Overview
Colossians is a compact but theologically dense letter addressed to a small church in the Lycus valley that had not personally founded. He writes to counter a teaching that was attracting the Colossians with promises of fuller spiritual insight, ascetic discipline, angelic visions, and ritual observances. Against this Paul exalts the supremacy and sufficiency of .
The heart of the letter is a magnificent Christological hymn in 1:15 to 20 that depicts Christ as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the agent through whom all things were made, and the one in whom all things hold together. In him the fullness of God dwells bodily, and through his cross God reconciles all things in heaven and on earth.
From this Christological foundation Paul argues that believers who are united to Christ have died with him to the elemental spirits of the world and risen with him to a new life. They no longer need supplementary regulations or visionary experiences but are to set their minds on things above and let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts as a renewed community marked by compassion, kindness, and love.
Authorship & Dating
Traditional view: Colossians has been received from the second century as written by , with named as co-sender (1:1) and sent during one of Paul's imprisonments alongside Philemon.
Scholarly view: Modern scholarship is divided. A substantial number of critical scholars regard Colossians as deutero-Pauline, citing distinctive vocabulary, longer liturgical sentences, a developed cosmic Christology and ecclesiology, and a close literary relationship to Ephesians. Many others continue to defend Pauline authorship, often noting that a co-author such as , a different scribe, and the new opponents addressed could explain the stylistic features.
Dating: If by , Colossians is dated to one of his imprisonments, most often around 60 to 62 CE in Rome. If deutero-Pauline, it is usually placed in the 70s CE or shortly after Paul's death.
Historical Context
was a small city in the Lycus valley of the Roman province of Asia, near the larger centers of and Hierapolis. The church there had been founded not by himself but by , a native of the city who appears to have come to faith during Paul's ministry in Ephesus and carried the gospel home.
Epaphras brought Paul news that prompted both encouragement and concern. The Colossians had received the gospel and were growing in faith, but a teaching of some kind was unsettling them. Scholars debate its exact contours, but its features in the letter include emphasis on philosophy and tradition, regulations about food and drink, observance of festivals, new moons, and sabbaths, ascetic severity to the body, and fascination with angelic worship and visions. Some scholars see roots in mystical Judaism, others in early Gnostic tendencies, and others in syncretistic local religion. Whatever its precise shape, it tended to obscure the all-sufficient supremacy of .
Paul writes from prison alongside Philemon, sending and the runaway slave back to with both letters. He wants the small church in the Lycus valley to grasp the cosmic scope of what God has done in Christ and to refuse anything that would distract from him.
Timeline
- ca. 52–55 CE — Founding through Epaphras
During 's Ephesian ministry the gospel spreads through the province of Asia, and carries it to .
Colossians 1:7; Acts 19:10 - Emergence of a rival teaching
A teaching marked by philosophy, ascetic regulations, festivals, and angelic worship begins to attract some in .
- Epaphras visits Paul
travels to with news both of the Colossians' love in the Spirit and of the new teaching threatening them.
Colossians 1:7-8; 4:12-13 - Christ hymn
rehearses the hymn celebrating as the image of God, the firstborn over creation, and the head of the church.
Colossians 1:15-20 - ca. 60–62 CE — Composition in prison
On the traditional reading, writes Colossians along with Philemon and Ephesians from house arrest in Rome.
- Tychicus and Onesimus
carries the letter back to together with , the slave returning to his master Philemon.
Colossians 4:7-9 - Exchange with Laodicea
asks the letter to be read also in and the Laodicean letter to be read in .
Colossians 4:16
Themes
- Supremacy of Christ
is the image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, and head of the church, in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily.
- Reconciliation through the cross
Through the blood of his cross reconciles all things in heaven and on earth to God.
- Mystery revealed
The mystery hidden for ages, now disclosed, is in you, the hope of glory, and the gospel reaches every creature under heaven.
- Freedom from elemental powers
Believers have died with to the elemental spirits and need not submit to regulations about food, drink, or special days.
- Union with the risen Christ
Raised with , believers set their minds on things above and clothe themselves with the virtues of the new self.
- Renewed humanity
In there is no or , slave or free; the new humanity is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.
- Household and witness
The Christian household and daily speech bear witness to the lordship of in ways shaped by gratitude and wisdom toward outsiders.
Outline
- 1:1-14Greeting, thanksgiving, and prayer— gives thanks for the Colossians' faith and prays that they may grow in the knowledge of God's will.
- 1:15-23Hymn to Christ and reconciliation— A poetic celebration of as supreme over creation and as the one in whom God reconciles all things.
- 1:24–2:5Paul's ministry of the mystery— shares in 's afflictions for the sake of the church and labors to present everyone mature in Christ.
- 2:6-23Sufficiency of Christ over rival teaching— Believers walk in in whom the fullness of God dwells, free from human regulations, asceticism, and angelic worship.
- 3:1-17Life raised with Christ— Set your minds on things above, put off the old self, and clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and love.
- 3:18–4:1Household relationships— Wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters live out their roles under the lordship of .
- 4:2-6Prayer and witness— calls for steadfast prayer and wise speech seasoned with salt toward those outside the church.
- 4:7-18Greetings and instructions— commends and , sends greetings from his coworkers, and signs off in his own hand.
Where Colossians takes place
2 mapped places · marker size reflects how often each place is mentioned in Colossians.