Colossians is a letter sent by Paul to a church in Colossae
when he was in prison. The letter was Paul’s first direct
contact with the church, which may have been started by one of his
missionary associates, Epaphras (Col. 1:7). Epaphras was from
Colossae (4:12), a city of Asia Minor located in the Lycus Valley,
known for its fertile soil and green pastures. Some commentators
suggest that Epaphras also started churches in Hierapolis and
Laodicea (4:13), neighboring cities in the valley that were situated
around the Lycus River about ten miles apart. Colossae was a free
city located on the main Roman road that ran from Ephesus and Sardis
toward the east, and it was populated by native Phrygians, as well as
Greeks, Romans, and Jews. More than likely, the church was founded
during Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus, where persons from
the region heard Paul’s gospel and from where Paul sent
missionary associates such as Epaphras into the surrounding cities
(Acts 19). Tychicus, the letter carrier (Col. 4:7–8), was also
one of Paul’s associates from the same region; he decided to
accompany Paul to Macedonia after the team left Ephesus (Acts 20:4).
The
close association of these churches in Asia Minor and the time frame
when the letters were written may explain why Paul’s letter to
the Colossians is so similar in content to his letter to the
Ephesians. Paul was in prison (probably in Rome) when he sent both of
these letters (Eph. 3:1; Col. 4:10, 18). The instructions regarding
Tychicus, the carrier for both letters, are identical, nearly
verbatim (Eph. 6:21–22; Col. 4:7–8). The letters share
the same outline, following some of the same themes, especially
toward the end, where Paul gives instructions regarding the
household. An affinity also exists between Colossians and Philemon, a
letter sent to the patron of one of the house churches in Colossae.
Most of the names mentioned by Paul appear in both letters: Timothy,
Onesimus, Archippus, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke
(Col. 1:1; 4:9–17; Philem. 1, 10, 23–24). Paul was also
in prison, along with Epaphras, at the time he sent his letter to
Philemon. All of this indicates that these letters were written about
the same time, from the same place, to the same region. Why did Paul
send three letters to the same region, especially since letter
production was so expensive? Why not send one letter to the entire
region (like Galatians), to be read by all the house churches?
Obviously, the problems of each church were so different that they
required a separate authoritative word from their apostle.
Questionable
Practices in Colossae
The
Colossians were doing several things that Paul found troublesome, as
we learn from Col. 2. They were judging each other for not keeping
certain dietary regulations and holy days (2:16). Some were claiming
superiority through personal worship experiences that involved
visions of angels (2:18). Some subscribed to strict discipline of the
human body, punishing themselves through various acts of
self-abasement in order to curb fleshly appetites (2:23) and enhance
their worship experiences (2:18). It seems that many of them were
trying to live by an expanded version of the divine command given in
the story of Adam, Eve, and the forbidden fruit: “Do not
handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21). Paul recognized
that all these claims and rules had the “appearance of wisdom”
but in reality were nothing more than traditions based on
“self-imposed” religion, and that such ascetic practices
were useless in denying fleshly appetites (2:22–23). Where did
the Colossians get all these strange ideas that led to such bizarre
behavior?
Paul
described the false teaching as an imprisoning “through hollow
and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the
elemental spiritual forces” in opposition to the teachings of
Christ (2:8). Because the Colossian church was made up primarily of
Gentile converts (1:27), many interpreters argue that the problems
resulted from the meshing of the gospel with local, pagan ways. The
Phrygians were known for their fascination with magical rituals, the
ability to manipulate the powers (earth, wind, fire, spirits, angels,
often referred to as “elementary principles of the world”)
for human purposes. Paul’s description of the false teaching as
a “hollow and deceptive philosophy” based on the “human
tradition” may also reveal the influence of Greek ideas and
Roman ways in the church. The Greeks operated with a dualistic
worldview of spirit versus flesh, leading some philosophers to argue
that punishing the body ensured purity of the soul. Furthermore, the
Romans believed that the gods had given them power to rule the world,
bringing fertility to the lands of conquered peoples. Worshiping
Caesar brought economic rewards to devoted subjects of the empire. In
other words, all this talk in the Colossian letter about power and
sovereignty, philosophy and self-discipline was Paul’s way of
dealing directly with the root of the problem: the syncretism of
pagan ways and the gospel according to Paul.
