Epistle to the Colossians
Dan Fefferman
| New Testament |
|---|
The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. Although its authorship is disputed, the book takes the form of a letter from Paul to the church in Colossae.
Purpose and authoriship
The author has apparently received disturbing information about a false teaching which has affected the church at Collosae. The gospel was taught to the Colassians by Epaphras (1:4-8), about whom little is known other than that Paul describes him as a "fellow prisoner" in the letter to Philemon. A large part of the letter directed against teachers who attempted to combine the mysticism doctrines, asceticism, and Jewish practices with Christianity, thereby promising believers enjoyment of a higher spiritual life and a deeper insight into the world of spiritual beings.
While traditionally attributed to Paul, disagreements exist over such things as language, style, and the presence or absence of characteristic Pauline concepts. A substantial number of critical scholars, as well as the vast majority of traditionalists, do ascribe it to Paul, however. Paul's authorship is also confirmed by many of the church's early key figures such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius of Caesaria. As with many of Paul's letters, it is claims to have been written not only by Paul, but also by Timothy, his aide, who may have acted as scribe. Some believe this letter may have been written primarily by Timothy, with Paul working only the the final verses. Many see a close connection between Colossians and Ephesians, which seems to borrow various phrases and concepts from it. Scholarly opinion regarding the authorship of the two epistles generally falls into one of three categories:
- Both Colossians and Ephesians are genuine letters of Paul
- Colossians in from Paul and/or Timothy, but Ephesians is not
- Neither of the letters is from Paul.
In terms of date, if the letter is genuine, then its date is estimated to be either around 54-56 C.E., written from Ephesus; or around 59-62 from Rome. If it is not from Paul, then its date depends on when the false teaching against which the author writes became a problem. Since the heresy appears to be an early form of Gnosticism, the date is usually estimate at sometime after Paul's death and the close of the first century.
Content of the letter
Like most of Paul's epistles, this consists of two parts: a doctrinal and a practical.
The doctrinal part comprises the first two chapters. His main theme is developed in chapter 2. He warns them against being drawn away from Him in whom dwelt all the fullness of the deity (2:9), and who was the head of all spiritual powers. Christ was the head of the body of which they were members; and if they were truly united to him, what needed they more?
Paul could see that they had grown spiritually because of their love for all the set-apart ones in Christ (1:4 & 8). He knowing this wanted them to grow in wisdom and knowledge that their love might be principled love and not sentimentality (1:9-11). "Christ in you is your hope of glory!" (1:27)
The practical part of the epistle (3-4) enforces various duties naturally flowing from the doctrines expounded. They are exhorted to mind things that are above (3:1-4), to mortify every evil principle of their nature, and to put on the new man (3:5-14). Many special duties of the Christian life are also insisted upon as the fitting evidence of the Christian character.
Tychicus was the bearer of the letter, as he was also of that to the Ephesians and to Philemon, and he would tell them of the state of the apostle (4:7-9). After friendly greetings (10-14), he bids them interchange this letter with that he had sent to the neighbouring Laodicean Church. (The apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans is almost universally believed to be a forgery based on this instruction.) He then closes this brief but striking epistle with his usual autograph salutation. There is a remarkable resemblance between this epistle and that to the Ephesians.
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This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
Bibliography
- N.T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon, Tyndale IVP 1986 (ISBN 0-8028-0309-1)
External links
Online translations of the Epistle to the Colossians:
Related articles:
| Preceded by: Philippians |
Books of the Bible |
Succeeded by: 1 Thessalonians |
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