Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae is one of the prison letters (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon). Paul’s desire with this letter was to correct the false teachings that were cropping up in the church. In doing so, Paul presented a clear picture of Jesus Christ as supreme Lord of the universe, head of the church, and the only one through whom forgiveness is possible.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF WRITING

AUTHOR: Colossians retains its place among the epistles of Paul, who identified himself as the author (1:1; 4:18). The church fathers unreservedly endorsed Pauline authorship (Irenaeus, Adv. Haer., 3.14.1; Tertullian, De Praescr. Haer., 7; Clement of Alexandria, Strom., 1.1; cp. Justin, Dialogue, 85.2; 138.2). A close reading of Colossians reveals a considerable number of lexical, grammatical, and theological similarities with the other Pauline writings (1:9, 26; 2:11–14, 16, 20–21; 3:1, 3, 5–17). Also favoring the authenticity of Colossians as a letter of Paul is its close connection with Philemon, an epistle widely regarded as Pauline.

BACKGROUND: During his ministry in Ephesus (Ac 19:10), Paul sent Epaphras to spread the gospel in the Lycus Valley. Epaphras subsequently established the church at Colossae (1:7; 4:12–13). The city’s population consisted mostly of Phrygians and Greeks, but it also included a significant number of Jews. The church, likewise, was mostly composed of Gentiles (1:21, 27; 2:13), but it also had Jewish members (2:11, 16, 18, 21; 3:11). When Epaphras (Phm 23) informed Paul of certain heretical teachings that had spread there, Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians as a theological antidote.

Paul wrote Colossians during his first Roman imprisonment (4:3, 10, 18; cp. Ac 28:30–31; Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., 2.22.1) in the early AD 60s. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are commonly classified as the “Prison Epistles.” All four epistles share several personal links that warrant this conclusion (Col 1:7; 4:7–8, 17; Eph 6:21–22; Phm 2, 12, 23).

CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLE

Colossians provides one of the Bible’s fullest expressions of the deity and supremacy of Christ. This is most evident in the magnificent hymn of praise (1:15–20) that sets forth Christ as the image of the invisible God, the Creator and sustainer of the universe, and the head of his body, the church. In Christ are all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:3), because in him “the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily” (2:9). The supremacy of Christ also has implication for believers’ salvation (2:10, 13, 20; 3:1, 11–12, 17) and conduct (3:5–4:6). Colossians contributes to Scripture a high Christology and a presentation of its implications for the believer’s conduct.

Holman Bible Publishers, CSB Disciple’s Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1857.











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