Text -- Colossians 2:5 (NET)

2:5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: Col 2:5

Though ( ei kai ).

Not kai ei (even if).

Robertson: Col 2:5

Yet ( alla ).

Common use of alla in the apodosis (conclusion) of a conditional or concessive sentence.

Robertson: Col 2:5

Your order ( tēn taxin ).

The military line (from tassō ), unbroken, intact. A few stragglers had gone over to the Gnostics, but there had been no panic, no breach in the line.

Robertson: Col 2:5

Steadfastness ( stereōma ).

From stereoō (from stereos ) to make steady, and probably the same military metaphor as in taxin just before. The solid part of the line which can and does stand the attack of the Gnostics. See note on Act 16:5 where the verb stereoō is used with pistis and 1Pe 5:9 where the adjective stereos is so used. In 2Th 3:6, 2Th 3:8, 2Th 3:11 Paul speaks of his own taxis (orderly conduct).

Vincent: Col 2:5

Order ( τάξιν )

Or orderly array . A military metaphor, quite possibly suggested by Paul's intercourse with the soldiers in his confinement. See on Phi 1:13.

Vincent: Col 2:5

Steadfastness ( στερέωμα )

Only here in the New Testament. See on 1Pe 5:9. The kindred adjective στερεός solid , occurs 2Ti 2:19; Heb 5:12; 1Pe 5:9; and the verb στερεόω to make solid , Act 3:7; Act 16:5. The military metaphor is continued. Faith is represented as a host solidly drawn up: your solid front , close phalanx . The verb is found in this sense in the Apocrypha, 1 Macc. 10:50, " ἐστερέωσε τὸν πόλεμον , he solidified the battle ; massed his lines. Compare Eze 13:5, where the noun has the sense of stronghold : " They stood not ἐν στερέωματι in the stronghold ." So Psa 17:2, " The Lord is my strength ;" stronghold or bulwark . The firmament , Gen 1:6; Eze 1:22. In Est 9:22, of the confirmation of a letter.

JFB: Col 2:5

Argument against their suffering themselves to be beguiled, drawn from a regard to his personal authority as though he were present.

JFB: Col 2:5

Beholding with joy.

JFB: Col 2:5

Your good order; answering to "knit together" (Col 2:2) as a well-organized body; the same Greek as that for knit together, is used of the body" of the Church compacted," in Eph 4:16. Compare 1Co 14:33, 1Co 14:40.

JFB: Col 2:5

Greek, "the firm (or 'solid') foundation." As "order" expresses the outward aspect of the Church; so "steadfastness" expresses the inner basis on which their Church rested. The Greek literally implies not an abstract quality, but the thing in the concrete; thus their "faith" here is the solid thing which constituted the basis of their Church.

Clarke: Col 2:5

For though I be absent in the flesh - It is hardly possible that such words as these in this verse could have been used to perfect strangers; they argue a considerable knowledge of the people, and a knowledge founded on personal acquaintance. The original is exceedingly soft and musical: -

Ει γαρ και τη σαρκι απειμι

Αλλα τῳ πνευματι συν ὑμιν ειμι

Χαιρων και βλεπων ὑμων την ταξιν, κ.τ.λ.

The whole verse shows that this Church was sound in doctrine, and strict in discipline. They had steadfast faith in Christ, and regular order or discipline among themselves.

Calvin: Col 2:5

5.For though I am absent in body Lest any one should object that the admonition was unseasonable, as coming from a place so remote, he says, that his affection towards them made him be present with them in spirit, and judge of what is expedient for them, as though he were present. By praising, also, their present condition, he admonishes them not to fall back from it, or turn aside.

Rejoicing, says he, And seeing, that is — “Because I see. ” For and means for, as is customary among the Latins and Greeks. “Go on as you have begun, for I know that hitherto you have pursued the right course, inasmuch as distance of place does not prevent me from beholding you with the eyes of the mind.”

Order and steadfastness He mentions two things, in which the perfection of the Church consists — order among themselves, and faith in Christ. By the term order, he means — agreement, no less than duly regulated morals, and entire discipline. He commends their faith, in respect of its constancy and steadfastness, meaning that it is an empty shadow of faith, when the mind wavers and vacillates between different opinions. ³⁵²

TSK: Col 2:5

be : Col 2:1; 1Co 5:3, 1Co 5:4; 1Th 2:17

and beholding : 2Ch 29:35; 1Co 11:34, 1Co 14:40

and the : Rth 1:18; Psa 78:8, Psa 78:37; Act 2:42; 1Co 15:58, 1Co 16:13; 1Th 3:8; Heb 3:14; Heb 6:19; 1Pe 5:9; 2Pe 3:17, 2Pe 3:18

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Col 2:5

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit - That is, I seem to see you; I feel as if I were there, and were looking upon you; and I have the same solicitude as if I were there, and saw all the danger which exists that your beautiful order and harmony should be disturbed by the influence of false philosophy; see the notes at 1Co 5:3. The word "spirit,"here, does not refer to the Holy Spirit, or to any inspiration by which the apostle was enabled to see them; but it is equivalent to what we mean when we say, "My heart is with you."He seemed to be beholding them.

Joying and beholding your order - That is, I rejoice as if I saw your order. He had such confidence that everything would be done among them as became Christians, that he could rejoice as if he actually saw it.

Poole: Col 2:5

For though I be absent in in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit: to prevent any surmise that his distance at Rome might take him off from minding of them at Colosse, he shows that the great affection he bare to them did oblige him to interest himself in all their concerns, ( the care of all the churches being incumbent on him, 2Co 11:28 ), and therefore that his bodily confinement at Rome did not hinder his presence with them in spirit. Not that we can conclude, that by some extraordinary operation of the Holy Ghost God gave him now and then a clear prospect of what they did, as he did to Elisha of Gehazi’ s behavior, 2Ki 5:26 ; and to Ezekiel in Babylon of the secret actions of the Jews in Jerusalem; but that he was with them as with the Corinthians, 1Co 5:3 , when distant in body his thoughts and affections were exercised about them.

Joying and beholding your order as it follows there is moving of fears lest they shonld be insnared, so of joy understanding their

order i.e. their good estate, constitution, and consent in orderly walking and discipline, 1Co 14:10 1Th 4:1 5:14 .

And the stedfastness of your faith in Christ and the firmament of their faith in Christ, it being (if genuine) as firm as the firmament itself; stable as the heavens and heavenly bodies, keeping their constant stations and regular courses, and admitting nothing heterogeneous into them: all heavenly truths are as fixed stars in this orb. Seeing all grace, because Divine, hath an establishing proverty; so faith coming from the eternal mountains, all graces being connected in faith, which is a kind of firmament to them all, it comes to pass that faith, in actuating any true grace, gives a strength and further growth to every other grace.

Gill: Col 2:5

For though I be absent in the flesh,.... Or body, as the Ethiopic version reads it, and as it is expressed in 1Co 5:3; here the apostle anticipates an objection which might be made, how he could have such a conflict and concern for them, and express so much affection for them, and know so much of their affairs, in what condition and situation they were, and how liable to be deceived by false teachers, when he was absent from them, and had never been among them. That he had never been corporeally present with them, nor was he then, he owns; but this did not hinder but that he might be in another sense present with them, and so have cognizance of them and their state, and be affected towards them, and concerned for them:

yet am I with you in the spirit; as he was with the Corinthians in the place above cited, judging the incestuous person, determining concerning his case, and delivering him up to Satan, and so he was with these Colossians; for as he was a member of the same body with them, he was actuated by the same spirit; and by virtue of their union to each other in their common head, his spirit went out towards them, his heart was knit unto them; he had the same affection for them, and care of them, though he had never seen them with his bodily eyes, as he had for those whom he had seen: moreover, this may regard that extraordinary discerning and presence of his spirit which he had; and which was of the same kind with that of Elisha, when his servant Gehazi went after Naaman the Syrian, and took a present of him, to whom on his return he said, upon his denying that he had been anywhere, "went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee?" 2Ki 5:26. Elisha's spirit went, and was present with him, and saw and knew all that passed, being under the impulse and inspiration of the Spirit of God, who made all known unto him: so the spirit of the Apostle Paul was at the church at Colosse, and saw: and discerned their whole estate; this being made known by the Spirit of God, under whose inspiration he wrote this letter, suitable to their case:

joying and beholding your order; or as the Syriac version renders it, "I rejoice that I can see your order": that is, with pleasure observe, consider it, and contemplate on it; and that partly from the relation of Epaphras, and chiefly from the intimations of the Spirit of God in an extraordinary way: by their "order" is meant, either their orderly walk and conversation, which being as becomes the Gospel of Christ, was very pleasing and delightful to the apostle; or rather the order of their church discipline, they having regular officers, pastors, and deacons, ordained among them; who rightly performed their offices, and had respect and subjection yielded to them; the ordinances of the Gospel were duly administered, and constantly attended on; the members of the church were watched over, admonitions given, and censures laid where they were necessary, and everything was done decently and in order; which was a beautiful sight, and gave the apostle an uncommon pleasure. The word used signifies a military order, such as is observed in armies, in battle array; suggesting, that these Christians were good soldiers of Christ, were enlisted under his banners, and kept in due order, in rank and file; stood fast in one spirit, contended and strove together for the faith of the Gospel, fought the good fight of faith, nor could any hardship move them from their station; so that they were, in the apostle's eye, beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, and terrible as an army with banners, Son 6:4; and so may denote their attachment to the Gospel, and to one another; they were united to, and abode by each other; they served the Lord with one consent, and kept the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, Eph 4:3, which is a pleasant thing to behold, as well as what follows,

and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ; either in the grace of faith, and the exercise of it on Christ, in opposition to doubtings and unbelief; whereby God is honoured, and with which he is well pleased; souls are filled with peace and joy; Satan is resisted and overcome; and the hearts of others, particularly ministers of the Gospel, are comforted: or in the doctrine of faith respecting Christ, in which they stood fast; notwithstanding there was a majority against it, the wise and learned, the rich and mighty, did not receive it; and though it was opposed by false teachers, persecuted by profane men, and loaded with reproach and obloquy; and also in the profession of it, which they held without wavering: now to see a set of Christians, a church of Christ walking together in Gospel order, steady in their faith on Christ, abiding by the doctrine of faith, and maintaining an honourable profession, how beautiful and delightful is it!

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Col 2:5

¹ tn The conditional particle εἰ (ei) together with καί (kai) here indicates a first class condition in Greek and carries a concessive force, especially when seen in contrast to the following phrase which begins with ἀλλά (alla).

² tn Grk “rejoicing and seeing.”

³ tn The Greek word τάξις can mean “order,” “discipline,” or even “unbroken ranks” (REB).

Geneva Bible: Col 2:5

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your ^{( f )} order, and the stedfastness of your ^{( g )} faith in Christ.

^{( f )} The manner of your ecclesiastical discipline.

^{( g )} Doctrine.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Col 2:1-23

1 Paul still exhorts them to be constant in Christ;

8 to beware of philosophy, and vain traditions;

18 worshipping of angels;

20 and legal ceremonies, which are ended in Christ.

MHCC: Col 2:1-7

The soul prospers when we have clear knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. When we not only believe with the heart, but are ready, when called, to make confession with the mouth. Knowledge and faith make a soul rich. The stronger our faith, and the warmer our love, the more will our comfort be. The treasures of wisdom are hid, not from us, but for us, in Christ. These were hid from proud unbelievers, but displayed in the person and redemption of Christ. See the danger of enticing words; how many are ruined by the false disguises and fair appearances of evil principles and wicked practices! Be aware and afraid of those who would entice to any evil; for they aim to spoil you. All Christians have, in profession at least, received Jesus Christ the Lord, consented to him, and taken him for theirs. We cannot be built up in Christ, or grow in him, unless we are first rooted in him, or founded upon him. Being established in the faith, we must abound therein, and improve in it more and more. God justly withdraws this benefit from those who do not receive it with thanksgiving; and gratitude for his mercies is justly required by God.

Matthew Henry: Col 2:4-12

The apostle cautions the Colossians against deceivers (Col 2:4): And this I say lest any man beguile you with enticing words; and Col 2:8, Lest any man spoil you. He insists so much upon the perfection of Christ and the gospel revelation, to preserve them from the ensnaring insinuations of those who would corrupt their principles. Note, 1. The way in which Satan spoils souls is by beguiling them. He deceives them, and by this means slays them. He is the old serpent who beguiled Eve through his subtlety, 2Co 11:3. He could not ruin us if he did not cheat us; and he could not cheat us but by our own fault and folly. 2. Satan's agents, who aim to spoil them, beguile them with enticing words. See the danger of enticing words; how many are ruined by the flattery of those who lie in wait to deceive, and by the false disguises and fair appearances of evil principles and wicked practices. By good words, and fair speeches, they deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom 16:18. "You ought to stand upon your guard against enticing words, and be aware and afraid of those who would entice you to any evil; for that which they aim at is to spoil you." If sinners entice thee, consent thou not, Pro 1:10. Observe,

I. A sovereign antidote against seducers (Col 2:6, Col 2:7): As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him, rooted and built up, etc. Here note, 1. All Christians have, in profession at least, received Jesus Christ the Lord, received him as Christ, the great prophet of the church, anointed by God to reveal his will; as Jesus the great high priest, and Saviour from sin and wrath, by the expiatory sacrifice of himself; and as Lord, or sovereign and king, whom we are to obey and be subject to. - Received him, consented to him, taken him for ours in every relation and every capacity, and for all the purposes and uses of them. 2. The great concern of those who have received Christ is to walk in him - to make their practices conformable to their principles and their conversation agreeable to their engagements. As we have received Christ, or consented to be his, so we must walk with him in our daily course and keep up our communion with him. 3. The more closely we walk with Christ the more we are rooted and established in the faith. A good conversation is the best establishment of a good faith. If we walk in him, we shall be rooted in him; and the more firmly we are rooted in him the more closely we shall walk in him: Rooted and built up. Observe, We cannot be built up in Christ, unless we be first rooted in him. We must be united to him by a lively faith, and heartily consent to his covenant, and then we shall grow up in him in all things. - As you have been taught - "according to the rule of the Christian doctrine, in which you have been instructed."Observe, A good education has a good influence upon our establishment. We must be established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding therein. Observe, Being established in the faith, we must abound therein, and improve in it more and more; and this with thanksgiving. The way to have the benefit and comfort of God's grace is to be much in giving thanks for it. We must join thanksgiving to all our improvements, and be sensible of the mercy of all our privileges and attainments. Observe,

II. The fair warning given us of our danger: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, Col 2:8. There is a philosophy which is a noble exercise of our reasonable faculties, and highly serviceable to religion, such a study of the works of God as leads us to the knowledge of God and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vain and deceitful, which is prejudicial to religion, and sets up the wisdom of man in competition with the wisdom of God, and while it pleases men's fancies ruins their faith; as nice and curious speculations about things above us, or of no use and concern to us; or a care of words and terms of art, which have only an empty and often a cheating appearance of knowledge. After the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world: this plainly reflects upon the Jewish pedagogy or economy, as well as the Pagan learning. The Jews governed themselves by the traditions of their elders and the rudiments or elements of the world, the rites and observances which were only preparatory and introductory to the gospel state; the Gentiles mixed their maxims of philosophy with their Christian principles; and both alienated their minds from Christ. Those who pin their faith on other men's sleeves, and walk in the way of the world, have turned away from following after Christ. The deceivers were especially the Jewish teachers, who endeavoured to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ, but really in competition with it and contradiction to it. Now here the apostle shows,

1. That we have in Christ the substance of all the shadows of the ceremonial law; for example, (1.) Had they then the Shechinah, or special presence of God, called the glory, from the visible token of it? So have we now in Jesus Christ (Col 2:9): For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Under the law, the presence of God dwelt between the cherubim, in a cloud which covered the mercy-seat; but now it dwells in the person of our Redeemer, who partakes of our nature, and is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, and has more clearly declared the Father to us. It dwells in him bodily; not as the body is opposed to the spirit, but as the body is opposed to the shadow. The fulness of the Godhead dwells in the Christ really, and not figuratively; for he is both God and man. (2.) Had they circumcision, which was the seal of the covenant? In Christ we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands (Col 2:11), by the work of regeneration in us, which is the spiritual or Christian circumcision. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, Rom 2:29. This is owing to Christ, and belongs to the Christian dispensation. It is made without hands; not by the power of any creature, but by the power of the blessed Spirit of God. We are born of the Spirit, Joh 3:5. And it is the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Tit 3:5. It consists in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, in renouncing sin and reforming our lives, not in mere external rites. It is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God, 1Pe 3:21. And it is not enough to put away some one particular sin, but we must put off the whole body of sin. The old man must be crucified, and the body of sin destroyed, Rom 6:6. Christ was circumcised, and, by virtue of our union to him, we partake of that effectual grace which puts off the body of the sins of the flesh. Again, The Jews thought themselves complete in the ceremonial law; but we are complete in Christ, Col 2:10. That was imperfect and defective; if the first covenant had been faultless, there would no place have been sought for the second (Heb 8:7), and the law was but a shadow of good things, and could never, by those sacrifices, make the comers thereunto perfect, Heb 10:1. But all the defects of it are made up in the gospel of Christ, by the complete sacrifice for sin and revelation of the will of God. Which is the head of all principality and power. As the Old Testament priesthood had its perfection in Christ, so likewise had the kingdom of David, which was the eminent principality and power under the Old Testament, and which the Jews valued themselves so much upon. And he is the Lord and head of all the powers in heaven and earth, of angels and men. Angels, and authorities, and powers are subject to him, 1Pe 3:22.

