Colossians

Overview

The letter to the Colossians presents itself as a letter of the apostle Paul (cf. Author, below). The letter addresses a Christian community that Paul did not found, a community threatened by false teaching that would draw them away from trust in Jesus Christ as he was presented to them in the gospel. Paul encourages the Colossians to remain true to what they have learned, laying before them a fresh presentation of the gospel. This gospel declares the salvation God has accomplished for his people by means of Christ’s victory over sin and death and his lordship over all things.

Title

The Greek title is “Pros Kolossaeis” (To the Colossians).

Author

Paul is identified as the author of Colossians in the text of the letter, and there is no textual evidence to suggest that the letter ever circulated without Paul’s name. Although Raymond E. Brown estimated in the mid-1990s that “about 60 percent of critical scholarship holds that Paul did not write the letter,” this position is rather novel in the history of reading Colossians. Among the factors leading these scholars to believe that Paul did not write this letter are the letter’s (1) distinctive vocabulary; (2) complex style; (3) developed theology; (4) references to false teaching that was similar to later developments; and (5) an idealized portrait of Paul.¹ In discussing each of these reasons, Brown indicates fairly that there are significant counterarguments. Although Brown himself is cautiously inclined toward non-Pauline authorship,² the position of Nijay Gupta, which acknowledges the weight of textual and historical testimony while also demonstrating intellectual humility, appears to be wiser:

Given the overwhelming support from Patristic testimony that Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul (or that he stands in some way as the source behind the letter), and that no one problem of language, history, or theology is serious enough to undermine the putative authorial designation, we will proceed in this commentary by presuming Pauline authorship.³

Likewise I assume that Paul is the author of Colossians and will refer to the author as Paul without qualification.

As in the letters to Philemon and the Philippians, Paul identifies Timothy as his companion and colleague. Paul should be regarded as the primary author of the letter, but the first-person plural forms of verbs in subsequent verses (e.g., 1:3, 4, 9) may suggest that Paul intended the letter to express the views of both himself and Timothy.

Date and Occasion

If Paul did not write Colossians, it becomes impossible to determine the date and occasion of the letter with any precision, because all the historical references to people and places would then be taken as potentially fictional. Furthermore, there is no objective criterion by which the interpreter could decide which references, if any, were authentic and which were not. If we regard Paul as the author of the letter, however, we may assume that references in the text can guide us to a modest judgment as to the date and location of the letter.

In the absence of primary sources reflecting a view opposed by Paul (or by any other NT author), the viewpoint of an author’s opponents may often nevertheless be reconstructed by viewing the warnings of the biblical author as a reflection of the views of the opponents. It is often not clear, however, whether a Christian community is actually facing a certain teaching or whether the biblical author is merely addressing a potential threat. It is also difficult to determine whether the biblical author addresses only one possible threat or several dangers at once. Thus caution is in order as we seek to determine the false teachings against which Colossians may have been written.

The various options for the place and date of writing for Colossians are discussed briefly in the ESV Study Bible and fully in the major commentaries.⁴ Here I can simply note my opinion that the most likely place of writing is Rome, at the time described in Acts 28. This would date the letter to approximately AD 62.

Colossae was a city located in Asia Minor (roughly analogous to modern-day Turkey), approximately 100 miles (160 km) east of Ephesus. It had once been a prosperous city but was by the time of Paul rather less significant.⁵ According to the website of a Flinders University research project, “The area was renowned for its textiles and Colossae was particularly noted for its wool making and dyeing, especially the purple colour known as Colossinus drawn from cyclamen.”⁶

Genre and Literary Features

Colossians conforms to the general characteristics of ancient Hellenistic letters, except that, like all of Paul’s letters other than perhaps Philemon, it is considerably longer and more developed than the noncanonical letters that have been preserved from ancient times.⁷ Paul’s theological and pastoral concerns also mean that Colossians (like all of Paul’s letters) stands out as distinctive among ancient letters. Furthermore, Colossians contains two significant sections that have a particular literary character of their own: the Christological “hymn” (1:15–20) and the “household code” (3:18–4:1).

