Colossians 4:8
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I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
for the same purpose--Greek, "for this very purpose." that he might know your estate--Translate, "that he may know your state": answering to Col 4:7. So one very old manuscript and Vulgate read. But the oldest manuscripts and the old Latin versions, "that YE may know OUR state." However, the latter reading seems likely to have crept in from Eph 6:22. Paul was the more anxious to know the state of the Colossians, on account of the seductions to which they were exposed from false teachers; owing to which he had "great conflict for" them (Col 2:1). comfort your hearts--distressed as ye are by my imprisonment, as well as by your own trials.
Open source ↗I. He continues his account of the duty of masters, from the close of the former chapter (Col 4:1). II. He exhorts to the duty of prayer (Col 4:2-4), and to a prudent and decent conduct towards those with whom we converse (Col 4:5, Col 4:6). III. He closes the epistle with the mention of several of his friends, of whom he gives an honourable testimony (Col 4:7-18).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.
that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and caused our labor to be in vain.
“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children—
encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.