2. We have communion with Christ in his whole undertaking (Col 2:12): Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you have risen with him. We are both buried and rise with him, and both are signified by our baptism; not that there is anything in the sign or ceremony of baptism which represents this burying and rising, any more than the crucifixion of Christ is represented by any visible resemblance in the Lord's supper: and he is speaking of the circumcision made without hands; and says it is through the faith of the operation of God. But the thing signified by our baptism is that we are buried with Christ, as baptism is the seal of the covenant and an obligation to our dying to sin; and that we are raised with Christ, as it is a seal and obligation to our living to righteousness, or newness of life. God in baptism engages to be to us a God, and we become engaged to be his people, and by his grace to die to sin and to live to righteousness, or put off the old man and put on the new.

Barclay: Col 2:2-7

Here is Paul's prayer for the Church, and in it we distinguish the great marks which should distinguish a living and faithful Church.

(i) It should be a Church of courageous hearts. Paul prays that their hearts may be encouraged. The word which he uses is parakalein (3870). Sometimes that word means to comfort, sometimes to exhort, but always at the back of it there is the idea of enabling a person to meet some difficult situation with confidence and with gallantry. One of the Greek historians uses it in a most interesting and suggestive way. There was a Greek regiment which had lost heart and was utterly dejected. The general sent a leader to talk to it to such purpose that courage was reborn and a body of dispirited men became fit again for heroic action. That is what parakalein (3870) means here. It is Paul's prayer that the Church may be filled with that courage which can cope with any situation.

(ii) It should be a Church in which the members are knit together in love. Without love there is no real Church. Methods of Church government and ritual are not what matter. These things change from time to time and from place to place. The one mark which distinguishes a true Church is love for God and for the brethren. When love dies, the Church dies.

(iii) It should be a church equipped with every kind of wisdom. Paul here uses three words for wisdom.

(a) In Col 2:2he uses sunesis (4907), which the Revised Standard Version translates understandingly. We have already seen that sunesis (4907) is what we might call critical knowledge. it is the ability to assess any situation and decide what practical course of action is necessary within it. A real Church will have the practical knowledge of what to do whenever action is called for.

(b) He says that in Jesus are hid all the treasures of wisdom an knowledge. Wisdom is sophia (4678) and knowledge is gnosis (1108). These two words do not simply repeat each other; there is a difference between them. Gnosis (1108) is the power, almost intuitive and instinctive, to grasp the truth when we see it and hear it. But sophia (4678) is the power to confirm and to commend the truth with wise and intelligent argument, once it has been intuitively grasped. Gnosis (1108) is that by which a man grasps the truth; sophia (4678) is that by which a man is enabled to give a reason for the hope that is in him.

So, then, the real Church will have the clear-sighted wisdom which can act for the best in any given situation; the wisdom which can instinctively recognize and grasp the truth when it sees it; and the wisdom which can make the truth intelligible to the thinking mind, and persuasively commend it to others.

All this wisdom, says Paul, is hidden in Christ. The word he uses for hidden is apokruphos (614). His very use of that word is a blow aimed at the Gnostics. Apokruphos (614) means hidden from the common gaze, and therefore secret. We have seen that the Gnostics believed that a great mass of elaborate knowledge was necessary for salvation. That knowledge they set. down in their books which they called apokruphos (614) because they were barred to the ordinary man. By using this one word Paul is saying, "You Gnostics have your wisdom hidden from ordinary people; we too have our knowledge, but it is not hidden in unintelligible books; it is hidden in Christ and therefore open to all men everywhere." The truth of Christianity is not a secret which is hidden but a secret which is revealed.

Barclay: Col 2:2-7

(iv) The true Church must have the power to resist seductive teaching. It must be such that men cannot beguile it with enticing words. Enticing words translates the Greek word pithanologia (4086). This was a word of the law-courts; it was the word used for the persuasive power of a lawyer's arguments, which could enable the criminal to escape his just punishment. The true Church should have such a grip of the truth that it is unmoved by seductive arguments.

(v) The true Church should have in it a soldier's discipline. As the Revised Standard Version has it, Paul is glad to hear of the order and of the firmness of the faith of the Colossians. These two words present a vivid picture, for they are both military words. The word translated order is taxis (5010), which means a rank or an ordered arrangement. The Church should be like an ordered army, with every man in his appointed place, ready and willing to obey the word of command. The word translated firmness is stereoma (4733), which means a solid bulwark, an immovable phalanx. It describes an army set out in an unbreakable square, solidly immovable against the shock of the enemy's charge. Within the Church there should be disciplined order and strong steadiness, like the order and steadiness of a trained and disciplined body of troops.

(vi) In the true Church life must be in Christ. Its members must walk in Christ; their whole lives must be lived in his conscious presence. They must be rooted and built in him. There are two pictures here. The word used for rooted is the word which would be used of a tree with its roots deep in the soil. The word used for built is the word which would be used of a house erected on a firm foundation. Just as the great tree is deep-rooted in the soil and draws its nourishment from it, so the Christian is rooted in Christ, the source of his life and strength. Just as the house stands fast because it is built on strong foundations, so the Christian life is resistant to any storm because it is founded on the strength of Christ. Christ is alike the source of the Christian's life and the foundation of his stability.

(vii) The true Church holds fast to the faith which it has received. It never forgets the teaching about Christ which it has been taught. This does not mean a frozen orthodoxy in which all adventure of thought is heresy. We have only to remember how in Colossians Paul strikes out new lines in his thinking about Jesus Christ to see how far that was from his intention. But it does mean that there are certain beliefs which remain the foundation and do not change. Paul might travel down new pathways of thought but he always began and ended with the unchanging and unchangeable truth that Jesus Christ is Lord.

(viii) The distinguishing mark of the true Church is an abounding and overflowing gratitude. Thanksgiving is the constant and characteristic note of the Christian life. As J. B. Lightfoot put it: "Thanksgiving is the end of all human conduct, whether observed in words or works." The one concern of the Christian is to tell in words and to show in life his gratitude for all that God has done for him in nature and in grace. Epictetus was not a Christian, but that little, old, lame slave who became one of the great moral teachers of paganism, wrote: "What else can I, a lame old man, do but sing hymns to God? If, indeed, I were a nightingale, I would be singing as a nightingale; if a swan, as a swan. But, as it is, I am a rational being, therefore I must be singing hymns of praise to God. This is my task; I do it, and will not desert this post, as long as it may be given me to fill it; and I exhort You to join with me in this same song." (Epictetus, Discourses 1. 1 6.21). The Christian will always praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Constable: Col 2:1-23

III. WARNINGS AGAINST THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MEN ch. 2

"The believer who masters this chapter is not likely to be led astray by some alluring and enticing new-and-improved brand of Christianity.'"⁹⁵

Constable: Col 2:1-7

A. Exhortations to persevere in the truth 2:1-7

Paul exhorted his readers to continue to believe and practice the truth of God's revelation. He did this to prevent their accepting the erroneous instruction of the false teachers who were seeking to turn them away from God's will.

Constable: Col 2:1-5

1. Paul's concern 2:1-5

2:1 Paul used an athletic metaphor to describe his anxieties and deep concerns for his readers and their neighbor Christians. His strivings (1:29) included specific struggles and conflicts for them. Laodicea was about 11 miles west of Colosse also in the Lycus Valley. Another town nearby was Hierapolis. Evidently the false teachers were promoting their views in that entire region. Paul felt concern for all the Christians under this influence including the Colossian and Laodicean believers. He may have meant that he was struggling in prayer for them.⁹⁶

"The Lycus Valley was not evangelized by Paul himself; it is plain from Colossians 2:1 that he was not personally acquainted with the churches there."⁹⁷

2:2-3 The "heart" includes everything in the inner man including the mind (cf. Prov. 23:7). The Christian's wealth is his or her thorough understanding of God's truth. The essence of God's revelation is Christ (cf. 1:27). The better a Christian understands God's true revelation concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ the better he or she will be able to recognize and refute false doctrine.

"Only a love which penetrates to the heart and wells up from the heart can sustain the sort of unity that Paul sought (see also . . . 1:4)."⁹⁸

God has revealed in Christ all that a person needs to know to establish a relationship with God. Thinking that the source of true spiritual wisdom is somewhere other than in Christ can produce terrible disorder in the Christian life. "Knowledge" is genuine understanding and "wisdom" genuine truth (cf. 1:9).

"The word apokruphoi (AV [and NASB], hidden') is emphatic by position, and in the light of this it is just possible that Paul may have in mind something similar to the mystery religions. In them the initiate, after a long period of training and instruction, was allowed to be present at a performance similar to a passion play. By means of the performance the initiate was to have an experience of identification with his god. The instruction given previously enabled the initiate to understand the play. To outsiders the ritual would have been a mystery."⁹⁹

2:4-5 Paul's description of the Colossian church pictures a company of well-disciplined soldiers standing at attention in straight lines. The Greek word stereoma, occurs only here in the New Testament and means "stability."

It ". . . points out that feature in the faith of the Colossians which specially commended it to the notice and eulogy of the apostle, to wit, its unyielding nature, or the stiffness of its adherence to its one object--Christ."¹⁰⁰

So far the believers were holding their position against the false teachers, but Paul feared that this condition might change. He did not want the false teachers to talk them into believing something false by deceptive arguments.

"The implication that Paul can actually see the state of affairs at Colossae (rejoicing and seeing your good order . . .') is, of course, intended more as an expression of what he would hope to see were it possible."¹⁰¹

"This final recall to faith forms an inclusio with 1:4 and thus brackets the whole of the intervening thanksgiving and personal statement as an exposition of that faith . . ."¹⁰²

College: Col 2:1-23

COLOSSIANS 2

B. WARNING AGAINST BEING DECEIVED (2:1-5)

¹ I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. ² My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ⁵ For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

2:1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

Though he had not seen the Colossians or the Laodiceans, Paul did not wish this to be a disadvantage. So he describes his struggles for them. He uses the noun form ("how great a struggle I have") of the verb agτnizomai found in the previous verse. The struggle was no doubt the preaching of Christ, here especially as teaching, admonition (1:28), and encouragement toward fuller understanding (2:2). The battle against the threatened inroads of heresy could be part of the specific struggle here.

The reference to Laodicea may indicate that the heresy threatened them as well (cf. 4:13,16). "All who have not met me personally" might refer to others in the Lycus Valley (Hierapolis, 4:13?). If it is understood generally as "any one, anywhere" it would weaken the personal appeal of these words.

2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,

Paul continues to apply themes to his readers in specific ways which he has previously noted in a general way. "United in love" is a call to the virtue which binds "all together" (3:14) and which was inspired by God's love for them (3:12). Thus we see the contrast of the unitive love in Christ with the divisive effects of the false teaching. Another interpretation of "united" sees the word as referring to instructions. Then the reference would be to Paul's teaching method.

so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,

"Understanding" (suvnesi" , synesis ) echoes the prayer of 1:9. This fullness (here plhroforiva , plηrophoria , "full assurance") had been addressed in 1:15-20, and awaits further amplification in 2:9-15. When this had been grasped, the emptiness of the heresy would be evident. This understanding would be personal, through being in relationship with Christ. Paul was certainly going beyond mere cognition here.

in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

The last of the verse is confusing in the original Greek. It is, literally, "the mystery of God, Christ." The NIV seems to catch the viewpoint most widely held and most closely conformed to the context. On "mystery" see the notes on 1:26.

2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Christ is a treasury whence understanding derives its riches. "Hidden" (ajpovkrufoi , apokryphoi ) could not mean inaccessible, for then the text would be senseless, and would contradict 1:26. Rather, it refers to the place the treasures were stored. Others may claim to find the treasure elsewhere, but "all" indicates the futility of their quest. Any other so-called treasure was incomparable to Christ.

It has been observed that Paul uses typical Jewish terminology in this verse, as some feel was the case in 1:15-18. Thus it is suggested he may be confuting the Jewish element of the heresy (cf. vv. 16f) by using its own language.

2:4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you

Paul comes at last to a direct warning. His foundation has been so well laid no reader would want to be beguiled. The strength of the appeal here can be appreciated by reviewing all that the letter has said previously about Christ. And the verses to come will make it stronger yet.

by fine-sounding arguments.

"Fine-sounding" (piqanologiva , pithanologia ) was a term used in philosophic discussions for arguments that lacked certainty. Weed suggests a meaning like the modern "fast talk." It had to do with persuasive speech, directed the wrong way. But it did sound good, which made it dangerous.

2:5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit

Paul, away, knew danger lurked. Though he complimented them with the words "orderly" and "firm," it was never too early to warn about an impending problem. Indeed it would seem that the problem was in some way present but that the church had not yet been affected negatively. Their stability gave Paul good ground on which to rest his exhortations. Their case demonstrates that there is no better defense against heresy than a proper understanding of Christ, both in thought and action.

and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

"How orderly you are" is rendered "your morale" in the NRSV. In some usages "order" (tavxi" , taxis ) and "firmness" (sterevwma , sterηoma ) referred to military ranks lined up solidly before the enemy. It is debated whether Paul had this image in mind here. It does not affect the basic meaning of the passage, however.