Theology of Colossians

The Lord Jesus Christ

The Christology of Colossians is particularly striking, not least because of the impressive Christological “hymn” in Colossians 1:15–20. Yet the presentation of Christ in Colossians is not significantly different from what Paul writes concerning Jesus Christ in his other canonical letters. We will address various issues as we come to them in the main body of the commentary, but here we simply note that Paul uses a range of terminology to describe Jesus, such as “Christ Jesus” (1:1), “our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3), and “his beloved Son” (lit., “the Son of his love”; 1:13). Christ is further described as “the image of the invisible God” (1:15), “the firstborn of all creation” (1:15), and “the head of the body, the church” (1:18). Colossians does emphasize what we may describe as the “cosmic Christ,” who created and sustains the universe and is the head of the one church of God. This does not oppose, however, a fully historical perspective of Jesus as the one who died on the cross and rose again (cf. 1:20; 2:6–15).

Victory over God’s Enemies

Related closely to the theme of Christology, Colossians emphasizes God’s victory over evil, particularly the work of Christ as the means of defeating the forces of spiritual darkness. The first clear statement of this theme is in 1:13, where the key actor is the Father, who rescues his people. This powerful act removes Christians from “the domain of darkness” and relocates them in “the kingdom of his beloved Son.” A similar emphasis is found in 2:15, where the death of Christ on the cross, far from being a moment of defeat, is instead presented as an act of victory. Once again, the Father is the primary actor: “He [God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” The victory of God in Christ is an important theme often neglected by those who fear it might be set against the view that Jesus’ death on the cross achieves substitutionary atonement. But there is no reason these two facets of the work of Christ should be viewed as being opposed to each other. They are entirely complementary.

Reconciliation

Paul emphasizes how the alienation the Colossians once experienced had been overcome by the reconciliation God accomplished in Christ. This reconciliation is effective not only for human beings but also for creation and indeed for “all things” (1:20).

Christ as the Truth in the Face of Competing Claims

One of the most challenging aspects of the modern world is its vast array of ideas and philosophies. Colossians provides perspective on this reality by recognizing the presence of many truth claims (2:8) while pointing to Christ as the one in whom all human longing for knowledge and wisdom may be realized (1:19–20, 27; 2:9).

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Paul draws deeply from the texts and overall narrative of the OT. This is particularly evident in the echoes of the creation narrative (1:15–17) and the possible reference to personified Wisdom as the craftsman in the act of creation (Proverbs 8). The language of “wisdom” is repeated in the letter, which suggests it is a key theme, possibly drawn from various texts in the Wisdom Literature of the OT.

There are very significant similarities between Colossians and Ephesians. Gupta provides the following list of passages that bear such similarities:

Colossians 1:1–2 and Ephesians 1:1–2

Colossians 1:3–11 and Ephesians 1:3–18

Colossians 1:24–2:5 and Ephesians 3:1–13

Colossians 3:5–4:1 and Ephesians 4:17–6:9

Colossians 4:2–4 and Ephesians 6:18–20

Colossians 4:7–9 and Ephesians 6:21–22

These similarities raise the question of whether there is a literary relationship between the two letters, although, as Gupta comments, “We are simply not in possession of enough evidence to make the claim that one text was based on the other.”⁸ We will discuss the major similarities as they arise in the course of the commentary.

Preaching from Colossians

Preachers have various responsibilities as they proclaim God’s Word to a congregation. Most urgently, they are responsible for answering the pressing question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30), presenting sinful human beings’ critical need and God’s gracious provision in Christ for that need. But preachers should also help the congregation to understand the broad sweep of God’s purposes from creation through the fall and redemption to the new creation. This is what is often called “biblical theology.” When preaching on a particular text, it is important to show how the issues raised by that text fit into the larger narrative and theological framework of the whole Bible. The preacher declares the authoritative Word of God and calls for a response, trusting in the work of God’s Spirit to enable the hearers to make such a response in faith and dependence on God. But another significant aspect of preaching is modeling to a congregation how they ought to read Scripture. And so there should be an element of education as well as proclamation in a sermon.

One might preach from Colossians in a variety of ways. Some sections stand out as units, such as the “hymn” of 1:15–20 and the “household code” of 3:18–4:1, and so lend themselves to one-off sermons. These passages have been the focus of particular attention from preachers. Congregations must be helped to see how these sections function as units of text so that they are not simply mined for isolated statements. Several short sections of text, such as 1:13–14, 19–20; 2:13–15 and 3:1–4, are so rich in meaning that they may also demand a sermon dedicated to each one. But, in general, it is good for preachers and for congregations of Christians to read and preach through NT documents as whole compositions.

