increase occurred at an alarming rate.

 

1. The word of truth, the gospel.

 

The gospel (good news about Christ and His kingdom) is directly from God, not man, and so is the word of truth.

 

This phrase “word of truth” is used in three other passages. Using 2CO 6:1-10 as our main.

 

2CO 6:1-2

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain —  2 for He says,

"At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” [the power of God] Behold, now is "the acceptable time,” behold, how is “the day of salvation” -

 

The quote [ISA 49:8]: the “you” is Christ.

 

ISA 49:6

I will also make You a light of the nations

So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

 

“Now” reveals the power and extent of the gospel. It never diminishes or dies.

 

Then Paul beautifully describes the character that the gospel instills in the one ministering it.

 

2CO 6:3-10   

giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. 

 

The spread, the increase, the fruit of the gospel is attributed, only, to its own power.

 

1a. Giving no offense to the gospel.

 

Eventually, our fruit will show, and if it is bad fruit we offend the gospel, the Lord, and the listener. 

 

Suffering: we offend the message when we try to escape whatever suffering comes upon us for the gospel.

 

The gospel is Christ. If we speak Him who endured so much of this exact suffering who …

 

1PE 2:21-23

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

 

So like Him, we 2CO 6:4 commending ourselves as servants of God.

 

When we commend ourselves as servants of God we are putting all possibility of outcome (expectancy) and desire of outcome (hope) in the hands of our more than capable Father (just like the Lord did).

 

1b. The Heart of the gospel - love (Christ)

 

2CO 6:6-7

in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left

 

The One we are telling them about is love.

 

1c. The word of truth in the power of God.

 

Paul stated that the word of truth was the gospel. The word of truth is also in the power of God and that power provides weapons.

 

The power of God is moving mountains - hearts are being moved by the gospel. 

 

ROM 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith [“weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left”]; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

 

1 Corinthians tells us that the power of the gospel changes the common, ordinary man into someone extraordinary as heaven would define it.

 

1d. Word of truth, the gospel, the grace of God in truth.

 

COL 1:6

which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

 

The word of truth: God’s voice. The power of God: God’s changing you. The grace of God: God loving you. The gospel: the good news that it was all done through Christ.

 

Conclusion:

 

In COL 1:6-7 “just as” is used 3 times - the gospel transforming the world, “just as” it has transformed you, “just as” you heard from Epaphras.

 

The same miracle of the gospel happens in the world “just as” it does in the small church no one ever heard of. 

 

The faithful minister in the mission fields of the world is wielding the same power as the minister in a small town church.

 

The truth and power of the gospel never diminishes. It will change you so that its fruit grows in you and you become a minister of the gospel like Christ.