5 because of the ^ehope ^flaid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the ^gword of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed ^hin the whole world it is ⁱbearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you ^jheard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from ^kEpaphras our beloved fellow servant.¹ He is a faithful minister of Christ on your² behalf 8 and has made known to us your ^llove in the Spirit.