because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Colossians 1:5
What does Colossians 1:5 mean?
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Colossians 1:5
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The hope mentioned here isn't just a feeling, but the actual, glorious future salvation that's securely kept in heaven for believers. This emphasizes that our ultimate reward is a guaranteed, precious treasure, not something uncertain or earned.
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is giving thanks for the Colossian believers, celebrating their faith and love, which he had heard about from Epaphras. This verse explains that their solid hope for the future, a treasure stored safely in heaven, fuels their present faith and love. This same hopeful message, the gospel, is what they heard when they first became believers.
What does it mean for your hope to be 'laid up' for you in heaven? It's not something you build or achieve, but something divinely secured.
Paul speaks of a "hope laid up for you in heaven." This isn't a hope that's uncertain or dependent on your performance.
Divine Security
The Greek word used here suggests something deposited, reserved, or stored away safely. Think of it like a precious treasure carefully put aside, beyond the reach of thieves or decay. It's not something you earn through good deeds, but something God has prepared and secured for you because of His grace.
The Object of Hope
This 'hope' refers to the glorious future awaiting believers – eternal life, communion with God, and the full realization of His promises. It's not just a feeling, but the very reality you are anticipating. It's already secured in heaven, waiting for you.
You heard about this incredible hope, not from whispers or rumors, but from 'the word of the truth, the gospel.' What makes this 'word' so foundational?
Paul reminds the Colossians that they 'heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.' This wasn't just any message; it was the definitive truth about God's plan.
The Gospel as Truth
The gospel is called 'the word of truth.' This highlights its absolute reliability and divine origin. It's not a human philosophy or a set of opinions, but God's authoritative revelation. It's the source of certainty for the hope you hold.
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Hearing and Knowing
The phrase 'ye heard before' points to their initial conversion. They were introduced to this truth when they first believed. The gospel is the vehicle through which this heavenly hope is communicated and made known. It's not just information, but a life-transforming message that brings assurance.
Understand the original words
elpis · Greek Noun
The confident expectation and certainty of future salvation and the eternal blessings promised by God. It is anchored in the resurrection of Christ and is not a mere wish but a secure anticipation.
alētheia · Greek Noun
The objective, divine reality revealed by God. It is equated with the gospel and stands in contrast to falsehood, serving as the foundation for the believer's life and faith.
euangelion · Greek Noun
Literally "good news," referring to the message of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
This verse is deeply rooted in the early spread of Christianity. The 'hope laid up in heaven' was a foundational message preached by figures like Epaphras during the initial establishment of the church in Colossae, a message Paul later reinforces from his Roman imprisonment to guard them against false teachings.
c. AD 40-50
Founding of the Church in Colossae
Paul or one of his associates, likely Epaphras, preached the gospel in the region of Phrygia, leading to the establishment of a church in Colossae. This marks the initial introduction of the Christian faith to the community.
c. AD 55-62— this verse
Paul writes Colossians from Prison
While imprisoned, likely in Rome or Ephesus, Paul writes the Epistle to the Colossians, addressing spiritual threats and doctrinal errors emerging within the church.
c. AD 60-70
Flourishing of early Christian communities
The Christian faith, though facing persecution and internal challenges, continued to spread throughout the Roman Empire, bringing forth 'fruit' and establishing communities like the one in Colossae.
This passage echoes the concept of a 'living hope' in heaven, emphasizing that believers have an inheritance reserved for them, just as Colossians 1:5 speaks of a hope 'laid up for you in heaven'.
Titus 2:13This verse directly links our 'blessed hope' with the appearing of Jesus Christ, connecting the 'hope laid up in heaven' with the future glorious manifestation of Christ that the gospel proclaims.
1 Corinthians 15:19Paul here states that if Christ has not been raised, the Christian hope is limited to this life. This highlights that the hope mentioned in Colossians 1:5 is specifically a future, eternal hope grounded in Christ's resurrection.
Matthew 6:20Jesus' teaching to 'lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven' parallels the idea in Colossians 1:5 of a hope 'laid up for you in heaven,' emphasizing the eternal and secure nature of what believers are to look forward to.
Romans 8:24-25This passage speaks of being saved by hope, and that 'hope that is seen is not hope.' This reinforces the idea in Colossians 1:5 that the hope is something future, unseen, and held in anticipation, which gives perseverance.
barnesColossians 1:5: "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;"
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven - That is, "I give thanks that there is such a hope laid up for you." The evidence which he had that this hope was theirs, was founded on the faith and love to the saints which he heard they had evinced. He fully believed that where there was such faith and love, there was a well-founded hope of heaven. The word "hope"…
gillColossians 1:5: "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;"
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,.... These words may be considered either in connection with the foregoing, and express the reason or motive which encouraged these saints to believe in Christ, and to go on believing in him, and hold fast the profession of their faith in him, and to love the saints, and show it upon all occasions, and in every case; b…
The hope mentioned here isn't just a feeling, but the actual, glorious future salvation that's securely kept in heaven for believers. This emphasizes that our ultimate reward is a guaranteed, precious treasure, not something uncertain or earned.
Paul is giving thanks for the Colossian believers, celebrating their faith and love, which he had heard about from Epaphras. This verse explains that their solid hope for the future, a treasure stored safely in heaven, fuels their present faith and love. This same hopeful message, the gospel, is what they heard when they first became believers.
Paul is giving thanks for the Colossian believers, celebrating their faith and love, which he had heard about from Epaphras. This verse explains that their solid hope for the future, a treasure stored safely in heaven, fuels their present faith and love. This same hopeful message, the gospel, is what they heard when they first became believers.
"because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel," — The hope mentioned here isn't just a feeling, but the actual, glorious future salvation that's securely kept in heaven for believers. This emphasizes that our ultimate reward is a guaranteed, preciou…
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Last reviewed October 2026