John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit .] Not only their love to God, and Christ, and to all the saints, which is before mentioned, but their love to the apostle; though they had only heard of him, and of his great capacity for, and faithfulness and usefulness in preaching of the Gospel, which had greatly endeared him to them. This, he says, was in the Spirit; it was spiritual love, to distinguish it from a carnal and worldly one; they loved him for the spiritual grace that was in him, the spiritual gifts bestowed on him, the spiritual service he was engaged in, and the spiritual usefulness he was of: or they loved him in, and with their spirits, with all their hearts, sincerely, and without dissimulation; and though they had never seen him in the flesh, yet being, as it were, present with him in spirit, their affections were knit unto him: or this their love was “in the Holy Spirit”, as the Ethiopic version reads it; it was a fruit of the Spirit of God, which he had implanted in their hearts in regeneration, as is also love to God, and likewise to Christ.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - All true Christians are brethren one to another. Faithfulness run through every character and relation of the Christian life. Faith hope, and love, are the three principal graces in the Christian life and proper matter for prayer and thanksgiving. The more we fix ou hopes on the reward in the other world, the more free shall we be in doing good with our earthly treasure. It was treasured up for them, n enemy could deprive them of it. The gospel is the word of truth, and we may safely venture our souls upon it. And all who hear the word of the gospel, ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel, obey it, and have their principles and lives formed according to it. Worldly love arises either from views of interest or from likeness in manners; carnal love from the appetite for pleasure. To these, something corrupt, selfish and base always cleaves. But Christian love arises from the Holy Spirit, and is full of holiness. (Col 1:9-14)
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM και 2532 CONJ δηλωσας 1213 5660 V-AAP-NSM ημιν 2254 P-1DP την 3588 T-ASF υμων 5216 P-2GP αγαπην 26 N-ASF εν 1722 PREP πνευματι 4151 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Declared (dhlwsav). Or made manifest. See on 1 Cor. i. 11. In the Spirit. Connect with your love. Compare Gal. v. 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:8 {Who also declared} (ho kai delwsas). Articular first aorist active participle of delow, old verb, to make manifest. Epaphras told Paul about their "love in the Spirit," grounded in the Holy Spirit.