VI. RECEIVING CHRIST AS LORD (2:6-15)

A. CONTINUE IN CHRIST: DON'T BE DECEIVED! (2:6-8)

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,

Verses 6 and 7 are transitional, catching up ideas Paul has set forth previously, preparatory to his climactic depiction of the blessedness of life in Christ and his assault on the heresy. On Christ and his relationship to men see 1:10,15-20,23 and 27. The reception of Christ may refer to Epaphras' original evangelistic work. The reference to the Lordship of Christ derives its impact from 1:15-20. "Continue to live," in imperative form (peripatei'te , peripateite , lit. "walk"), reaffirms "orderly" and "firm" of verse 5. How could the Colossians contemplate not living "in him," given all Paul had said?

2:7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Four participles are used by Paul to support "continue to live." O'Brien points out that the first three are all passive, indicating what had been done for the Colossians and what they were to retain. The fourth (perisseuvonte" , perisseuontes , "overflowing") describes what they should continue to do. "Rooted" (ejrrizwmevnoi , errizτmenoi ) is perfect tense - a settled condition - while the next three are present - "now and continuing." "Rooted" is agricultural (cf. Eph 3:17). "Built up" (ejpoikodomou'menoi , epoikodomoumenoi ) is architectural (cf. 2 Cor 10:8; 1 Thess 5:11). "Strengthened" (bebaiouvmenoi , bebaioumenoi ) may be a legal term, indicating the guarantee of a contract (cf. 1 Cor 1:8). "The faith" is probably the Christian teaching which they had received, though some hold it to be one's personal faith. "Thankfulness" is the great motivator to Christian behavior, and is a theme often noted in Colossians (1:3,12; 3:15,16,17; and 4:2).

2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition

From 2:8 to 3:4 Paul addresses the heresy directly, presenting it in strong contrast to what Christ has done for men. There is no indication the false teachers wished to abandon Christ. For them it was "Christ and . . . ." So Paul demonstrates there could be no "Christ and . . . ," but just "Christ only!"

In this section there are 15 words found only here in the New Testament (of 34 such words in Colossians). There are 21 words in this section that are used less than 5 times in the New Testament (of 64 such words in Colossians). Thus the vocabulary of these verses is not typical of Paul's writings. This may be because he was employing the language of the false teachers to turn it against them in refutation.

Sulagwgevw (sylagτgeτ , "carry off"; NIV "take captive"), one of these unique words, warns them not to be led off as a looter might carry off booty. The "deceivers" of verse 4 are the "looters" here. "Philosophy," though only in this form in the New Testament, was a term widely used in the ancient world, by both Greeks and Jews. It had no inherently bad connotation, and may have been a word used to describe the heresy. Paul modified it by "hollow" and "deceptive," words carrying a powerful condemnation, especially in combination with the other language of this verse. "Tradition" (paravdosi" , paradosis , "giving over") implied something handed down from the past, and often gave an air of respect and authority to its contents. So it was "tradition" (heretical) versus "tradition" (Christian). Paul dubbed the one "human" to carry his point. It was really man's word against God's gospel.

and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

The most troublesome interpretative problem here is determining the meaning of "basic principles" (stoicei'a , stoicheia ). The root meaning of the word was "that which is found in a series." In some usages it referred to "earth, wind, fire and water." It also described the letters of the alphabet, in order; or the principles on which all else was built; or the basic elements of which the world was made. Thus as a reference to basic elements the term could have one of a variety of meanings. The word is also found in Colossians 2:20, and elsewhere in the New Testament in Galatians 4:3, 9; Hebrews 5:12; 2 Peter 3:10,12, but none of the New Testament usages gives a completely clear meaning applicable to this text.

What does stoicheia mean here? O'Brien lists three major lines of interpretation. A first sees stoicheia as principles of religious instruction in the world prior to Christ, as if the heretics were returning to an immature stage of religion. A second considers the meaning to be the elements of the visible material world, and would argue the heresy tried to bind adherents to things of this world. The third, and most widely accepted view today, sees stoicheia as personal spiritual beings who would control access to God (in the heresy). They would be the same as the "powers and authorities" of 2:10,15. In some way, then, the attempt was made to relate to these powers. It is objected that this view does not parallel "human tradition." One study (Wink) has argued that no case of this meaning for the term can be clearly documented before the third century A.D. However this does not prove the term could not have been used that way earlier.

The problem is a puzzling one. Paul was probably quoting the false teachers here. Whatever they meant, Paul's "of this world" with the earlier "human" makes their case a pitiful rival to Christ, as the following verses will powerfully demonstrate.

B. "IN CHRIST" (2:9-12)

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, ^a not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

^a 11 Or the flesh

2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

The heretics did not attack faith in Christ, but failed to recognize the real meaning and implications of that faith. This Paul now sets forth. This verse repeats the Christ hymn (1:19) with the addition of "bodily." "In Christ" is literally "in him." "Fullness" (plhvrwma , plηrτma ) can mean that Christ was God in every sense save for the necessary bounds of human limitation. Melick says "Jesus is every bit God." Or, in this context it may primarily indicate the complete working of God to bring salvation. "Deity" is from a Greek term (qeovth" , theotηs ) only here in the New Testament, and indicates the very nature of God.

The problematic part of this verse concerns the meaning of "dwells bodily." Many conjectures have been offered. We believe it refers to the incarnation. Since "dwells" is in the present tense it indicates the risen Christ is still the fullness of deity as savior, as he was upon earth. The significance of the incarnation continues.

Since Christ is the fullness, then the benefits of God's saving grace are to be found nowhere else. The next verse moves on to this point.

2:10 and you have been given fullness in Christ,

In a remarkable parallel the fullness motif continues. Christians have fullness in Christ. The meaning would need to be understood in a way appropriate to the situation and need, since it obviously could not be fullness in exactly the same sense as with Christ. "Fullness" here would certainly mean forgiveness, life, and victory over any hostile powers, as verses 13-15 indicate. It no doubt means even more than that, quite beyond human comprehension (cf. John 1:16). Fullness once again underlines the all-sufficiency of Christ.

who is the head over every power and authority.

On power and authority see 1:16f and 2:15. As Christ was head of the church (1:18), he is head of all entities. He will determine their destiny, and ultimately they cannot resist his headship.

2:11 In him you were also circumcised,

Fullness is described by a number of terms in verses 11-13. In traveling from fullness to baptism Paul passed through circumcision. Why this image? Some suggest the heretics had a circumcision requirement (cf. other aspects of Judaism in v. 16). This was unlikely since Paul said nothing about it, compared to letters like Galatians where his concern was raised so high.

in the putting off of the sinful nature,

As the NIV understands the passage the removal of sin by Christ is compared to the removal of the male foreskin in circumcision. Perhaps an intermediate parallel would be the removal of the garments at baptism. Then in the baptismal burial there would be the death to sin, followed by the resurrection to new life. Baptism was the instrument of sin's removal, though certainly the immersion in water, per se , did not save. Paul gave a spiritual sense to circumcision also in Romans 2:28 and Philippians 3:3. This usage has Old Testament antecedents (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). Circumcision implies a divine ordinance (Gen 17:9-14) and the "new" circumcision indicates a new stage in God's dealing with men. The covenant sign for Israel, newly interpreted, has now become appropriate as a covenant sign for all men. Yet we should not push Paul's words beyond his intent. The fact that circumcision was administered to infants cannot be taken to argue for infant baptism. That would introduce a conclusion beyond the intent of the Apostle's argument. Not only does the verse describe the removal of sin, it is an indirect exhortation to live a life free of sin. Further, the circumcision image may say that this was the way the body of flesh was put off, rather than by asceticism.

not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,

An alternative, and we believe less likely, interpretation has been offered. Christ is the subject and the circumcision was his circumcision. This view relies partly on a parallel with 1:22, and indicates Christ's death as well. "Putting off the sinful nature" which in the NIV is an interpretive translation, is given the literal meaning of putting off "the flesh." This is taken to refer to the death of Christ. On this view, then, verse 12 completes the progression through burial and resurrection. Objectors point out that this is a bizarre way of referring to Christ's death, contrasted to the clarity of 1:22, and that there is no specific reference to Christ's death as in 1:22 ("Christ's" in the NIV is "his" in Greek). Also the language would seem to diminish the importance of the resurrection, since Christ was still in his body then. Further, the thrust of these verses was blessings to Christians.

We can sum the context as follows. In Christ is God's fullness bodily. In the church, Christ's body, Christians find fullness. This fullness involves putting off the body of flesh (sin).

2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith

In Romans 6:1-4 (the only other passage using language similar to this) baptism is specifically connected with death. Here death is not mentioned, but is clearly implied by "buried," since only corpses are buried. But the greater stress in this verse is on resurrection. Though the final resurrection of the body was to come (3:4), there is no contradiction here to that. The two fit smoothly into the one system, if the nature of each is known. Between the two stands the call to faithful service which fills the New Testament, and the danger of apostasy (cf. 1 Cor 10:1-13).

in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Normally the power of God refers to that which is given by God to the Christian. Here it is what the Christian believes, but probably also implies the further power of God that characterized Christian experience. It would be a risk to volunteer to die unless there were hope of resurrection. Note the paradox here with verse 10 - "fullness." In Christ is fullness in death.

This text is pivotal in the book. Throughout readers are called to a deeper understanding and practice of the commitment they have made to Christ. It is clear that they all had been baptized, and that it was at that point the transition from death to life was made. This is not to imply water or works salvation, nor to discount faith, but to say that this act, symbolic of what happened to Christ, was a "rite of passage" from the old life to the new. As one author has noted, in baptism God chose to make something happen. Otherwise Paul's words make no sense. Baptism is like the neck of the hourglass, through which the sand must pass to go from one end to the other.

C. DEATH TO LIFE (2:13-15)

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, ^a God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ^b

^a 13 Or your flesh ^b 15 Or them in him

2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,

Paul describes their pre-baptism life, and repeats the images of the two previous verses. Death (by implication) with Christ (from v. 12) delivers from death in sin. In other words, death is inevitable, but one could choose one's death (in sin or to sin). "Uncircumcised" picks up verse 11. Here it seems to have two senses; as Gentiles, and as unredeemed persons, with the latter the more significant. The Greek term rendered "sins" (paraptwvmata , paraptτmata ) is not the usual word (it literally means "false step") but there seems no difference in significance.

God made you alive with Christ.

Dead men cannot bring themselves to life, nor could those dead in sin achieve their own forgiveness. The "sheer grace" of God pictured here is an effective counter to any requirements the false teachers suggested were necessary for salvation. Forgiveness is finally specified in the last part of the verse, though implied throughout the paragraph.

He forgave us all our sins,

Because of the style of verses 13c-15, with the large number of uncharacteristically Pauline words, some think they may be a confession of faith from the life of the church which Paul has employed here to suit his purposes.

2:14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

God has taken away sin by Jesus' death on the cross. Both the debt and the document recording it were destroyed. Note how Paul emphasizes this with "canceled," "take it away," and "nailed." Thus we have obliteration, deportation and nailing, which may bear some relation to the charges against Christ, or to Jesus' body itself as it was nailed to the cross. But what is the meaning of "written code" and "regulations" which Paul (perhaps from a church confession) used here? And why did Paul choose this way of making his point? It may have been a specific refutation dealing with the Jewish regulations of verse 16, as well as with the "regulations" of verse 20.

"Written code" comes from a word (ceirovgrafon , cheirographon ) meaning, literally, "handwriting." It meant a document designating an obligation. The idea of a divine accounting of man's debts was familiar to the Judaism of the day. To what did it refer? We consider the most likely view to be any code of conduct under which a man stood, but which he could not keep. For the Jew this would be the Law of Moses (Gal 3:10,12). For Gentiles it would be the moral law, however understood (cf. Rom 2:12-15). The code of conduct, not perfectly obeyed, would have penalties. Ultimately the failure would be failure to obey God. Thus one was locked into condemnation, save for grace (v. 13, and cf. Gal 3:24f; Rom 3:21ff). Now Christians were free from the condemnation of the document, though not free from responsibility (cf. 3:1-4).

2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,

Another consequence or blessing of Christ's death and resurrection was making the "powers and authorities" into a "spectacle." Paul had already asserted that they owed their origin to Christ (1:16) and that he was their head (2:10).

Two interpretive problems occur here, concerning first, the subject of the verse, and second, the meaning of the word translated "disarmed" (from ajpekduvw , apekduτ ). Is God or Christ the subject here? The natural sense seems to be God, going back to verse 13, "God made you alive." God, then, disarmed and humiliated the powers and authorities, but did it through Christ.

triumphing over them by the cross.

The view that Christ was the subject is interwoven with the meaning of "disarmed." Those arguing this position say the subject changed to Christ in verse 14. The verb "disarmed" is in the middle voice, picturing the subject acting on or for himself. Thus it is held that Christ divested himself of the "powers" by his death, and the last part of the verse is translated "in him" to support this. "By the cross" of the NIV is an interpretive translation of the Greek, which can be rendered "in it," and legitimately refer to the cross.

The view that Christ is the subject goes against the natural sense of the passage. The middle voice can also be translated as active. Further there is no indication that Christ had to divest himself of the powers and authorities, though one might see them as having the power to cause his death.

However understood, the powers that led Jesus to death were vanquished by their very deed and the subsequent resurrection. Now, humiliated and powerless, they were publicly displayed as victims. The image is of the captives in a triumphal return procession of soldiers.

VII. WARNINGS AGAINST THE HERESY (2:16-23)

A. DON'T LOSE THE PRIZE! (2:16-19)

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹ He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink,

The "philosophy" of 2:8 is now described, though to the modern reader much still remains unclear. The Colossians could no doubt "fill in the gaps" by their understanding of their local situation. It is difficult to meld the elements described in verses 16-23 into a coherent whole. It would seem there was no intent to deny Christ, but rather to "add" to faith in him. The best antidote to this, as Paul has so powerfully demonstrated to this point, was to truly understand Christ and his work. We cannot fully know just what specific perception the false teachers had of Christ.

Paul tells the Colossians not to worry about judgment or disqualification (v. 18) from the heretics, who would judge by the "basic principles" of verse 20 (see discussion on 2:8). To submit to the regulations would be to submit to the wrong powers.

It is assumed that the heretics forbade food and drink, and required the observance of holy days. These items appear at first to be aspects of Judaism, and one might suspect the same problem that plagued the Galatian churches - the attempt to bind the Law of Moses on Gentiles. "Drink," however, creates a problem, since there were no Jewish prohibitions at this point (Lev 10:9; 11:34,36 and Num 6:3 were special cases). Thus some have suggested these were non-Jewish ascetic regulations (cf. vv. 21,23), perhaps practiced to prepare for divine revelation (worship of angels - v. 18?) or for some other reason. Lohse notes, for example, that ancients could abstain from meat to achieve purity. Cf. also 1 Timothy 4:3.

or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

The festivals, celebrations and sabbaths (v. 17) seem to refer to annual, monthly and weekly Jewish observances. Paul does not condemn their observance per se , but does argue against them as prompted by the stoicei'a ( stoicheia , v. 20) and as items necessary for salvation. He makes this clear in verse 17. It appears from the present verse that a strange mixture of Jewish and pagan elements characterized the "philosophy" Paul was combatting. One provocative view suggests that the heretics held that supernatural powers stood behind the seasonal changes which the festivals, etc., celebrated. However, it is hard to think Paul would be silent about it if that were the case.

