Colossians 1:1–2

1:1 Paul begins his letter to the Colossian believers with an introductory prescript. He fills this common epistolary form with rich theological statements; we should not regard his introductory remarks as routine or merely throwaway. The basic pattern is familiar to anyone who has read Paul’s letters. The letter opens with Paul’s name. In modern discussions regarding whether the canonical letters ascribed to Paul (including Colossians) are truly Pauline or are pseudepigraphical (falsely ascribed), the consistent testimony of the textual evidence is impressive and obstinate: all of our textual evidence includes the name of Paul as author. Paul describes himself in various ways in the four so-called “Captivity Letters” or “Prison Epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon), which appear to have been written at around the same time. In both Ephesians and Colossians Paul introduces himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” “Apostle” (meaning “one who is sent/commissioned”) suggests both great dignity and great authority. In Philippians and Philemon, by contrast, Paul chooses descriptions communicating humility rather than authority (“servants,” “prisoner”). Paul appears to select his self-descriptions according to the purpose and tone of his letter. We need not assume, however, that Paul’s apostleship was being challenged in Colossae. Paul simply understood that he was appointed an apostle “by the will of God” (cf. Eph. 1:1), and, since he does not go on to defend his apostleship as he does in Galatians, we should not regard his use of the description here as defensive.

Timothy is mentioned along with Paul. For Timothy’s role in the production of the letter, see the Introduction.

Paul refers to Timothy as “our brother.” (The Greek text reads “the brother,” but the context allows the article to be understood with a possessive sense, emphasizing the relationship Paul and the Colossians share with Timothy.) In both Colossians and Philemon, Paul places particular emphasis on the relationship of “brother” or “brothers and sisters,” using this term to describe a spiritual reality. Paul is convinced that God has adopted Christians into his family (Rom. 8:14, 23; 9:8; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5) so that Christians become, by implication, brothers and sisters in the single family of God. But it also seems likely that Paul uses the term in certain circumstances for its rhetorical and pastoral significance. To describe fellow Christians as brothers and sisters highlights the family relationship that exists because of God’s gracious and saving acts. Any difficult or delicate issues must be discussed and resolved in a manner appropriate to this relationship.

1:2b Paul’s greeting (“Grace to you and peace”) emphasizes God’s unmerited favor toward human beings (“grace”) and his shalom, which brings wholeness in a person’s relationships with God, other people, and the whole of creation. These themes are developed further in the rest of the letter. Generally, this phrase is similar to greetings in Paul’s other letters, except that grace and peace are said to come from “God our Father,” with no reference to Jesus Christ. Of course, it is inconceivable that Paul intended by this omission to indicate a different theological understanding from what is expressed in the opening of Ephesians, Philippians, or Philemon. At the same time, it is unlikely that a careful thinker like Paul would simply drop a significant part of his typical greeting accidentally. Douglas Moo’s explanation is reasonable: “Perhaps . . . Paul is preparing us for the unusual language of v. 3, in which he calls God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”² We note there is no verb expressly stated in Paul’s greeting. This leaves a measure of ambiguity as to whether Paul intends an indicative verb to be supplied (“grace and peace are yours”) or whether he means to imply the optative mood, suggesting a wish or a prayer (“may grace and peace be yours”).