Some
interpreters believe that all these peculiar teachings derive not
from pagan religions but rather from Judaism. After all, Paul’s
references to observing the Sabbath, keeping commandments, and
angelic worship point toward a Jewish context. Paul also affirmed
that his Gentile converts were “circumcised with a circumcision
not performed by human hands” (2:11), perhaps revealing his
concern that Jewish ways were creeping into his Gentile church. He
even put the church on notice, identifying those among “the
circumcision” (Jews) who were trustworthy ministers of the
gospel (he mentions only three, Barnabas, John Mark, and Jesus called
Justus [4:10–11]). The implication, of course, was to ignore
the rest of “the circumcision.” But if the troublemakers
in Colossae were Jewish opponents of Paul, how does one explain all
the mystical and ascetic elements of this false teaching? Some argue
that the expression “worship of angels” was not an
idolatrous practice of venerating angelic beings. Instead, the phrase
should be translated “angelic worship,” implying that
some Colossians claimed to have been transported to heaven and joined
the angels in worship of God. This may have been similar to the
experiences of an obscure form of Judaism: Jewish mystics who claimed
to preserve esoteric revelations through out-of-body experiences of
heavenly visions and auditions (see Paul’s description in
2 Cor. 12:1–7). Furthermore, the strict dietary code and
sexual ethic of Jewish law were often interpreted by first-century
pagans as promoting an ascetic lifestyle. In other words, Paul was
countering a more cryptic branch of Judaism that flourished in a
region known for its affinity for the mysterious.
Outline
and Content
I.
Introduction (1:1–14)
A.
Greeting (1:1–2)
B.
Thanksgiving (1:3–8)
C.
Prayer (1:9–14)
II.
The Person and Work of Christ (1:15–23)
III.
Paul’s Role in Christ’s Mission to the Gentiles
(1:24–2:5)
IV.
False Teaching versus the Work of Christ (2:6–23)
V.
Instructions on Life in Christ
A.
In the church (3:1–17)
B.
In the home (3:18–4:1)
VI.
Generic Exhortations (4:2–6)
VII.
Specific Instructions (4:7–9)
VIII.
Final Greetings (4:10–17)
IX.
Paul’s Signature (4:18)
Whatever
the source of the false teaching referred to in Colossians, Paul
attempts to correct the misbehavior of his Gentile converts by
building an argument that the work of Christ is all-sufficient. Paul
begins the letter by describing the person and work of Christ in
cosmic terms (1:15–23). Next he recounts his role in the
mission of Christ to bring the riches of the kingdom to Gentiles
(1:24–2:5). After reminding the Colossians of their reception
of the gospel, Paul juxtaposes the deceptive practices of the false
teaching with the evidence of the work of Christ in them (2:6–23).
Then he gives a number of instructions on what life in Christ is
supposed to look like: in the church (3:1–17) and in the home
(3:18–4:1). He concludes the letter with generic exhortations
(4:2–6), specific instructions (4:7–9), and greetings
(4:10–17). Finally, Paul signs the letter, obviously written by
a secretary, with the simple request: “Remember my chains”
(4:18)—a curious signature that makes the argument of his
letter even more appealing.
