Colossians
Introduction to the book of Colossians
Paul writes to demonstrate that Christ is supreme over every human philosophy and accomplishment. The letter to the Colossians is a beautiful blend of theology and practice, and it combines some of the deepest and most sublime teachings about Christ with very basic instruction. Colossians reminds us that Christ must always be preeminent in a Christian's affections and worship as strongly as any other book in the NT.Theme & Overview
A group called the Gnostics (derived from the word for "knowledge") claimed they possessed privileged, supernatural knowledge necessary for salvation. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to believers in the small city of Colossae (located in the southwest interior of modern Turkey) to warn about the subtle arguments and false teachings that threatened to undermine the Colossians' faith. The "NIV Quest Study Bible" says Paul intended to clarify the nature and identity of Jesus to refute those who challenged Jesus' deity and authority. The letter emphasizes the supremacy of Christ and what that means for everyday living and offers specific ways to develop attitudes and actions that honor the Lord. The supremacy and adequacy of Christ are stressed throughout. He is presented as fully God (2:9), as Creator (1:16), as preeminent over the universe and church (1:17, 18), and as Savior (1:20, 21). Because Christ is over all, the Colossians are "complete in Him" (2:10), that is, He is more than adequate in that He alone—rather than any angelic being—can meet all their spiritual needs. The Colossians, then, should worship God the Father through Him alone and depend on Him only for salvation, refusing to rely on vain philosophy, secret knowledge, or legalism in an attempt to secure divine favor.Relation to Ephesians
In one form or another, approximately 75 of the 105 verses in Colossians can be found in Ephesians: Colossians mentions that the church is the body of Christ (1:18); this doctrine is then further developed in the sister epistle of Ephesians. Colossians stresses Jesus as Head, while Ephesians emphasizes the church as His body. Author
(The apostle Paul is the author of Colossians.) This letter was written by Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:1). Though he did not personally know the recipients, Paul was acquainted with them through Epaphras. Epaphras probably planted the church in Colossae, judging from the fact that the believers there first learned the gospel from him (Colossians 1:7). Afterwards, he served as their minister and informed the apostle of their conversion (Colossians 1:7, 8).Date & Place of Writing
The letter to the church at Colossae was written about AD 60 or 61. Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians are called "prison letters." All four were written while Paul was in jail for preaching about Jesus Christ (see Colossians 4:18, 1:24). Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon are closely related, having probably been written from the same place at about the same time. The numerous parallels between vocabulary and matters discussed in Ephesians and Colossians link these epistles together. Also, there are many personal references common to Philemon and Colossians. Epaphras either visited Paul in Rome or was imprisoned there with him (Philem. 23). In either case, he informed Paul of the dangerous theological error circulating in the churches of Colossae and Laodicea. In response to Epaphras's plea for help, Paul writes this epistle to the Colossians, which is also to be read in the church at Laodicea (4:16), in an attempt to check the heresy's influence. The heresy was syncretistic, that is, it was composed of elements drawn from paganism, Judaism, and Christianity. The pagan element espoused a false philosophy (2:8) that appears to have been an early form of Gnosticism. This movement viewed matter as evil, denied the divine creation of the universe, held too many angelic beings or spiritual intermediaries existing between God and men, advocated the worship of these angelic beings (2:18), and stressed secret "knowledge" (received when initiated into their cult) as the means of attaining salvation. The Jewish element was legalistic in nature, retained the Mosaic Law (2:14), imposed circumcision (2:11), followed dietary restrictions and calendar observations (2:16), and advocated asceticism (2:21–23). The heresy's Christian component did not deny Christ but dethroned Him. He was not regarded as divine or as Creator of the universe, and His death was thus deprived of any saving merit.Recipients
The letter is addressed to the church at Colossae (1:2), a town in Asia Minor about one hundred miles east of Ephesus and 12 miles south of Laodicea and Hierapolis. Colossae had once been a thriving trade center, but its commercial influence was waning in Paul's day. From Ephesians 6:21 and Colossians 4:7, it seems that Tychicus delivered both of these epistles to their respective destinations. The Colossian Christians had been led to Christ by Epaphras (1:7). The majority were Gentiles (2:13) who were progressing in their new faith. Paul rejoiced over their good spiritual condition (2:5), but the Colossian church was being exposed to a local heresy that threatened to deprive them of their spiritual blessings (2:8, 18).Background
The city of Colosse was located about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east of Ephesus, in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Paul mentions Epaphras as the one who first brought the Good News to the Colossians (1:7). Epaphras was probably converted during Paul's three-year ministry in Ephesus. Ephesus was the commercial and governmental center for the whole province, which included Colosse. Luke tells us that during Paul's time in Ephesus, "people throughout the province of Asia … heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10). While Paul had not visited Colosse (2:1), he was the spiritual "father" of Epaphras and thus the spiritual "grandfather" of their church. So he wrote with both apostolic authority and personal concern. When Colossians was written, Epaphras was visiting Paul in prison (4:12). He had told Paul about some of the difficulties the young church was going through. He was especially concerned about some false Colosse teachers who emphasized the importance of "spiritual rulers and authorities" and "spiritual powers of this world," and thus were detracting from Christ's preeminence. Paul wrote to address these issues.Here is another reading of the Backgroud of Colossians
The heresy that occasioned the writing of this letter was a mixture of ideas from Greek philosophy, oriental religions, and Jewish traditions. It was being presented as a "higher thought" cult and promoted as a new philosophy for Christianity. Some of its features include:A call to worship angels as intermediaries between God and man (2:18)It insisted on observing Jewish customs and laws to the point of asceticism.It assumed that its teaching was a superior form of doctrine to what was present or had been previously taught by the apostles or their disciples.
