Paul and the hope: When the true message, the Good News, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. Colossians 1:5

The apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians probably during his stay in the city of Rome when he was visited by his disciple Epaphras. Through this visit, Paul learned of the problems that afflicted this Christian community evangelized by his disciple, and thus to strengthen in the incipient faith these Christians in Asia, he addressed an epistle teaching them about the supremacy of Christ, the new man, and the message of hope contained in the gospel.
And in this way, the apostle began his epistle, with a thanksgiving to God for his spiritual gifts radiated to the new believers, gifts that give certainty of a hope that must bear fruit:
"We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God's people.
When the true message, the Good News, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. So your faith and love are based on what you hope for, which is kept safe for you in heaven" Colossians 1:3-5.
Hope is a very special gift in the message of the gospel and Paul emphasized it a lot. Hope is fundamentally the security of receiving the gift of eternal life, that is, the contemplative life. And Paul described this hope in very simple and direct terms: "We have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way" Colossians 1:9-10.
With this truth the apostle Paul explained that the spiritual realities can only be partially understood through faith, and its spiritual knowledge as such is reserved for the fruition of hope; incessantly asking for this grace pleases God and links men with Christ, the intermediary between God and men.

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