2:17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

"Shadow" depicts a transitory thing, but it did relate to what would come. Thus it would seem that the holy days, at least, were Jewish (cf. Heb 8:5, 10:1). But the old foretold the new. "Reality" translates sw'ma (sτma ), the usual word for body. But the sτma was Christ himself. It is possible both Paul and the heretics agreed the items of verse 16 were shadows. They would differ, presumably, regarding the identity of the "reality."

2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.

In a difficult section of the book this verse is the most difficult. A comparison of English translations indicates something of the problems. And even when the Greek has been translated the question of its meaning remains. In our discussion we rely heavily on O'Brien, who in turn discusses the view of Francis in detail (F.O. Francis, "Humility and Angelic Worship in 2:18," in Conflict at Colossae ).

The verse opens in Greek with Paul's warning about disqualification. It would appear the heretics maintained an air of superiority toward others (humility notwithstanding). But to follow their practices would keep one from the prize, as the NIV renders it. However, "for the prize" is not in the Greek, so the NIV again translates interpretively. In following Christ there could be no disqualification, since he embodied total reality. Another way of seeing this verse would be to translate "condemn" or "judge" (as in v. 16) instead of "disqualify," with the sense that the heretics condemned those who did not share in their practices.

The expression "false humility" is actually only the word for "humility" (tapeinofrosuvnh , tapeinophrosynη ), and is the same term that describes a virtue in 3:12. Given the context, and "puffs up" later in the verse, "false" may be an appropriate addition, and the idea is found in other translations than the NIV. It could describe the zeal and submissiveness with which the adherents practiced the heretical activities. Another possibility is suggested by Francis, who cites parallels to instances where the term indicated fasts and other sorts of self-denial (as in v. 21) which were believed to enhance visions of "heavenly mysteries." This view does make a logical connection with verses 20-23.

"Worship of angels" is generally understood as the praise directed to beings less than God. But Francis suggests the Greek is to be understood as the worship which angels themselves performed (subjective genitive) and he supports this from Jewish (nonbiblical) literature. The meaning, then, would be an exalted experience in which the practitioners would either observe or participate in the angelic worship of God. This would be some type of visionary experience.

Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

The next expression in Greek is the most difficult in the verse. The NIV has "goes into great detail about what he has seen," and the NRSV has "dwelling on visions." The literal translation is "which he has seen upon entering," and the problematic word is that translated "entering." The word ejmbateuvw (embateuτ ) can be rendered "to set foot upon," "enter," "come into possession of," or "enter into a subject" (with the idea of investigation). Numerous interpretations of the meaning have been offered. Dibelius understood it as paralleling the rites of the mystery religions, but this view lacks corroborative evidence from elsewhere in Colossians. Others think it refers to investigating what was seen in a vision. Francis thinks the "seen" was the mental vision of the angels worshiping God, and that the "entering" was the worshipers coming into the heavenly realm and the worship taking place there through that vision. Despite the difficulties the verse refers to a mystical, esoteric spiritual experience, probably available only to a few, which doubtless made those who experienced it convinced they were of a higher level of relationship to God. To them salvation through Christ was not enough. They had to be saved by this mysterious "more."

Whatever their estimates of themselves and their experiences, Paul delivered a telling blow when he told them they were puffed up with idle notions, and that their mental state, rather than being deeply in tune with things divine, was really "unspiritual." The Greek tou' nooÉ" th'" sarkov" (tou noφs tηs sarkos ) is literally "mind of the flesh," and a fleshly mind often refers to that which is opposed to God (cf. Rom 8:5f). They may have felt themselves exalted and "super-spiritual." In reality they were most conceited and unspiritual. What a devastating judgment, the more so when considered over against their self-estimate!

2:19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Perhaps one could argue that the additional activities described in verses 16-18 did not destroy discipleship to Christ. Paul dispelled that notion. It was an "either/or," not a "both/ and." In describing Christ as Head, source of unity and nourishment and avenue of divinely produced growth, Paul painted, by contrast, a miserable picture of the heretics. They had no relation to Christ, despite any claims they may have made. They had no divine source of nourishment ("supported"; from ejpicorhgevw , epichorηgeτ , "supply/furnish") or unity ("held together"; from sumbibavzw , symbibazτ , the same verb as "united" in 2:2). They were spiritually starved, despite their claims, and divisive. Since they were cut off from nourishment, they did not have the possibility of growth. They were stunted, and whatever they might have considered growth was not growth at all. These "puffed up" people were pathetic creatures indeed, claiming burgeoning health when actually suffering starvation.

B. SHUN WORLDLY RULES! (2:20-23)

²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ²¹"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? ²² These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

2:20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world,

Not only had the heretics lost connection with the head, those truly in Christ had died to such "basic principles." Death with Christ was accomplished in baptism (v. 12, and cf. Rom 6:1-4). The heretics were not living out the consequences of their baptism. On "basic principles" cf. the discussion at 2:8. The understanding of this text depends on how the term is interpreted; whether it means spiritual powers or the elements of worldly life apart from Christ. If the latter, Paul may have meant that the appearance of spiritual excellence in the heresy was really a disguised form of the old life, before Christ. Perhaps this was because human will and desire were placed ahead of submission of Christ.

why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:

"Rules" (a form of dogmativzw , dogmatizτ ) is from the Greek root translated "regulations" in verse 14. Though not involving immoral behavior, they did involve an implicit denial that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for salvation.

2:21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"?

The NIV places these three absolute prohibitions in quotation marks, implying, correctly we think, that Paul was quoting the false teachers. These rules probably had to do with eating and drinking, as in verse 16, though it is hard to see the exact meaning of not handling or touching. Some scholars suggest a progression in the terms here, from the broadest to the narrowest meaning. ("Don't do this . . . don't even do this.") This attractive suggestion is difficult to support from the Greek, however. Some suppose there may have been subregulations under these headings. Salvation to the heretics was related to physical contact and diet. As indicated in the notes at verse 16, these prohibitions may have been intended to make possible the experience described in verse 18.

2:22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Two criticisms are made by Paul in this verse. The first was the perishability of the material things which the heretics gave such importance, and the second was that the rules were of human origin, not divine. One's relation to God did not depend on whether one used or abstained from food and drink. Elsewhere Paul said no food was unclean in itself (Rom 14:14; 1 Cor 8:8; 10:25f; 1 Tim 4:3). The heretics rested their spiritual welfare on a material, not a spiritual, foundation. Material things were as important to them in one way as greed was to sinners in another way. In both cases the material world dictated their actions (cf. Titus 1:13-15).

2:23 Such regulations indeed

"Such regulations" is added in the NIV. This verse is very difficult in the Greek, which leads to quite opposite translations. The NIV indicates the heretical practices were valueless to restrain "sensual indulgence." Others suggest a reading which would indicate that all these things did was to gratify the flesh. In neither case is the translation smooth. Theologically both possibilities are true. External prohibitions alone did not produce godliness - it was a matter of the heart. On the other hand a religion concerned with taboos could also have the effect of indicating that all that mattered was dealing with fleshly appetites. In both cases the inner dimension of the faith would be ignored (contrast "set your hearts" in 3:1).

Another issue of interpretation is determining which language quoted the heretics and which was Paul's. Though not affecting the overall meaning of the verse, knowing this would assist in knowing when the language was straightforward, and when it had an implied criticism.

have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body,

The "appearance of wisdom" echoes "fine sounding" of verse four. Here the translation is an interpretation of the literal "which is a word having wisdom." The NIV assumes these words were a criticism, not a quotation of the heretics. All treasures of wisdom are found in Christ (2:3). "Self-imposed worship" is translated differently in various versions. It is literally "will worship" (ejqeloqrhskiva , ethelothrηskia ). It has been suggested this was the term used by the devotees of the heresy to indicate their free choice of the cult. Other meanings are also possible. "False" is interpolated, as in verse 18, since the Greek has only the word rendered "humility" (tapeinofrosuvnh , tapeinophrosynη ). "Harsh treatment" probably refers to the prohibitions of verses 16 and 21, and may indicate other ascetic practices not enumerated by Paul.

but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

The last of the verse is literally "not in a certain value toward satisfying the flesh." Because it is unclear it has led some (as NIV) to indicate the regulations were ineffectual; and others argue it means that the heresy only served to gratify the flesh.

As an alternative, making the heresy pale by comparison, Paul offers 3:1-4.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: Colossians (Book Introduction)

The Epistle to the Colossians

From Rome a.d. 63

By Way of Introduction

Genuineness

The author claims to be Paul (Col_1:1) and there is no real doubt about it in spite of Baur’s denial of the Pauline authorship which did not suit his Tendenz theory of the New Testament books. There is every mark of Paul’s style and power in the little Epistle and there is no evidence that any one else took Paul’s name to palm off this striking and vigorous polemic.

The Date

Clearly it was sent at the same time with the Epistle to Philemon and the one to the Ephesians since Tychicus the bearer of the letter to Ephesus (Eph_6:21.) and the one to Colossae (Col_4:7.) was a companion of Onesimus (Col_4:9) the bearer of that to Philemon (Phm_1:10-12). If Paul is a prisoner (Col_4:3; Eph_6:20; Phm_1:9) in Rome, as most scholars hold, and not in Ephesus as Deissmann and Duncan argue, the probable date would be a.d. 63. I still believe that Paul is in Rome when he sends out these epistles. If so, the time would be after the arrival in Rome from Jerusalem as told in Acts 28 and before the burning of Rome by Nero in a.d. 64. If Philippians was already sent, a.d. 63 marks the last probable year for the writing of this group of letters.

The Occasion

The Epistle itself gives it as being due to the arrival of Epaphras from Colossae (Col_1:7-9; Col_4:12.). He is probably one of Paul’s converts while in Ephesus who in behalf of Paul (Col_1:7) evangelized the Lycus Valley (Colossae, Hierapolis, Laodicea) where Paul had never been himself (Col_2:1; Col_4:13-16). Since Paul’s departure for Rome, the " grievous wolves" whom he foresaw in Miletus (Act_20:29.) had descended upon these churches and were playing havoc with many and leading them astray much as new cults today mislead the unwary. These men were later called Gnostics (see Ignatius) and had a subtle appeal that was not easy to withstand. The air was full of the mystery cults like the Eleusinian mysteries, Mithraism, the vogue of Isis, what not. These new teachers professed new thought with a world-view that sought to explain everything on the assumption that matter was essentially evil and that the good God could only touch evil matter by means of a series of aeons or emanations so far removed from him as to prevent contamination by God and yet with enough power to create evil matter. This jejune theory satisfied many just as today some are content to deny the existence of sin, disease, death in spite of the evidence of the senses to the contrary. In his perplexity Epaphras journeyed all the way to Rome to obtain Paul’s help.

Purpose of the Epistle

Epaphras did not come in vain, for Paul was tremendously stirred by the peril to Christianity from the Gnostics ( hoi gnōstikoi , the knowing ones). He had won his fight for freedom in Christ against the Judaizers who tried to fasten Jewish sacramentarianism upon spiritual Christianity. Now there is an equal danger of the dissipation of vital Christianity in philosophic speculation. In particular, the peril was keen concerning the Person of Christ when the Gnostics embraced Christianity and applied their theory of the universe to him. They split into factions on the subject of Christ. The Docetic (from dokeō , to seem) Gnostics held that Jesus did not have a real human body, but only a phantom body. He was, in fact, an aeon and had no real humanity. The Cerinthian (followers of Cerinthus) Gnostics admitted the humanity of the man Jesus, but claimed that the Christ was an aeon that came on Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove and left him on the Cross so that only the man Jesus died. At once this heresy sharpened the issue concerning the Person of Christ already set forth in Phi_2:5-11. Paul met the issue squarely and powerfully portrayed his full-length portrait of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man (both deity and humanity) in opposition to both types of Gnostics. So then Colossians seems written expressly for our own day when so many are trying to rob Jesus Christ of his deity. The Gnostics took varying views of moral issues also as men do now. There were the ascetics with rigorous rules and the licentious element that let down all the bars for the flesh while the spirit communed with God. One cannot understand Colossians without some knowledge of Gnosticism such as may be obtained in such books as Angus’s The Mystery-Religions and Christianity , Glover’s The Conflict of Religion in the Early Roman Empire , Kennedy’s St. Paul and the Mystery-Religions , Lightfoot’s Commentary on Colossians .

JFB: Colossians (Book Introduction)

The GENUINENESS of this Epistle is attested by JUSTIN MARTYR [Dialogue with Trypho, p. 311, B.], who quotes "the first-born of every creature," in reference to Christ, from Col 1:15. THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH [To Autolychus, 2, p. 100]. IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 3.14.1], quotes expressly from this "Epistle to the Colossians" (Col 4:14). CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [Miscellanies, 1. p. 325], quotes Col 1:28; also elsewhere he quotes Col 1:9-11, Col 1:28; Col 2:2, &c.; Col 2:8; Col 3:12, Col 3:14; Col 4:2-3, &c. TERTULLIAN [The Prescription against Heretics, 7], quotes Col 2:8; [On the Resurrection of the Flesh, 23], and quotes Col 2:12, Col 2:20; Col 3:1-2. ORIGEN [Against Celsus, 5.8], quotes Col 2:18-19.

Colosse (or, as it is spelt in the best manuscripts, "Colassæ") was a city of Phrygia, on the river Lycus, a branch of the Meander. The Church there was mainly composed of Gentiles (compare Col 2:13). ALFORD infers from Col 2:1 (see on Col 2:1), that Paul had not seen its members, and therefore could not have been its founder, as THEODORET thought. Col 1:7-8 suggests the probability that Epaphras was the first founder of the Church there. The date of its foundation must have been subsequent to Paul's visitation, "strengthening in order" all the churches of Galatia and Phrygia (Act 18:24); for otherwise we must have visited the Colossians, which Col 2:1 implies he had not. Had Paul been their father in the faith, he would doubtless have alluded to the fact, as in 1Co 3:6, 1Co 3:10; 1Co 4:15; 1Th 1:5; 1Th 2:1. It is only in the Epistles, Romans and Ephesians, and this Epistle, such allusions are wanting; in that to the Romans, because, as in this Church of Colosse, he had not been the instrument of their conversion; in that to the Ephesians, owing to the general nature of the Epistle. Probably during the "two years" of Paul's stay at Ephesus, when "all which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus" (Act 19:10, Act 19:26), Epaphras, Philemon, Archippus, Apphia and the other natives of Colosse, becoming converted at Ephesus, were subsequently the first sowers of the Gospel seed in their own city. This will account for their personal acquaintance with, and attachment to, Paul and his fellow ministers, and for his loving language as to them, and their counter salutations to him. So also with respect to "them at Laodicea," (Col 2:1).