Interpretive Challenges

The precise nature of the false teaching, which was a threat to the Colossians in some way, remains particularly enigmatic. Gupta provides a helpful discussion that acknowledges the difficulties and uncertainties but suggests the description “transcendent-ascetic-philosophy.”⁹ This description has the advantage of not linking the teaching to any known system of belief and of being descriptive of the issues raised by the text of Colossians. Gupta explains, “It is transcendent insofar as it seeks heavenly wisdom and spiritual perfection that transcends the supposed limitations of the body. It is ascetic because it seeks the subjugation of the weak body in order to be free from the dominion of troublesome spirits and powers.”¹⁰ At points Paul uses terminology that may reflect the views and vocabulary of the false teachers, but since Paul is our only access to them, we cannot be certain.

Outline

1. I. Opening Greeting (1:1–2)
   1. A. Identification of the Letter Senders (1:1)
   2. B. Identification of the Addressees (1:2a)
   3. C. Greeting/Prayer (1:2b)
2. II. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3–12)
   1. A. Report of Thanksgiving to God for the Colossians (1:3–8)
      1. 1. Constant Thanksgiving (1:3)
      2. 2. The Evidence of Faith and Love, Based on Hope (1:4–5a)
      3. 3. The Gospel Bearing Fruit and Growing (1:5b–6)
      4. 4. Epaphras, the Faithful Messenger (1:7–8)
   2. B. Report of Prayer to God for the Colossians (1:9–12)
      1. 1. Ceaseless Prayers (1:9a)
      2. 2. Desire for Ongoing Growth in Thought and Action (1:9b–10)
      3. 3. Prayer for Perseverance and Thanksgiving (1:11–12)
3. III. The Father’s Acts (1:13–14)
   1. A. Rescue from the Domain of Darkness (1:13a)
   2. B. Transfer into the Kingdom of the Son (1:13b)
   3. C. Redemption in the Son (1:14)
4. IV. Creative Proclamation of the Person and Work of the Son (1:15–20)
   1. A. The Son over All Creation (1:15–17)
   2. B. The Son over the Church (1:18–20)
5. V. The Application of the Son’s Work in the Lives of the Colossians (1:21–23)
   1. A. From Death to Life (1:21–22)
   2. B. Holding Fast to the Gospel (1:23)
6. VI. Paul’s Costly Ministry for the Sake of the Church (1:24–29)
   1. A. Rejoicing in Suffering for the Sake of the Church (1:24–25)
   2. B. The Mystery, Once Hidden and Now Revealed (1:26–28)
   3. C. Toiling in God’s Strength (1:29)
7. VII. Paul’s Concern for Those at Colossae and Laodicea (2:1–5)
   1. A. Struggling for Those Who Have Not Met Paul (2:1–2)
   2. B. Christ in Whom Are the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge (2:3)
   3. C. Concern for the Colossians at a Distance (2:4–5)
8. VIII. Paul’s Call to Remain Confident and Faithful in Christ (2:6–23)
   1. A. Continue to Live in Christ (2:6–7)
   2. B. Know That Christ Has Brought Life to the Dead and Has Defeated All Opposing Powers (2:8–15)
   3. C. Do Not Be Influenced by Those Who Emphasize Worldly Patterns of Behavior and Thought (2:16–23)
9. IX. Paul’s Call to Live Consistently with New Spiritual Realities (3:1–17)
   1. A. Your Life Is Now in Christ (3:1–4)
   2. B. Put Off All Behavior That Is Inconsistent with Your New Life in Christ (3:5–11)
   3. C. Put On All Behavior That Is Consistent with Your New Life in Christ (3:12–17)
10. X. Household Code (3:18–4:1)
    1. A. Responsibilities of Wives and Husbands (3:18–19)
    2. B. Responsibilities of Children and Fathers (3:20–21)
    3. C. Responsibilities of Slaves and Masters (3:22–4:1)
11. XI. Paul’s Request for Prayer (4:2–4)
12. XII. Paul Calls for Gracious Christian Living (4:5–6)
13. XIII. Final Greetings (4:7–18a)
14. XIV. Benediction (4:18b)