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Colossians
Introduction
Colossae was a city in the Lycus valley, Asia Minor. It was linked with two other cities, Laodicia and Hieroposis. The area came under Roman rule in 133BC. It tended to contain a mixture of racial groupings with Greek and Roman influences added. The valley was settled by Jewish emigrants from around 300BC. The region was first touched by Paul and Barnabas in 47, or 48AD, during their first missionary journey. During Paul's Ephesian ministry in AD 52-55, the gospel would have again touched the region when "all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord", although Paul did not personally evangelize the Lycus valley.
1. Introduction, 1:1-14
Greeting, thanksgiving and prayer, 1:1-14
2. The person and work of Christ, 1:15-23
i] The supremacy of Christ in creation and redemption, 1:15-20
ii] Reconciliation, 1:21-23
3. Paul's ministry. 1:24-2:5
i] Paul's stewardship of the mystery, 1:24-29
ii] Paul's spiritual struggle, 2:1-5
4. False teaching exposed and defeated. 2:6-23
i] Christ is the remedy for error, 2:6-15
ii] Warnings against legalism, 2:16-19
iii] The consequence of death with Christ, 2:20-23
5. Exhortations for Christian living. 3:1-4:6
i] Put to death the old life, 3:1-11
ii] Put on new life in Christ, 3:12-17
iii] Maintain loving relationships in the home, 3:18-4:1
iv] Pray and witness, 4:2-6
6. Concluding personal notes. 4:7-18
Greetings and final instructions
It is generally accepted that Paul wrote this letter from Rome around 61AD after being informed by Epaphras of the situation developing in the church.
Paul wrote this letter to counter the influence of a group (judaizers, legalists, members of the circumcision party) who were troubling the church.
There has been much debate as to the type of heresy infiltrating the Colossian church, but most likely it is the same as that addressed by Paul in his letters to the Galatians and Romans. Here again were Jewish Christians promoting an elitism through obedience to the regulations of the law. The heresy ran as follows: Although beginning the Christian life is a matter of trusting the finished work of the Jewish Messiah Christ, full standing and the full attainment of the promised blessings in Christ come only by submitting to the Jewish Torah (Deuteronomic law), along with the ethic of Christ. Obedience to the law purifies the believer - sanctifies them. Against this view Paul wrote, "such regulations have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." We are to go on in the Christian life as we started, by faith in the cross of Christ. Looking to Jesus, to his finished work of love, not only accounts a person holy before God, but also shapes holiness in the Christian life. To return to law ("the basic principles of this world") is to inevitably place ourselves under the curse which already stands over the people of Israel. Paul therefore opposed the heresy by stressing that fullness in the Christian life is found by faith in Christ alone.
So, this letter defends the gospel against legalism, by reaffirming:
i] The uniqueness of the person of Christ - he is the embodiment of the Divine and thus wholly to be relied upon.
ii] The perfect and complete nature of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross.
iii] The spiritual freedom and liberty of those who live by faith.
The argument of the main theological section of the letter is as follows. Paul's readers were once alienated from God and were enemies because of their evil behavior. Now they have been reconciled to God on the basis of Jesus' death on their behalf, which offering by Christ enables them to be presented to God, holy in his sight, without blemish and free from any accusation by the powers of darkness. Yet, their standing in the sight of God depends on their continuing trust in Christ, particularly in his work on the cross. A believer's continued standing before God depends on their not being moved from their hope/faith in the right-standing they possess in the sight of God, which hope/faith rests on the sacrificial offering of Christ on the cross - the hope held out in the gospel, 1:21-23. The danger they face is of being deceived by fine-sounding arguments, 2:4. Rather, they must continue to live by faith in Christ, 2:7. They must not be taken captive by a hollow and deceptive philosophy (a good works type of Christianity) which is based on human traditions and the basic principles of this world, 2:8. Christ has forgiven all their sins, having canceled the written code, with all its regulations, 2:13-14. The last thing they need to do is to return to obedience of the law, (do not taste and do not touch) as though trying to do this progresses them in the Christian life - makes them holy, sanctifies them. Such harsh treatment of the person does not restrain evil within, 2:16-17, 20-23. No, they must set their minds on Christ. In his death they die, in his rising they live, 3:1-4. In Christ's act of love on the cross, in the power of his resurrection, they are able to put to death all that belongs to the earthly nature, 3:5. They must live by faith and not by works of the law.
Barth, Anchor. Caird, New Clarendon. Carson, Tyndale, 1960, Replaced. Dunn, NIGTC. Harris, EGGNT. Hendrickson, Banner of Truth, 1964. Houlden, Paul's letters from prison, Penguin. Lightfoot, Macmillan. 1879. Lohse, Hermeneia. Lucas, BST. Martin, NCB. Moo, Pillar, 2008. Moore, NCB, Replaced. Moule, CGTC. Neyrey, NCBC. O'Brien, Word. Pfitzner, ChiRho. Pokorny, Hendrickson. Schweizer, SPCK. Synge, CBC. Thompson, Horizons. Wilson, ICC, 2005. Wright, Tyndale, 2nd. ed. 1994. Yates, Epworth.
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