and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:8 (ESV)
What does 'love in the Spirit' means in Colossians 1:8?
Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityand has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:8 (ESV)
What does 'love in the Spirit' means in Colossians 1:8?
To the Colossians, the apostle Paul and Timothy (cp. Col. 1:1) wrote that Epaphras (cp. Col. 1:7) "declared to us your love in the Spirit" (Col. 1:8). It is this same "love" that the apostle Paul refers to in Col. 1:4, when he writes,
after we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and [your] love that is for all the saints.
ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους TR, 1550
The apostle Paul describes the love as "in the Spirit" (ἐν πνεύματι) because (Rom. 5:5):
...God's love is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
...ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν TR, 1550
Indeed, love is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:5), the vinculum of perfectness (Col. 3:14), and perhaps the greatest Christian virtue (1 Cor. 13:13).
It was the supernatural love by the Holy Spirit loving others as the Lord Jesus love. To love your enemies and pray for them. To forgive those who mistreat and malign you name. Not to keep a record of wrongs. Living out 1 Corinthians 13 enabled by God’s Holy Spirit. It’s not the way the world would love, it’s the love fueled by the power of Lord of Heaven and earth.
Since the Spirit is spelled with a capital S, he's referring to the Holy Spirit, so I'd say it means to love others as the Spirit (God) loves others, i.e. agape-style. Unconditionally.