1:3 Thanksgiving is an essential part of prayer.
1:4 The natural result of faith in Christ is love for the brethren. Note the word "all" is significant. Christ driven love is universally appropriated to all of God's people, not a select set. The greatest apologetic work is the example of Christians demonstrating uncompromising love — not only for the lovely and loving — but for the unlovely as well.
1:5 Biblical hope is not wishful thinking but, rather, is a specific type of faith. It is faith in that which is unseen, almost always referring to the future. The word "expectation" is a similar word.
1:6 That hope, or expectation, is a component of the gospel. The normal state of the gospel is that it a) bears fruit and b) grows. That growth is not self-perpetuating but, instead, requires a messenger (sower). Epaphras is presented as an example of such a messenger. There is an emphasis placed on both hearing and understanding.
There is an emphasis placed on hearing and understanding, which are not always the same. Both of these are necessary necessary for the gospel to have effect.
1:7 The qualifying word "faithful" implies that some servants are not faithful. Characteristic of the faithfulness of Epaphras was his bi-lateral committment. He ministered to the Colossians on the behalf of Paul and 1:8 to Paul he ministered in behalf of the Colossians.
1:9 Paul prayerd for the Colossians upon hearing that they received the gospel. While he probably prayed for their salvation prior to their salvation, his prayer changed.