The OBJECT of the Epistle is to counteract Jewish false teaching, by setting before the Colossians their true standing in Christ alone (exclusive of all other heavenly beings), the majesty of His person, and the completeness of the redemption wrought by Him; hence they ought to be conformed to their risen Lord, and to exhibit that conformity in all the relations of ordinary life Col 2:16, "new moon, sabbath days," shows that the false teaching opposed in this Epistle is that of Judaizing Christians. These mixed up with pure Christianity Oriental theosophy and angel-worship, and the asceticism of certain sections of the Jews, especially the Essenes. Compare JOSEPHUS [Wars of the Jews, 2.8,13]. These theosophists promised to their followers a deeper insight into the world of spirits, and a nearer approach to heavenly purity and intelligence, than the simple Gospel affords. CONYBEARE and HOWSON think that some Alexandrian Jew had appeared at Colosse, imbued with the Greek philosophy of PHILO'S school, combining with it the Rabbinical theosophy and angelology which afterwards was embodied in the Cabbala. Compare JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 12.3,4], from which we know that Alexander the Great had garrisoned the towns of Lydia and Phrygia with two thousand Mesopotamian and Babylonian Jews in the time of a threatened revolt. The Phrygians themselves had a mystic tendency in their worship of Cybele, which inclined them to receive the more readily the incipient Gnosticism of Judaizers, which afterward developed itself into the strangest heresies. In the Pastoral Epistles, the evil is spoken of as having reached a more deadly phase (1Ti 4:1-3; 1Ti 6:5), whereas he brings no charge of immorality in this Epistle: a proof of its being much earlier in date.

The PLACE from which it was written seems to have been Rome, during his first imprisonment there (Act 28:17-31). In my Introduction to the Epistle to the Ephesians, it was shown that the three Epistles, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, were sent at the same time, namely, during the freer portion of his imprisonment, before the death of Burrus. Col 4:3-4; Eph 6:19-20, imply greater freedom than he had while writing to the Philippians, after the promotion of Tigellinus to be Prætorian Prefect. See Introduction to Philippians.

This Epistle, though carried by the same bearer, Tychicus, who bore that to the Ephesians, was written previously to that Epistle; for many phrases similar in both appear in the more expanded form in the Epistle to the Ephesians (compare also Note, see on Eph 6:21). The Epistle to the Laodiceans (Col 4:16) was written before that to the Colossians, but probably was sent by him to Laodicea at the same time with that to the Church at Colosse.

The STYLE is peculiar: many Greek phrases occur here, found nowhere else. Compare Col 2:8, "spoil you"; "making a show of them openly" (Col 2:15); "beguile of your reward," and "intruding" (Col 2:18); "will-worship"; "satisfying" (Col 2:23); "filthy communication" (Col 3:8); "rule" (Col 3:15); "comfort" (Col 4:11). The loftiness and artificial elaboration of style correspond to the majestic nature of his theme, the majesty of Christ's person and office, in contrast to the beggarly system of the Judaizers, the discussion of which was forced on him by the controversy. Hence arises his use of unusual phraseology. On the other hand, in the Epistle of the Ephesians, subsequently written, in which he was not so hampered by the exigencies of controversy, he dilates on the same glorious truths, so congenial to him, more at large, freely and uncontroversially, in the fuller outpouring of his spirit, with less of the elaborate and antithetical language of system, such as was needed in cautioning the Colossians against the particular errors threatening them. Hence arises the striking similarity of many of the phrases in the two Epistles written about the same time, and generally in the same vein of spiritual thought; while the peculiar phrases of the Epistle to the Colossians are such as are natural, considering the controversial purpose of that Epistle.

JFB: Colossians (Outline)

• ADDRESS: INTRODUCTION: CONFIRMING EPAPHRAS' TEACHING: THE GLORIES OF CHRIST: THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS: HIS OWN MINISTRY OF THE MYSTERY. (Col. 1:1-29)
• HIS STRIVINGS IN PRAYER FOR THEIR STEADFASTNESS IN CHRIST; FROM WHOM HE WARNS THEM NOT TO BE LED AWAY BY FALSE WISDOM. (Col. 2:1-23)
• EXHORTATIONS TO HEAVENLY AIMS, AS OPPOSED TO EARTHLY, ON THE GROUND OF UNION TO THE RISEN SAVIOUR; TO MORTIFY AND PUT OFF THE OLD MAN, AND TO PUT ON THE NEW; IN CHARITY, HUMILITY, WORDS OF EDIFICATION, THANKFULNESS; RELATIVE DUTIES. (Col. 3:1-25)
• EXHORTATIONS CONTINUED. TO PRAYER: WISDOM IN RELATION TO THE UNCONVERTED: AS TO THE BEARERS OF THE EPISTLE, TYCHICUS AND ONESIMUS: CLOSING SALUTATIONS. (Col. 4:1-18)

TSK: Colossians (Book Introduction)

Colosse was a large and populous city of Phrygia Pacatiana, in Asia Minor, seated on an eminence to the south of the river Meander. It is supposed to have occupied a site now covered with ruins, near the village of Konous or Khonas, and about twenty miles nw of Degnizlu. By whom, or at what time, the church at Colosse was founded is wholly uncertain; but it would appear from the apostle’s declaration, Col 2:1, that he was not the honoured instrument. It appears from the tenor of this epistle to have been, upon the whole, in a very flourishing state; but some difficulties having arisen among them, they sent Epaphras to Rome, where the apostle was now imprisoned (Col 4:3) to acquaint him with the state of their affairs. It is remarkable for a peculiar pathos and ardour, which is generally ascribed to the extraordinary divine consolations enjoyed by the apostle during his sufferings for the sake of Christ. Whoever, says Michaelis, would understand the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, must read them together. The one is in most places a commentary on the other; the meaning of single passages in one epistle, which, if considered alone, might be variously interpreted, being determined by the parallel passages in the other epistle.

TSK: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

Col 2:1, Paul still exhorts them to be constant in Christ; Col 2:8, to beware of philosophy, and vain traditions; Col 2:18, worshipping of angels; Col 2:20, and legal ceremonies, which are ended in Christ.

Poole: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 2

MHCC: Colossians (Book Introduction)

This epistle was sent because of some difficulties which arose among the Colossians, probably from false teachers, in consequence of which they sent to the apostle. The scope of the epistle is to show, that all hope of man's redemption is founded on Christ, in whom alone are all complete fulness, perfections, and sufficiency. The Colossians are cautioned against the devices of judaizing teachers, and also against the notions of carnal wisdom, and human inventions and traditions, as not consistent with full reliance on Christ. In the first two chapters the apostle tells them what they must believe, and in the two last what they must do; the doctrine of faith, and the precepts of life for salvation.

MHCC: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

(Col 2:1-7) The apostle expresses his love to, and joy in believers.

(Col 2:8-17) He cautions against the errors of heathen philosophy; also against Jewish traditions, and rites which had been fulfilled in Christ.

(Col 2:18-23) Against worshipping angels; and against legal ordinances.

Matthew Henry: Colossians (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians

Colosse was a considerable city of Phrygia, and probably not far from Laodicea and Hierapolis; we find these mentioned together, Col 4:13. It is now buried in ruins, and the memory of it chiefly preserved in this epistle. The design of the epistle is to warn them of the danger of the Jewish zealots, who pressed the necessity of observing the ceremonial law; and to fortify them against the mixture of the Gentile philosophy with their Christian principles. He professes a great satisfaction in their stedfastness and constancy, and encourages them to perseverance. It was written about the same time with the epistles to the Ephesians and Philippians, a.d. 62, and in the same place, while he was now a prisoner at Rome. He was not idle in his confinement, and the word of God was not bound.

This epistle, like that to the Romans, was written to those he had never seen, nor had any personal acquaintance with. The church planted at Colosse was not by Paul's ministry, but by the ministry of Epaphras or Epaphroditus, an evangelist, one whom he delegated to preach the gospel among the Gentiles; and yet, I. There was a flourishing church at Colosse, and one which was eminent and famous among the churches. One would have thought none would have come to be flourishing churches but those which Paul himself had planted; but here was a flourishing church planted by Epaphras. God is sometimes pleased to make use of the ministry of those who are of less note, and lower gifts, for doing great service to his church. God uses what hands he pleases, and is not tied to those of note, that the excellence of the power may appear to be of God and not of men, 2Co 4:7. II. Though Paul had not the planting of this church, yet he did not therefore neglect it; nor, in writing his epistles, does he make any difference between that and other churches. The Colossians, who were converted by the ministry of Epaphras, were as dear to him, and he was as much concerned for their welfare, as the Philippians, or any others who were converted by his ministry. Thus he put an honour upon an inferior minister, and teaches us not to be selfish, nor think all that honour lost which goes beside ourselves. We learn, in his example, not to think it a disparagement to us to water what others have planted, or build upon the foundation which others have laid: as he himself, as a wise master-builder, laid the foundation, and another built thereon, 1Co 3:10.

Matthew Henry: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

I. The apostle expresses concern for the Colossians (Col 2:1-3). II. He repeats it again (Col 2:5). III. He cautions them against false teachers among the Jews (Col 2:4, Col 2:6, Col 2:7), and against the Gentile philosophy (Col 2:8-12). IV. He represents the privileges of Christians (Col 2:13-15). And, V. Concludes with a caution against the judaizing teachers, and those who would introduce the worship of angels (Col 2:16-23).

Barclay: Colossians (Book Introduction)

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The Letters Of Paul

There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letters of Paul. That is because of all forms of literature a letter is most personal. Demetrius, one of the old Greek literary critics, once wrote, "Every one reveals his own soul in his letters. In every other form of composition it is possible to discern the writercharacter, but in none so clearly as the epistolary." (Demetrius, On Style, 227). It is just because he left us so many letters that we feel we know Paul so well. In them he opened his mind and heart to the folk he loved so much; and in them, to this day, we can see that great mind grappling with the problems of the early church, and feel that great heart throbbing with love for men, even when they were misguided and mistaken.

The Difficulty Of Letters

At the same time, there is often nothing so difficult to understand as a letter. Demetrius (On Style, 223) quotes a saying of Artemon, who edited the letters of Aristotle. Artemon said that a letter ought to be written in the same manner as a dialogue, because it was one of the two sides of a dialogue. In other words, to read a letter is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We do not possess the letter which he was answering; we do not fully know the circumstances with which he was dealing; it is only from the letter itself that we can deduce the situation which prompted it. Before we can hope to understand fully any letter Paul wrote, we must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.

The Ancient Letters

It is a great pity that Paulletters were ever called epistles. They are in the most literal sense letters. One of the great lights shed on the interpretation of the New Testament has been the discovery and the publication of the papyri. In the ancient world, papyrus was the substance on which most documents were written. It was composed of strips of the pith of a certain bulrush that grew on the banks of the Nile. These strips were laid one on top of the other to form a substance very like brown paper. The sands of the Egyptian desert were ideal for preservation, for papyrus, although very brittle, will last forever so long as moisture does not get at it. As a result, from the Egyptian rubbish heaps, archaeologists have rescued hundreds of documents, marriage contracts, legal agreements, government forms, and, most interesting of all, private letters. When we read these private letters we find that there was a pattern to which nearly all conformed; and we find that Paulletters reproduce exactly that pattern. Here is one of these ancient letters. It is from a soldier, called Apion, to his father Epimachus. He is writing from Misenum to tell his father that he has arrived safely after a stormy passage.

"Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus.

I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are

going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother.

I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe when I was

in peril on the sea. As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey

money from Caesar--three gold pieces. And things are going fine

with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let

me know how you are, and then about my brothers, and thirdly, that

I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up well, and because

of that I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted. Give Capito my

heartiest greetings, and my brothers and Serenilla and my friends.

I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon. My

military name is Antonius Maximus. I pray for your good health.

Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimonboy, and Turbo,

Galloniuson." (G. Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri,

36.)

Little did Apion think that we would be reading his letter to his father 1800 years after he had written it. It shows how little human nature changes. The lad is hoping for promotion quickly. Who would Serenilla be but the girl he left behind him? He sends the ancient equivalent of a photograph to the folk at home. Now that letter falls into certain sections. (i) There is a greeting. (ii) There is a prayer for the health of the recipients. (iii) There is a thanksgiving to the gods. (iv) There are the special contents. (v) Finally, there are the special salutations and the personal greetings. Practically every one of Paulletters shows exactly the same sections, as we now demonstrate.

(i) The Greeting: Rom_1:1 ; 1Co_1:1 ; 2Co_1:1 ; Gal_1:1 ; Eph_1:1 ; Phi_1:1 ; Col_1:1-2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:1 .

(ii) The Prayer: in every case Paul prays for the grace of God on the people to whom he writes: Rom_1:7 ; 1Co_1:3 ; 2Co_1:2 ; Gal_1:3 ; Eph_1:2 ; Phi_1:3 ; Col_1:2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:2 .

(iii) The Thanksgiving: Rom_1:8 ; 1Co_1:4 ; 2Co_1:3 ; Eph_1:3 ; Phi_1:3 ; 1Th_1:3 ; 2Th_1:3 .

(iv) The Special Contents: the main body of the letters.

(v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings: Rom 16 ; 1Co_16:19 ; 2Co_13:13 ; Phi_4:21-22 ; Col_4:12-15 ; 1Th_5:26 .

When Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on the pattern which everyone used. Deissmann says of them, "They differ from the messages of the homely papyrus leaves of Egypt, not as letters but only as the letters of Paul." When we read Paulletters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises and theological treatises, but human documents written by a friend to his friends.

The Immediate Situation

With a very few exceptions, all Paulletters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, "Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation.... He had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in existence in the next generation, far less that one day people would look at them as Holy Scripture." We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paulletters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.

The Spoken Word

One other thing we must note about these letters. Paul did what most people did in his day. He did not normally pen his own letters but dictated them to a secretary, and then added Ws own authenticating signature. (We actually know the name of one of the people who did the writing for him. In Rom_16:22 Tertius, the secretary, slips in his own greeting before the letter draws to an end). In 1Co_16:21 Paul says, "This is my own signature, my autograph, so that you can be sure this letter comes from me." (compare Col_4:18 ; 2Th_3:17 .)

This explains a great deal. Sometimes Paul is hard to understand, because his sentences begin and never finish; his grammar breaks down and the construction becomes involved. We must not think of him sitting quietly at a desk, carefully polishing each sentence as he writes. We must think of him striding up and down some little room, pouring out a torrent of words, while his secretary races to get them down. When Paul composed his letters, he had in his mindeye a vision of the folk to whom he was writing, and he was pouring out his heart to them in words that fell over each other in his eagerness to help.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS

The Towns Of The Lycus Valley

About one hundred miles from Ephesus, in the valley of the River Lycus, near where it joins the Maeander, there once stood three important cities--Laodicaea, Hierapolis and Colosse. Originally they had been Phrygian cities but now they were part of the Roman province of Asia. They stood almost within sight of each other. Hierapolis and Laodicaea stood on either side of the valley with the River Lycus flowing between, only six miles apart and in full view of each other; Colosse straddled the river twelve miles farther up.

The Lycus Valley had two remarkable characteristics.

(i) It was notorious for earthquakes. Strabo describes it by the curious adjective euseistos, which in English means good for earthquakes. More than once Laodicaea had been destroyed by an earthquake, but she was a city so rich and so independent that she had risen from the ruins without the financial help which the Roman government had offered. As the John who wrote the Revelation was to say of her, in her own eyes she was rich and had need of nothing (Rev_3:17 ).

(ii) The waters of the River Lycus and of its tributaries were impregnated with chalk. This chalk gathered and all over the countryside built up the most amazing natural formations. Lightfoot writes in description of that area: "Ancient monuments are buried; fertile land is overlaid; rivers beds choked up and streams diverted; fantastic grottoes and cascades and archways of stone are formed, by this strange, capricious power, at once destructive and creative, working silently throughout the ages. Fatal to vegetation, these incrustations spread like a stony shroud over the ground. Gleaming like glaciers on the hillside, they attract the eye of the traveller at a distance of twenty miles, and form a singularly striking feature in scenery of more than common beauty and impressiveness."