The
Power and Peace of Christ’s Kingdom
It
is ironic that Paul chose to describe the work of Christ in such
grandiose terms, picturing him as a mighty ruler over all creation,
even while the apostle was in prison—an undeniable sign of
Roman sovereignty. In Col. 1, in some of the loftiest language Paul
ever used to describe Christ’s kingdom authority, the apostle
reminds his converts that the Lord is “the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15),
an obvious reference to Christ’s deity. Then Paul piles on the
attributes, presenting Christ as the creator of all things, even
angelic creatures (v. 16), the sustainer of all things (v. 17),
the head of the church, the eternal one, the guarantor of the
resurrection (v. 18), the fullness of God (v. 19), the
reconciler of all things—the one who made peace with the
enemies of God through his blood on the cross (vv. 20–22).
Despite Paul’s circumstances and what Rome may claim, the
apostle holds fast to the irrepressible sovereignty of Christ’s
kingdom, displayed by Paul’s perseverance in the midst of
suffering and the full assurance that every Colossian believer is
“fully mature in Christ” (vv. 22–29). Indeed, all
the treasures of Christ’s kingdom—love, knowledge,
wisdom, discipline—are to be found in the life of his converts
(2:1–5), unless someone “deludes” them into
thinking otherwise.
Paul’s
rhetorical strategy of extolling the power of Christ’s kingdom
makes perfect sense in light of the false teaching that was plaguing
the Colossian church. Apparently, the Colossians were persuaded to
feel inadequate about their faith, vulnerable to the imposition of
legalistic standards that ensured victory over fleshly indulgences.
To counter his opponents, Paul unpacks the significance of the
incarnation and the cross (2:9–15). Because Christ was God in
flesh (in whom “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily
form” [v. 9]), his death on the cross was a cosmic event
that defeated all the powers that oppose God. Using military imagery,
Paul argues that Christ canceled every debt against humanity when he
nailed all “decrees” (even Caesar’s) to the cross.
In that singular act of sacrifice, Christ disarmed the foes of God,
humiliating them publicly by making a spectacle of them, triumphing
over all powers (v. 15)—something that Caesar loved to do
after successful military campaigns. Therefore, if Christ’s
victory over all powers has been secured through his death, and since
he rules as the firstborn of the dead (resurrection) over all
creation, and since the Colossians are “fully mature in Christ”
(1:28) because of their faith in him, then no pretense of
self-abasement or angelic visions can diminish what Christ has done
and will continue to do in the lives of Paul’s converts in
Colossae. Christ is all they needed to overcome the powers.
In
Col. 3, Paul tells how the Colossians draw upon the power of Christ
when they “set [their] minds on things above, not on earthly
things” (v. 2). The things on the earth are “sexual
immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (v. 5).
Paul believes that his converts died with Christ (“hidden with
Christ in God” [v. 3]) and therefore had set aside all
these idolatrous practices when they put on the “new self,”
being conformed to the image of Christ (vv. 8–10). This renewal
will be found in all believers, regardless of ethnicity (v. 11),
and will result in peace for all. Indeed, Paul sees the “peace
of Christ” as the undeniable evidence of his reign exhibited in
the hearts of those who believe (vv. 12–15). And what would
that peace look like? Believers will be patient, forgiving one
another with hearts full of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and love resulting in unity (vv. 12–14). Their
worship of God will be characterized by songs of thankfulness and
admonition, receiving the word with wisdom (v. 16). In their
homes husbands, wives, and children will model deference and love,
and masters and slaves will seek justice and fairness, as if they
were serving Christ (3:18–4:1). The Colossians will be devoted
to prayer, will treat outsiders fairly, and will be known for always
speaking graceful words (4:2–6). In other words, where Caesar’s
empire has promoted Roman peace by enforcing Roman law in provinces,
cities, and households, Paul believes that the peace of Christ will
rule the hearts of his subjects, establishing a kingdom of love and
unity, in word and deed, in the home as well as the church. So, in
his final greetings, Paul talks about faithful slaves and beloved
siblings as sources of encouragement in the ever-expanding work of
the kingdom of God (4:7–17), making his simple request,
“Remember my chains” (4:18), sound more like an act of
defiance than a pitiful plea.