In response to these false ideas, Paul writes a letter to the Colossians, not as an effort to debate them but simply as an opportunity of presenting the person of Christ to them once again. Paul presents Jesus with all of His divine attributes and permits his readers to form their own conclusions between the teachings concerning Jesus of the gospel and the doctrine taught by the false teachers among them. His objective was to show that Jesus and His teachings were preeminent (first and superior) in every area of life and spiritual knowledge - including this "so-called" higher knowledge.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
The letter aimed to refute the Colossian heresy, to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ, and to confirm the addressees in the Christian faith. Paul wrote to the Colossians because false teachers were disturbing the church. Colosse was an important commercial center on one of the main Roman roads in its region, so the city would have been exposed to ideas from many religions and philosophies. Like many false teachings, the "Colossian heresy" was probably a mixture of various attitudes and ideas that were in the air at the time. We cannot identify these false teachers or the details of their particular teaching, but we can see some characteristics:The false teachers were apparently insisting on the observance of the Sabbath and new moon festivals (2:16), which suggests some Jewish input in their viewpoint.They were preoccupied with following various rules, particularly pertaining to the body (asceticism).Their emphasis on spiritual beings was typical of many religious movements of the period.
The basic problem is clear: The teaching did not regard Christ as the center and origin of all religious experiences. Any teaching or philosophy that fails to do so is not the Good News. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul steers a young Christian church back to the apostles' message of the Good News about Christ. To counter the influence of false teaching, Paul insisted that Christ is supreme (literally firstborn; see note on 1:15) over all beings in creation, both spiritual and physical. Jesus is the one in whom the very fullness of God resides. Jesus is also the only ultimate source of spiritual growth, the center from which all true spiritual experience must radiate (2:19). The false teachers were deriving their emphasis on rules from something other than Christ, and this meant that the rules could not produce spiritual benefit (2:23). In this case, Paul argues, addition means subtraction: Trying to add anything to Christ leads to subtracting the power that he alone gives to lead the Christian life. Christ has reconciled us to the God in whom we now live, so all of our spiritual needs are fulfilled by Christ. We need no one and nothing else for true spiritual fulfillment. Paul urged the Colossians to avoid putting too much stock in ritual practices (2:16–23). Instead, all Christians should identify with Christ in his death and resurrection (2:11, 19–20; 3:1–4) and let the Good News, as preached by the apostles, mold their thinking and behavior. Colossians reminds us that we must keep Christ at the center of all that we do, in our spiritual journey and in the church's life. Adding to Christ is inevitably a distortion of true Christian faith.Key Verses (ESV)
Colossians 1:15–16: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."Colossians 3:12–13: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."Colossians 4:5-6: "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."Key Passages (NLT)
Colossians: 1:1–8"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. We are writing to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.…."Colossians: 1:13–2:1"For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,…."Colossians: 2:8–3:4"Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with…."Colossians: 4:3"Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains."Colossians: 4:18"Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember my chains. May God's grace be with you."Outline #1
Colossians can be divided into two parts, CHS 1–2 focused on theology and CHS 3–4 on practical matters.Paul's greetings (1:1–2) are followed by a thanksgiving section (1:3–14), a typical way of opening a New Testament letter.Then, to make his key theological point, Paul quotes and adapts a hymn about the supremacy of Christ (1:15–20), then makes a practical application (1:21–23) before discussing his own ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles (1:24–2:5).He then returns to his main point, urging the Colossians to maintain their allegiance to Christ Jesus, the one who provides for their spiritual life (2:6–15). The theological part of the letter concludes with a warning not to become preoccupied with rules as a means to spiritual fulfillment (2:16–23).The more practical part of the letter (CHS 3–4) opens with a general call to turn from sin and embrace the new life in Christ (3:1–11). Paul follows this with instructions for the Christian community (3:12–17) and family life (3:18–4:1). The letter concludes with an exhortation to prayer (4:2–6) and remarks about co-workers and other Christians (4:7–18).
Outline #2
Salutation - 1:1-2Christ: Preeminent in Personal Relationships - 1:3-29Christ: Preeminent in Doctrine - 2:1-3:4Christ: Preeminent in Ethics - 3:5-4:1Conclusion and Greetings - 4:2-18