A Wealthy Area

In spite of these things this was a wealthy area and famous for two closely allied trades. Volcanic ground is always fertile; and what was not covered by the chalky incrustations was magnificent pasture land. On these pastures there were great flocks of sheep and the area was perhaps the greatest centre of the woollen industry in the world. Laodicaea was specially famous for the production of garments of the finest quality. The allied trade was dyeing. There was some quality in those chalky waters which made them specially suitable for dyeing cloth, and Colosse was so famous for this trade that a certain dye was called by its name.

So, then, these three cities stood in a district of considerable geographical interest and of great commercial prosperity.

The Unimportant City

Originally the three cities had been of equal importance, but, as the years went on, their ways parted. Laodicaea became the political centre of the district and the financial headquarters of the whole area, a city of splendid prosperity. Hierapolis became a great trade-centre and a notable spa. In that volcanic area there were many chasms in the ground from which came hot vapours and springs, famous for their medicinal quality; and people came in their thousands to Hierapolis to bathe and to drink the waters.

Colosse at one time was as great as the other two. Behind her rose the Cadmus range of mountains and she commanded the roads to the mountain passes. Both Xerxes and Cyrus had halted there with their invading armies, and Herodotus had called her "a great city of Phrygia." But for some reason the glory departed. How great that departure was can be seen from the fact that Hierapolis and Laodicaea are both to this day clearly discernible because the ruins of some great buildings still stand; but there is not a stone to show where Colosse stood and her site can only be guessed at. Even when Paul wrote Colosse was a small town; and Lightfoot says that she was the most unimportant town to which Paul ever wrote a letter.

The fact remains that in this town of Colosse there had arisen a heresy which, if it had been allowed to develop unchecked, might well have been the ruination of the Christian faith.

The Jews In Phrygia

One other fact must be added to complete the picture. These three cities stood in an area in which there were many Jews. Many years before, Antiochus the Great had transported two thousand Jewish families from Babylon and Mesopotamia into the regions of Lydia and Phrygia. These Jews had prospered and, as always happens in such a case, more of their fellow-countrymen had come into the area to share their prosperity. So many came that the stricter Jews of Palestine lamented the number of Jews who left the rigours of their ancestral land for "the wines and baths of Phrygia."

The number of Jews who resided there can be seen from the following historical incident. Laodicaea, as we have seen, was the administrative centre of the district. In the year 62 B.C., Flaccus was the Roman governor resident there. He sought to put a stop to the practice of the Jews of sending money out of the province to pay the Temple tax. He did so by placing an embargo on the export of currency; and in his own part of the province alone he seized as contraband no less than twenty pounds of gold which was meant for the Temple at Jerusalem. That amount of gold would represent the Temple tax of no fewer than 11,000 people. Since women and children were exempt from the tax and since many Jews would successfully evade the capture of their money, we may well put the Jewish population as high as almost 50,000.

The Church At Colosse

The Christian Church at Colosse was one which Paul had not himself founded and which he had never visited. He classes the Colossians and the Laodicaeans with those who had never seen his face in the flesh (Col_2:1 ). But no doubt the founding of the Church sprang from his directing. During his three years in Ephesus the whole province of Asia was evangelized, so that all its inhabitants, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord (Act_19:10 ). Colosse was about one hundred miles from Ephesus and it was no doubt in that campaign of expansion that the Colossian Church was founded. We do not know who its founder was; but it may well have been Epaphras, who is described as Paulfellow-servant and the faithful minister of the Colossian Church and who is later connected also with Hierapolis and Laodicaea (Col_1:7 ; Col_4:12-13 ). If Epaphras was not the founder of the Christian Church there, he was certainly the minister in charge of the area.

A Gentile Church

It is clear that the Colossian Church was mainly Gentile. The phrase estranged and hostile in mind (Col_1:21 ) is the kind of phrase which Paul regularly uses of those who had once been strangers to the covenant of promise. In Col_1:27 he speaks of making known the mystery of Christ among the Gentiles, when the reference is clearly to the Colossians themselves. In Col_3:5-7 he gives a list of their sins before they became Christians, and these are characteristically Gentile sins. We may confidently conclude that the membership of the Church at Colosse was largely composed of Gentiles.

The Threat To The Church

It must have been Epaphras who brought to Paul, in prison in Rome, news of the situation which was developing in Colosse. Much of the news that he brought was good. Paul is grateful for news of their faith in Christ and their love of the saints (Col_1:4 ). He rejoices at the Christian fruit which they are producing (Col_1:6 ). Epaphras has brought him news of their love in the Spirit (Col_1:8 ). He is glad when he hears of their order and steadfastness in the faith (Col_2:5 ). There was trouble at Colosse certainly; but it had not yet become an epidemic. Paul believed that prevention was better than cure; and in this letter he is grasping this evil before it has time to spread.

The Heresy At Colosse

What the heresy was which was threatening the life of the Church at Colosse no one can tell for sure. "The Colossian Heresy" is one of the great problems of New Testament scholarship. All we can do is to go to the letter itself, list the characteristics we find indicated there and then see if we can find any general heretical tendency to fit the list.

(i) It was clearly a heresy which attacked the total adequacy and the unique supremacy of Christ. No Pauline letter has such a lofty view of Jesus Christ or such insistence on his completeness and finality. Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God; in him all fullness dwells (Col_1:15 , Col_1:19 ). In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge (Col_2:2 ). In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form (Col_2:9 ).

(ii) Paul goes out of his way to stress the part that Christ played in creation. By him all things were created (Col_1:16 ); in him all things cohere (Col_1:17 ). The Son was the Fatherinstrument in the creation of the universe.

(iii) At the same time he goes out of his way to stress the real humanity of Christ. It was in the body of his flesh that he did his redeeming work (Col_1:22 ). The fullness of the Godhead dwells in him somatikos (G4984), in bodily form (Col_2:9 ). For all his deity Jesus Christ was truly human flesh and blood.

(iv) There seems to have been an astrological element in this heresy. In Col_2:8 , as the King James Version has it, he says that they were walking after the rudiments of this world, and in Col_2:20 that they ought to be dead to the rudiments of this world. The word translated rudiments is stoicheia (G4747), which has two meanings.

(a) Its basic meaning is a row of things; it can, for instance, be used for a file of soldiers. But one of its commonest meanings is the A B C, the letters of the alphabet, set out, as it were, in a row. From that it develops the meaning of the elements of any subject, the rudiments. It is in that sense that the King James Version takes it; and, if that is the correct sense, Paul means that the Colossians are slipping back to an elementary kind of Christianity when they ought to be going on to maturity.

(b) We think that the second meaning is more likely. Stoicheia (G4747) can mean the elemental spirits of the world, and especially the spirits of the stars and planets. The ancient world was dominated by thought of the influence of the stars; and even the greatest and the wisest men would not act without consulting them. It believed that all things were in the grip of an iron fatalism settled by the stars; and the science of astrology professed to provide men with the secret knowledge which would rid them of their slavery to the elemental spirits. It is most likely that the Colossian false teachers were teaching that it needed something more than Jesus Christ to rid men of their subjection to these elemental spirits.

(v) This heresy made much of the powers of demonic spirits. There are frequent references to principalities or authorities, which are Paulnames for these spirits (Col_1:16 ; Col_2:10 ; Col_2:15 ). The ancient world believed implicitly in demonic powers. The air was full of them. Every natural force--the wind, the thunder, the lightning, the rain--had its demonic superintendent. Every place, every tree, every river, every lake had its spirit. They were in one sense intermediaries to God and in another sense barriers to him, for the vast majority of them were hostile to men. The ancient world lived in a demon-haunted universe. The Colossian false teachers were clearly saying that something more than Jesus Christ was needed to defeat the power of the demons.

(vi) There was clearly what we might call a philosophical element in this heresy. The heretics are out to spoil men with philosophy and empty deceit (Col_2:8 ). Clearly the Colossian heretics were saying that the simplicities of the gospel needed a far more elaborate and recondite knowledge added to them.

(vii) There was a tendency in this heresy to insist on the observance of special days and rituals--festivals, new moons and sabbaths (Col_2:16 ).

(viii) Clearly there was a would-be ascetic element in this heresy. It laid down laws about food and drink (Col_2:16 ). Its slogans were: "Touch not; taste not; handle not" (Col_2:21 ). It was a heresy which was out to limit Christian freedom by insistence on all kinds of legalistic ordinances.

(ix) Equally this heresy had at least sometimes an antinomian streak in it. It tended to make men careless of the chastity which the Christian should have and to make him think lightly of the bodily sins (Col_3:5-8 ).

(x) Apparently this heresy gave at least some place to the worship of angels (Col_2:18 ). Beside the demons it introduced angelic intermediaries between man and God.

(xi) Lastly, there seems to have been in this heresy something which can only be called spiritual and intellectual snobbery. In Col_1:28 Paul lays down his aim; it is to warn every man; to teach every man in all wisdom; and to present every man mature in Jesus Christ. We see how the phrase every man is reiterated and how the aim is to make him mature in all wisdom. The clear implication is that the heretics limited the gospel to some chosen few and introduced a spiritual and intellectual aristocracy into the wide welcome of the Christian faith.

The Gnostic Heresy

Was there then any general heretical tendency of thought which would include all this? There was what was called Gnosticism. Gnosticism began with two basic assumptions about matter. First, it believed that spirit alone was good and that matter was essentially evil. Second, it believed that matter was eternal; and that the universe was not created out of nothing--which is orthodox belief--but out of this flawed matter. Now this basic belief had certain inevitable consequences.

(i) It had an effect on the doctrine of creation. If God was spirit, then he was altogether good and could not possibly work with this evil matter. Therefore God was not the creator of the world. He put out a series of emanations, each of which was a little more distant from God until at the end of the series there was an emanation so distant that it could handle matter; and it was this emanation which created the world. The Gnostics went further. Since each emanation was more distant from God. It was also more ignorant of him. As the series went on that ignorance turned to hostility. So the emanations most distant from God were at once ignorant of him and hostile to him. It followed that he who created the world was at once completely ignorant of, and utterly hostile to, the true God. It was to meet that Gnostic doctrine of creation that Paul insisted that the agent of God in creation was not some ignorant and hostile power, but the Son who perfectly knew and loved the Father.

(ii) It had its effect on the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ. If matter was altogether evil and if Jesus was the Son of God, then Jesus could not have had a flesh and blood body--so the Gnostic argued. He must have been a kind of spiritual phantom. So the Gnostic romances say that when Jesus walked, he left no footprints on the ground. This, of course, completely removed Jesus from humanity and made it impossible for him to be the Saviour of men. It was to meet this Gnostic doctrine that Paul insisted on the flesh and blood body of Jesus and insisted that Jesus saved men in the body of his flesh.

(iii) It had its effect on the ethical approach to life. If matter was evil, then it followed that our bodies were evil. If our bodies were evil, one of two consequences followed. (a) We must starve and beat and deny the body; we must practise a rigid asceticism in which the body was kept under, and in which its every need and desire were refused. (b) It was possible to take precisely the opposite point of view. If the body was evil, it did not matter what a man did with it; spirit was all that mattered. Therefore a man could sate the bodydesires and it would make no difference.

Gnosticism could, therefore, issue in asceticism, with all kinds of laws and restrictions; or, it could issue in anti-nomianism, in which any immorality was justified. And we can see precisely both these tendencies at work in the false teachers at Colosse.

(iv) One thing followed from all this--Gnosticism was a highly intellectual way of life and thought. There was this long series of emanations between a man and God; man must fight his way up a long ladder to get to God. In order to do that he would need all kinds of secret knowledge and esoteric learning and hidden passwords. If he was to practise a rigid asceticism, he would need to know the rules; and so rigid would his asceticism be that it would be impossible for him to embark on the ordinary activities of life. The Gnostics were, therefore, quite clear that the higher reaches of religion were open only to the chosen few. This conviction of the necessity of belonging to an intellectual religious aristocracy precisely suits the situation at Colosse.

(v) There remains one thing to fit into this picture. It is quite obvious that there was a Jewish element in the false teaching threatening the Church at Colosse. The festivals and the new moons and the sabbaths were characteristically Jewish; the laws about food and drink were essentially Jewish levitical laws. Where then did the Jews come in? It is a strange thing that many Jews were sympathetic to Gnosticism. They knew all about angels and demons and spirits. But, above all, they said, "We know quite well that it takes special knowledge to reach God. We know quite well that Jesus and his gospel are far too simple--and that special knowledge is to be found nowhere else than in the Jewish law. It is our ritual and ceremonial law which is indeed the special knowledge which enables a man to reach God." The result was that there was not infrequently a strange alliance between Gnosticism and Judaism; and it is just such an alliance that we find in Colosse, where, as we have seen, there were many Jews.

It is clear that the false teachers of Colosse were tinged with Gnostic heresy. They were trying to turn Christianity into a philosophy and a theosophy, and, if they had been successful,. the Christian faith would have been destroyed.

The Authorship Of The Letter

One question remains. Many scholars do not believe that Paul wrote this letter at all. They have three reasons.

(i) They say that in Colossians there are many words and phrases which do not appear in any other of Paulletters. That is perfectly true. But it does not prove anything. We cannot demand that a man should always write in the same way and with the same vocabulary. In Colossians we may well believe that Paul had new things to say and found new ways to say them.

(ii) They say that the development of Gnostic thought was, in fact, much later than the time of Paul so that, if the Colossian heresy was connected with Gnosticism, the letter is necessarily later than Paul. It is true that the great written Gnostic systems are later. But the idea of two worlds and the idea of the evil of matter are deeply woven into both Jewish and Greek thought. There is nothing in Colossians which cannot be explained by long-standing Gnostic tendencies in ancient thought, although it is true that the systematization of Gnosticism came later.

(iii) They say that the view of Christ in Colossians is far in advance of any of the letters certainly written by Paul. There are two answers to that.

First, Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ. In Colosse a new situation met him and out of these unsearchable riches he drew new answers to meet it. It is true that the Christology of Colossians is an advance on anything in the earlier letters of Paul; but that is far from saying that Paul did not write it, unless we are willing to argue that his thought remained for ever static. It is true to say that a man thinks out the implications of his faith only as circumstances compel him to do so; and in face of a new set of circumstances Paul thought out new implications of Christ.

Second, the germ of all Paulthought about Christ in Colossians does, in fact, exist in one of his earlier letters. In 1Co_8:6 he writes of one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist. In that phrase is the essence of all he says in Colossians. The seed was there in his mind, ready to blossom when a new climate and new circumstances called it into growth.

We need not hesitate to accept Colossians as a letter written by Paul.

The Great Letter

It remains a strange and wonderful fact that Paul wrote the letter which contains the highest reach of his thought to so unimportant a town as Colosse then was. But in doing so he checked a tendency, which, had it been allowed to develop, would have wrecked Asian Christianity and might well have done irreparable damage to the faith of the whole Church.

FURTHER READINGS

Colossians

T. K. Abbott, Ephesians and Colossians (ICC; G)

J. B. Lightfoot, St. PaulEpistles to the Colossians and Philemon (MmC; G)

C. F. D. Moule, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians and to Philemon (CGT; G)

E. F. Scott, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians (MC; E)

Abbreviations

CGT: Cambridge Greek Testament

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

MmC: Macmillan Commentary

TC: Tyndale Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

Love's Struggle (Col_2:1)

(I) The Marks Of The Faithful Church (Col_2:2-7)

(Ii) The Marks Of The Faithful Church (Col_2:2-7 Continued)

Additions To Christ (Col_2:8-23)

2:8-23 Beware lest there will be anyone who will carry you off as his spoil, by insisting on the necessity of a so-called philosophy, which is, in fact, an empty delusion, a philosophy which has been handed down by human tradition, and which is concerned with the elements of this world, and not with Christ; for in him there dwells the fullness of the divine nature; and you have found this fullness in him who is the head of every power and authority. In him you have been circumcised with a circumcision not made by man's hands, a circumcision which consists in putting off the whole of that part of you which is dominated by sinful human nature, which you were able to do by the circumcision which belongs to Christ. You were buried with him in the act of baptism, and in that act you were raised with him through your faith in the effective working of God, who raised him from the dead. God made you alive with him, when you were dead in your sins and were still uncircumcised Gentiles. He forgave you all your sins, and wiped out the charge-list which set out all your self-admitted debts, a charge-list which was based on the ordinances of the law and was in direct opposition to you. He nailed it to his Cross and put it right out of sight. He stripped the powers and authorities of all their power and publicly put them to shame, and, through the Cross, led them captive in his triumphal train. Let no one take you to task in matters of food or drink, or with regard to yearly festivals and monthly new moons and weekly sabbaths. These are only the shadow of things to come; the real substance belongs to Christ. Let no one rob you of your prize by walking in ostentatious humility in the worship of angels, making a parade of the things he has seen, vainly inflated with pride because he is dominated by his sinful human nature and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, supplied and held together by the joints and muscles, increases with the increase which only God can give. If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you continue to submit yourselves to their rules and regulations, as if you were still living in a world without God? "Handle not! Taste not! Touch not!" are their slogans. These are rules which are humanly taught and humanly imposed, and they are rules which deal with things which are destined for decay as soon as they are used. These things have a reputation for wisdom, with their self-imposed devotion and their flaunting humility and their stern treatment of the body, but they have no kind of value in remedying the indulgence of sinful human nature.

There can be no doubt that for us this is one of the most difficult passages Paul ever wrote. For those who heard or read it for the first time it would be crystal clear. The trouble is that it is packed from beginning to end with allusions to the false teaching which was threatening to wreck the Colossian Church. We do not know precisely what that teaching was. Therefore the allusions are obscure and we can only guess. But every sentence and every phrase would go straight home to the minds and the hearts of the Colossians. It is so difficult that we propose to treat it in a slightly different way from our usual practice. We have set it out as a whole, in what is more of a paraphrase than a translation. We will take out its leading ideas, for it is possible to see the main lines of the false teaching which was troubling Colosse; and then, after we have looked at it as a whole, we shall examine it in more detail in shorter sections. One thing clear is that the false teacher swished the Colossians to accept what can only be called additions to Christ. They were teaching that Jesus Christ himself is not sufficient; that he was not unique; that he was one among many manifestations of God; and that it was necessary to know and to serve other divine powers in addition to him. We can distinguish five additions to Christ which these false teachers wished to make. (i) They wished to teach men an additional philosophy (Col_2:8). As they saw it, the simple truth preached by Jesus and preserved in the gospel was not enough. It had to be filled out by an elaborate system of pseudo-philosophical thought which was far too difficult for the simple and which only the intellectual could understand. (ii) They wished men to accept a system of astrology (Col_2:8). As we shall see, there is a doubt about the meaning but we think it most likely that the elements of the world were the elemental spirits of the universe, especially of the stars and the planets. It was the teaching of these false teachers that men were still under these influences and needed a special knowledge, beyond that which Jesus could give, to be liberated from them. (iii) They wished to impose circumcision on Christians (Col_2:11). Faith was not enough; circumcision had to be added. A badge in the flesh was to take the place of, or at least be an addition to, an attitude of the heart. (iv) They wished to lay down ascetic, rules and regulations (Col_2:16; Col_2:20-23). They wished to introduce all kinds of rules and regulations about what a man might eat and drink and about what days he must observe as festivals and fasts. All the old Jewish regulations--and more--were to be brought back. (v) They wished to introduce the worship of angels (Col_2:18). They were teaching that Jesus was only one of many intermediaries between God and man and that all these intermediaries must receive their worship. It can be seen that here there is a mixture of Gnosticism and Judaism. The intellectual knowledge and the astrology come direct from Gnosticism; the asceticism and the rules and regulations from Judaism. What happened was this. We have seen that the Gnostics believed that all kinds of special knowledge, beyond the gospel, was needed for salvation. There were Jews who joined forces with the Gnostics and declared that the special knowledge required was none other than the knowledge which Judaism could give. This explains why the teaching of the Colossians' false teachers combined the beliefs of Gnosticism with the practices of Judaism. The one thing certain is that the false teachers taught that Jesus Christ and his teaching and work were not in themselves sufficient for salvation. Let us now take the passage section by section.

Traditions And The Stars (Col_2:8-10)

The Real And The Unreal Circumcision (Col_2:11-12)

Triumphant Forgiveness (Col_2:13-15)

Retrogression (Col_2:16-23)

Constable: Colossians (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical background

The city of Colosse lay in the beautiful Lycus Valley about 100 miles east of Ephesus. It had been an important town during the Persian War of the fifth century B.C. Since then new trade routes had carried most traffic to its neighboring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis and had left Colosse only a country village.¹ The inhabitants were mainly Greek colonists and native Phrygians when Paul wrote this epistle, though there were many Jews living in the area as well. Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.) had relocated hundreds of Jewish families from Mesopotamia to this region.

"Without doubt Colossae was the least important church to which any epistle of St Paul is addressed."²

Churches had taken root in Colosse, Laodicea (4:16), and probably Hierapolis (4:13). Paul had not visited the Lycus Valley when he wrote this epistle (1:4; 2:1), but he had learned of the spread of the gospel there through Epaphras (1:8) and probably others.³

Epaphras seems to have been the founder or one of the founders of the Colossian church (1:7; 4:12-13). He was a Colossian and had instructed the Christians there (1:7) and probably in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Perhaps Paul led him to Christ, maybe at Ephesus (cf. Acts 19:10).

Epaphras may have traveled to Rome to meet with Paul to secure his help in combating the influence of false teachers that were preaching in Colosse. Archippus may have stood in for Epaphras during his absence (4:17; Phile. 2).

The only information available to help us reconstruct the heresy threatening the church comes from indirect allusions and the emphases in this epistle. We conclude that the false teachers were not giving the person and work of Christ proper interpretation or emphasis. They were distorting and minimizing these doctrines. The false teaching also contained a philosophic appeal, whether Oriental or Hellenistic we cannot be sure (2:8). Notwithstanding there was an emphasis on higher knowledge of the cosmic order. There were also elements of Judaistic ritualism and traditionalism present (2:8, 11, 16; 3:11). However, contrary to orthodox Judaism, the false teachers were encouraging the veneration of angels who they believed controlled the operations of nature to some degree (2:18-19). There was an emphasis on ascetic self-denial (2:20-23) and apparently the idea that only those with full knowledge of the truth as taught by the false teachers could understand and experience spiritual maturity (1:20, 28; 3:11). These emphases later developed into Gnosticism, though in Colosse the Jewish emphasis was more prominent than in later Greek Gnosticism.⁴ It is easy to see how such a cult could develop and gain adherents in the Greek-Jewish culture of the Lycus Valley.

". . . given . . . various factors . . ., including the probable origin of the Colossian church from within synagogue circles, the likely presence of Israelite sectarianism within the diaspora, the lack of other evidence of Jewish syncretism in Asia Minor, and the readiness of some Jews to promote their distinctive religious practices in self-confident apology . . ., we need look no further than one or more of the Jewish synagogues in Colossae for the source of whatever influences were thought to threaten the young church there."⁵

The primary purpose of the letter was clearly to combat this false teaching. The two main problems were the doctrine of Christ and how this doctrine affects Christian living. The primary Christological passages (1:14-23; 2:9-15) present Christ as absolutely preeminent and perfectly adequate for the Christian. The Christian life, Paul explained, flows naturally out of this revelation. The Christian life is really the life of the indwelling Christ that God manifests through the believer.

Paul probably wrote this epistle from Rome toward the middle or end of his first house arrest there between 60 and 62 A.D. He experienced confinement though he enjoyed considerable liberty there for about two years. Many of Paul's fellow workers were with him when he composed this epistle (4:7-14). This view of the letter's origin generally fits the facts better than the Caesarean and Ephesian theories of origin.

There are many similarities between Ephesians and Colossians. The major distinction between them is that in Ephesians the emphasis is on the church as the body of Christ. In Colossians the emphasis is on Christ as the head of the body. Stylistically Colossians is somewhat tense and abrupt whereas Ephesians is more diffuse and flowing. Colossians tends to be more specific, concrete, and elliptical while Ephesians is more abstract, didactic, and general. The mood of Colossians is argumentative and polemical, but that of Ephesians is calm and irenic. The former is a letter of discussion; the latter is a letter of reflection.⁶ Paul evidently wrote both letters about the same time. These two epistles, along with Philippians and Philemon, constitute the Prison Epistles of Paul.⁷

Purpose

Three purposes emerge from the contents of the epistle. Paul wanted to express his personal interest in this church, which he had evidently not visited. He wrote to warn the Colossians of the danger of returning to their former beliefs and practices. He also refuted the false teaching that was threatening this congregation. The outstanding Christian doctrine that this letter deals with is Christology. Paul's great purpose was to set forth the absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

"The church today desperately needs the message of Colossians. We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean one religion is just as good as another.' Some people try to take the best from various religious systems and manufacture their own private religion. To many people, Jesus Christ is only one of several great religious teachers, with no more authority than they. He may be prominent, but He is definitely not preeminent.

"This is an age of syncretism.' People are trying to harmonize and unite many different schools of thought and come up with a superior religion. Our evangelical churches are in danger of diluting the faith in their loving attempt to understand the beliefs of others. Mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made philosophies are secretly creeping into churches. They are not denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of preeminence."⁸

Message⁹

The whole message of this epistle finds expression in 2:9-10a. The two declarations in this sentence are the great revelations of the Colossian letter.

The fullness of the godhead is in Christ. This is an eternal fact that is always true. The Greek word translated "deity" (theotetos) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It does not mean divinity. Divinity is an attribute of God. Deity is the essence of God. It is not enough to say Jesus Christ was divine. In a sense every person is divine. Jesus Christ was deity. He alone possesses the unique nature of God. In Him the fullness of essential deity dwells in bodily manifestation. The Apostle Paul expounded Christ's fullness in three respects in this epistle.

In relation to creation He is the originator and sustainer of all things (1:16-17). This includes all life.

In relation to redemption He is the first-born from the dead (1:18). Resurrection presupposes death. Death is due to sin. Between creation and resurrection there was sin and death. In resurrection Christ was victor over sin, death, and the grave. He is the master of death.

In relation to reconciliation Christ is the maker of peace (1:19-20). The result of Christ's victory over death is peace. He is the reconciler of all things that sin has separated. His reconciliation affects both people and the created world. In Christ we see all the fullness of deity: creating, rising triumphantly out of death, and reconciling to the farthest reaches of the universe. That is the Christ of Christianity.

The second declaration is that in Christ God makes us full (2:10a). Not only is the fullness of the godhead in Christ, but the filling of the saints is in Christ too. Paul explained what this means.

First, it means God restores us to our true place in creation in Christ. We can regain the scepter and the crown as kings of the earth under God's authority. God has sent us out into all the cosmos to make Christ known. Unfortunately we do not always realize our position. We choose instead to grovel among the world's garbage heaps. Nevertheless in this sense God makes us full in Christ. We come into a new relationship to all creation through Christ. God restores us to our divinely intended position in creation in Him. We are His trophies.

Second, God restores us to our true relation to Himself through Christ's resurrection. God communicates His very life to us so that we take our rightful place as subject to God. God does not break our will. He captures our will by the indwelling grace of Christ's life. God makes us full in this sense too. We are His instruments.

Third, God restores us to true fellowship with Himself in Christ. We not only receive from God, but we can also give to God in service. Thus our fellowship is reciprocal. We are His partners.

We experience fullness in Christ for in Him God restores us to our true place in creation, to our true relation to Himself, and to our true fellowship with Himself. This restoration enables us to cooperate with God in His purposes. We become not only trophies of His grace but His instruments and even His partners in our generation. In view of this revelation Paul made a threefold appeal.

The first appeal is a warning against a false philosophy (2:8). Paul described this false philosophy in two ways.

It is the tradition of men, which is essentially speculation. In this context Paul meant human guessing that leaves God out of His universe.

It is also the rudiments of the world. This philosophy is rudimentary because it tries to explain everything within the limits of the material. The material part of life is rudimentary.

We correct this false philosophy by recognizing that Jesus Christ is the solution to the problem of the universe. When we realize that Jesus Christ is the first-born (first in rank and sovereignty, not in temporal sequence) then we gain a true view of the universe. He is the great cohesive agent in the universe.

Paul's second warning is against false mediation (2:16-18).

Paul pointed out that ceremonies such as observing certain kinds of foods and festivals are only shadows. We should not think that observing these ceremonies will improve our relationship to God. We have Jesus Christ who is the substance to which these ceremonies pointed.

Another type of false mediation involves the worship of angels. We should have nothing to do with this practice because we have direct access to Jesus Christ. He is the Creator and Master of all creatures including the angels.

To summarize, we should not allow religious ceremonies or created mediators to come between ourselves and Christ.

Paul's third warning is against false confidences (2:20-23).

Our enemy may tempt us to have confidence in the opinions of others. When false teachers say, "Do not touch this or taste that or handle something," we may think those statements are authoritative. Paul urges us not to follow such opinions but to get our direction from the Lord Jesus.

Our enemy may tempt us to put confidence in ascetic practices of abstention and self-affliction. Paul tells us to forget these things and to set our thinking on the things of Christ rather than on ourselves.

When we have a true view of Jesus Christ He will be the focus of our thinking. That view will deliver us from the domination of the flesh. We need to base our confidence on God's Word rather than on human traditions that do not reflect scriptural revelation accurately.

The matter of supreme importance to the church is her doctrine of Christ. Our Christian life and service will flow out of our doctrine of Christ. We are what we think. "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." Not only must Christ occupy the central place in our lives, but our understanding of Christ must be accurate. We can avoid all the errors Paul warned against in this epistle by keeping a proper view of Christ.

Constable: Colossians (Outline)

Outline

I. Introduction 1:1-14

A. Salutation 1:1-2

B. Thanksgiving 1:3-8

C. Prayer 1:9-14

II. Explanation of the person and work of Christ 1:15-29

A. The preeminent person of Christ 1:15-20

1. In relation to God the Father 1:15a

2. In relation to all creation 1:15b-17

3. In relation to the church 1:18-20

B. The reconciling work of Christ 1:21-29

1. As experienced by the Colossians 1:21-23

2. As ministered by Paul 1:24-29

III. Warnings against the philosophies of men ch. 2

A. Exhortation to persevere in the truth 2:1-7

1. Paul's concern 2:1-5

2. Paul's exhortation 2:6-7

B. The true doctrine of Christ 2:8-15

C. The false doctrines of men 2:16-23

IV. Exhortations to practical Christian living 3:1-4:6

A. The basic principle 3:1-4

B. The proper method 3:5-17

1. Things to put off 3:5-11

2. Things to put on 3:12-17

C. The fundamental relationships 3:18-4:1

1. Wives and husbands 3:18-19

2. Children and parents 3:20-21

3. Slaves and masters 3:22-4:1

D. The essential practice 4:2-6

V. Conclusion 4:7-18

A. The bearers of this epistle 4:7-9

B. Greetings from Paul's companions 4:10-14

C. Greetings to others 4:15-17

D. Paul's personal conclusion 4:18

Constable: Colossians

Colossians

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: Colossians (Book Introduction)

THE

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO THE COLOSSIANS.

INTRODUCTION.

Colosse was a city of Phrygia, near Laodicea. It does not appear that St. Paul had preached there himself, (see Chap. ii. 1.) but that the Colossians were converted by Epaphras, a disciple of the apostles. However, as St. Paul was the great apostle of the Gentiles, he wrote this epistle to the Colossians when he was in prison, and about the same time that he wrote to the Ephesians and Philippians. The exhortations and doctrine it contains, are similar to those which are set forth in his epistle to the Ephesians. St. John Chrysostom takes notice, that the epistles he wrote in prison seem even more spiritual than the rest: the chief design of which was to hinder them from being seduced by false teachers. (Challoner; Witham) --- The Colossians were first instructed in the faith by Epaphras, who is considered their first bishop. He was a prisoner, at Rome, with St. Paul, when this epistle was written. The intent of it was to disabuse the Colossians of worshipping the Angels; for Cerinthus and others, had taught them to look upon Angels as superior to Christ, whom they looked upon as a mere man; to observe the law of Moses, with all its legal rites and ceremonies. He begins his epistle by insisting chiefly on the exalted state of Christ, saying that he is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature, by whom all things visible and invisible were created, whether thrones, principalities, or powers, and that in him the divinity essentially exists. From this he proves the inutility of the ceremonies of the law, &c. (Fleury and Calmet) and takes great pains to prevent their relapsing either into paganism or Judaism. (Bible de Vence)

====================

Gill: Colossians (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS

The Colossians, to whom this epistle is written, were not the Rhodians, by some called Colossians, from Colossus, the large statue of the sun, which stood in the island of Rhodes, and was one of the seven wonders of the world; but the inhabitants of Colosse, a city of the greater Phrygia, in the lesser Asia, near to which stood the cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis, mentioned in this epistle. Pliny ^a speaks of it as one of the chief towns in Phrygia, and ^b Herodotus calls it the great city of Phrygia; it is said to have perished a very little time after the writing of this epistle, with the above cities, by an earthquake, in the year of Christ 66, and in the tenth of Nero ^c; though it was afterwards rebuilt; for Theophylact says, that in his time it was called Chonae. When the Gospel was brought hither, and by whom, is not known, nor who was the founder of the church in this place; for the Apostle Paul was not, since his face had never been seen by them, Col 2:1, though it is said that Epaphras, the same name with Epaphroditus, was fixed by him pastor of this church; and others say Philemon was set over it by him. The occasion of this epistle was this, Epaphras, who had preached the Gospel to the Colossians, and very likely was the first that did, came to Rome, where the Apostle Paul was a prisoner, and gave him an account of them, how they had heard and received the Gospel, and of their faith Christ, and love to the saints; and also declared to him in what danger they were through some false teachers that had got among them, who were for introducing the philosophy of the Gentiles, the ceremonies of the law of Moses, and some pernicious tenets of the followers of Simon Magus, and the Gnostics; upon which the apostle writes this epistle to them, to confirm them in the faith of the Gospel Epaphras had preached unto them, and which was the same he himself preached; and to warn them against those bad men, and their principles; and to exhort them to a discharge of their duty to God, and men, and one another. It was written by the apostle, when in bonds at Rome, as many passages in it show, and about the same time with those to the Philippians and Ephesians; and the epistle to the latter greatly agrees with this, both as to subject and style. Dr. Lightfoot places it in the year of Christ 60, in the second of the apostle's imprisonment, and in the sixth of Nero's reign.

Gill: Colossians 2 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 2

In this chapter the apostle expresses his great concern for the Colossians, and others he had never seen; exhorts them to constancy in the faith of Christ; warns them of false teachers, and their tenets; takes notice of various blessings and privileges they had by Christ, and cautions against several superstitions and corruptions, which were obtaining among the churches of Christ: in Col 2:1 the apostle declares the conflict he had for the persons he writes to, and for others, though they had never seen him, which he was desirous they might be acquainted with; partly for the comfort of their hearts, their cement in love, and the improvement of their knowledge of divine things, the treasures of which are in Christ, Col 2:2, and partly that they might not be deceived by the enticing words of the false teachers, Col 2:4, and should his absence and distance from them be objected to his professed concern and affection for them, he answers, that notwithstanding that, he was present with them in spirit, and had a discerning of their faith and order, and the steadfastness thereof, with pleasure, Col 2:5, wherefore he exhorts them to perseverance in the faith of Christ, and to an abounding: in it, Col 2:6, and to take heed of being hurt by the vain philosophy and traditions of the Jews, but to keep close to Christ, and the truths of his Gospel, seeing all fulness is in him, and they were full in him, who is over all, and superior to all, and therefore had no need to have recourse unto, and hearken to any other, Col 2:9, nor did they need any Jewish ordinances, particularly circumcision, since they were partakers of another and better circumcision in Christ; and besides, were buried in baptism with him; and even though they had been dead in sin, and in their fleshly uncircumcision, yet they were alive, quickened with Christ, and had the forgiveness of all their sins for his sake; who had freed them from the ceremonial law, and had rid them of all their former lords and masters, and had brought them into the liberty of the Gospel, Col 2:11, wherefore he concludes, by way of exhortation and advice, first with respect to Jewish ceremonies, not to suffer them to be imposed upon them, or to regard the censures of men for the non-observance of them, since these were but shadows, of which Christ is the substance, Col 2:16, and next with respect to the worship of angels, under a notion of humility, some were for introducing; who are described as bold intruders, vain, proud, and conceited persons, and as not holding the head Christ, to whom the body the church is joined, and by whom it is nourished and increased, Col 2:18, and seeing now they that are Christ's are dead with him to the ceremonial law, and that dead to them, the apostle argues that they should not be subject to the ordinances, commands, and doctrines of men; some of which he instances in, as if they were still under the rudiments of the world; and the rather, since these things had no true wisdom in them, only a show of it, and were no other than will worship and superstition, and lay in a negligence of the body, and were dishonourable and unsatisfying, Col 2:20.

College: Colossians (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION

THE CITY

Colosse had been a thriving and important city several centuries before Christ, but by the time this letter was written its importance had diminished considerably, and it was overshadowed by its neighbors Hierapolis and Laodicea, both short distances to the west. Colosse was approximately 100 miles east of Ephesus, located in the Lycus valley in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It was located on a major trade route moving inland from the coast.

A severe earthquake had shaken Laodicea either in 60 or 64 AD, and it is supposed Colosse, being near, would also have suffered. This may have been one cause of a decline in population.

The primary economic significance of the city was due to textiles, and a highly prized wool came from the area. The site of the city was rediscovered in 1835, but it has not been excavated. The city is mentioned in the New Testament only in Paul's letter.

THE CHURCH

Paul would have been in the general vicinity of Colosse during his Ephesian ministry (Acts 19) but there is no reference in Acts to a visit there, though Ephesus did become a mission center (Acts 19:10). In Colossians 1:4 Paul states that he had heard of the faith of the Colossians, and in 2:1 he speaks of those who had not met him personally. These notes, and the references to Epaphras in 1:7f and 4:12f, have led to the conclusion that Paul had not personally visited the city (though he anticipated doing so - Phlm 22), and that Epaphras was the evangelist who founded the church (1:7f). Epaphras may also have founded the congregations in Hierapolis and Laodicea (Col 4:13,16).

Several Christians from Colosse are named by Paul, including Nympha, Archippus (Col 4:15,17), Philemon, Apphia (Phlm 1f), and, of course, Epaphras. Epaphras had gone to visit Paul and is designated in Philemon 23 as Paul's "fellow prisoner" (see the notes there). The text of Colossians indicates the membership was primarily Gentiles, though the "heresy" which Paul opposed contains Jewish elements (see 2:16f and the discussion there).

OCCASION

Personal information is generally shared in letters like Colossians. This would be especially important because there would be concern over Paul's condition as a prisoner. The most likely theory is that Epaphras traveled to see Paul, primarily because of concern over certain teachings that were troubling the church and seemed to seriously diminish the significance of Christ. For some reason (imprisonment - Phlm 1:23?) Epaphras was unable to carry Paul's letter back to Colosse, so that task was entrusted to Tychicus, who also carried a letter to Philemon, and who was accompanied by Onesimus, a runaway slave (Col 4:7-9; Phlm 1:12,17).

But the troublesome teaching is the chief burden of the letter. Paul describes this heresy in 2:8,16-23, and in the rest of the book he attacks it, either frontally or in more subtle ways. The nature of the heresy has been a continuing puzzlement to scholars, and many theoretical explanations have been offered. It seems to have involved Jewish elements (2:16f), angelic worship (2:18), and extreme asceticism (2:20-23). But attempts at more precise definition have had to recognize ambiguities in the text, problems with seeing a coherent relation of the elements of the false teaching, the incompleteness of Paul's description (remembering he had to rely on the reports of others), and finding any known teaching from the period that embodied all these elements. See the discussion in the commentary proper.

The effect of this teaching was to lessen the significance of Christ's saving work. If the tenets of the heresy provided the path to salvation, then Christ's sacrifice was not as important. The heresy seems to have imported another form of works salvation, much as the circumcision party in the church attempted to do. Paul attacks the error by a powerful affirmation of Christ's identity (1:15-20) and his role in salvation. His thesis was that an understanding of Christ and life in him would completely refute the heresy. In addition to the magnificent texts in 1:15-20 and 2:9-15 he constantly makes references to benefits which the heretics sought after, but which only Christ truly gave. These included such things as wisdom, knowledge, and fullness (cf. 1:9). Note also the references to the mystery (1:26; 2:2). Even the ethical appeals from 3:1-4:6 powerfully emphasize the relation of the ethical life to Christ (note the references listed before 3:1).

PAUL'S LOCALE

The commonly accepted tradition holds that Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon from the Roman imprisonment described in Acts 28. The apostle does not name the city from which he writes, but numerous factors support Rome. Luke (Col 4:14) and Aristarchus (Colossians 4:10) were with him there, and were in Rome according to Acts 27:2 (the "we" implies Luke). Acts indicates Paul's Roman imprisonment was not unduly restrictive (Acts 28:30f) and this fits the relatively unfettered activities described in Colossians 4:7-15. Onesimus was with Paul (Col 4:9; cf. Phlm) and it is quite possible he had migrated to Rome to lose himself in the urban populace. If we accept the Roman hypothesis, Colossians would be dated in the early 60s.

Due to the perceived presence of problems with a Roman origin, however, other locales have been suggested. One is Caesarea, since that is the only other Pauline imprisonment documented in Acts. This theory has not gained any significant following, since the circumstances described in Acts do not fit those depicted in Colossians and Philemon, especially Paul's expectation to visit Colosse (Phlm 1:22). From Caesarea Paul expected only to go to Rome, and before his appeal to Caesar he was kept in continual uncertainty.

A more likely case has been formed for Ephesus. It was relatively close to Colosse and could thus conveniently explain Paul's travel plans (i.e., an eventual trip to Rome after a detour to Colosse). Paul did encounter some problems in Ephesus (1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 4:8-12; 6:4f; 11:23-25; and perhaps 1 Cor 15:32). They might have included prison, but Acts gives no evidence of it, and details are uncertain enough to disallow any definite conclusion. Since Luke details Paul's problems so carefully, it seems strange he would not mention an Ephesian imprisonment had there been one. Further, Acts has no indication Luke was even in Ephesus. He was left in Philippi on Paul's second tour, and did not resume the apostle's company till the third tour (Acts 16:16,40; 20:5). If Colossians was written from Ephesus, it would be dated in the early to mid 50s.

The case for Ephesus depends, in part, on certain perceived weaknesses in the Roman view. One is the divergence between Paul's announced intent to go to Spain (Rom 15:28) and his desire to return to Colosse (Phlm 1:22). In our comments on Philemon 22 we have argued that a change of plans by Paul is a reasonable supposition. Another objection is the distance from Rome to Colosse, well over 1000 miles. If Paul expected Onesimus to be returned to him (see notes on Philemon) that seems a long distance for him to be sent only to retrace his steps. However, the Roman road system was good, and Paul's honor demanded that he send Onesimus and give Philemon the option of voluntary response, whatever the distance. We do not think Paul could have written as he did to Philemon and not have sent Onesimus.

A third argument has to do with Paul's request for lodging with Philemon ( v. 22). Would he have made such a request when so many miles and days away? But once we accept Paul's intent to visit Colosse (perhaps to deal with the heresy) and consider his graciousness in dealing with Philemon, the request seems reasonable enough.

A fair case can be made for Ephesus, but we hold that the case for Rome is the stronger alternative.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

BIBLIOGRAPHY

COLOSSIANS

Bruce, F.F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.

Lohse, Eduard. Colossians and Philemon . Philadelphia: Fortress, 1971.

Melick, Richard. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon . Nashville: Broadman, 1991.

O'Brien, Peter. Colossians, Philemon . Waco: Word Books, 1982.

Patzia, Arthur. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1984.

Pokorn΄y, Petr. Colossians, A Commentary . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.

Weed, Michael. The Letters of Paul to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon . Austin: Sweet, 1971.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

College: Colossians (Outline)

OUTLINE

SALUTATION - 1:1-2

I. THANKSGIVING - 1:3-8

II. PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS - 1:9-14

III. THE HYMN ABOUT CHRIST - 1:15-20

IV. THE HYMN APPLIED - 1:21-23

V. PAUL'S MINISTRY TO THE CHURCHES AND TO THE COLOSSIANS - 1:24-2:5

A. Paul's Labors in God's Power - 1:24-29

B. Warning Against Being Deceived - 2:1-5

VI. RECEIVING CHRIST AS LORD - 2:6-15

A. Continue in Christ: Don't Be Deceived! - 2:6-8

B. "In Christ" - 2:9-12

C. Death to Life - 2:13-15

VII. WARNINGS AGAINST THE HERESY - 2:16-23

A. Don't Lose the Prize! - 2:16-19

B. Shun Worldly Rules! - 2:20-23

VIII. SEEK THE THINGS ABOVE - 3:1-4

IX. THINGS TO PUT TO DEATH - 3:5-11

X. THINGS TO PUT ON - 3:12-17

XI. RULES FOR THE CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD - 3:18-4:1

A. Husbands and Wives - 3:18-19

B. Children and Fathers - 3:20-21

C. Slaves and Masters - 3:22-4:1

XII. FINAL EXHORTATIONS TO PRAYER AND PROPER BEHAVIOR - 4:2-6

XIII. FINAL INSTRUCTIONS AND GREETINGS - 4:7-18

A. Tychicus and Onesimus - 4:7-9

B. Greetings - 4:10-15

C. Concluding Instructions - 4:16-18

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV