Text -- Colossians 3:1 (NET)

Exhortations to Seek the Things Above

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: Col 3:1

If then ye were raised together with Christ ( ei oun sunēgerthēte tōi Christōi ).

Condition of the first class, assumed as true, like that in Col 2:20 and the other half of the picture of baptism in Col 2:12 and using the same form sunēgerthēte as then which see for the verb sunegeirō . Associative instrumental case of Christōi .

Robertson: Col 3:1

The things that are above ( ta anō ).

"The upward things"(cf. Phi 3:14), the treasure in heaven (Mat 6:20). Paul gives this ideal and goal in place of merely ascetic rules.

Robertson: Col 3:1

Seated on the right hand of God ( en dexiāi tou theou kathēmenos ).

Not periphrastic verb, but additional statement. Christ is up there and at God’ s right hand. Cf. Col 2:3.

Vincent: Col 3:1

Be risen ( συνηγέρθητε )

Rev., correctly, were raised . See Col 2:12. In their baptism in which they died (Col 2:20). Compare Rom 6:2 sqq.

Vincent: Col 3:1

Sitteth ( ἐστιν καθήμενος )

According to the A.V. the literal rendering would be is sitting . Is , however, must be taken separately; where Christ is , seated . Seated is a secondary predicate, as hidden in Col 2:3. Compare Eph 2:4-6; Rev 3:21.

Wesley: Col 3:1

As Christ being risen, immediately went to heaven.

JFB: Col 3:1

The connection with Col 2:18, Col 2:23, is, he had condemned the "fleshly mind" and the "satiating to the full the flesh"; in contrast to this he now says, "If then ye have been once for all raised up (Greek, aorist tense) together with Christ" (namely, at your conversion and baptism, Rom 6:4).

JFB: Col 3:1

(Mat 6:33; Phi 3:20).

JFB: Col 3:1

Rather, as Greek, "Where Christ is, sitting on the right of God" (Eph 1:20). The Head being quickened, the members are also quickened with Him. Where the Head is, there the members must be. The contrast is between the believer's former state, alive to the world but dead to God, and his present state, dead to the world but alive to God; and between the earthly abode of the unbeliever and the heavenly abode of the believer (1Co 15:47-48). We are already seated there in Him as our Head; and hereafter shall be seated by Him, as the Bestower of our bliss. As Elisha (2Ki 2:2) said to Elijah when about to ascend, "As the Lord liveth . . . I will not leave thee"; so we must follow the ascended Saviour with the wings of our meditations and the chariots of our affections. We should trample upon and subdue our lusts that our conversation may correspond to our Saviour's condition; that where the eyes of apostles were forced to leave Him, thither our thoughts may follow Him (Mat 6:21; Joh 12:32) [PEARSON]. Of ourselves we can no more ascend than a bar of iron lift itself up' from the earth. But the love of Christ is a powerful magnet to draw us up (Eph 2:5-6). The design of the Gospel is not merely to give rules, but mainly to supply motives to holiness.

Clarke: Col 3:1

If ye then - Ει ουν· Seeing then that ye are risen with Christ; this refers to what he had said, Col 2:12 : Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him. As, therefore, ye have most cordially received the doctrine of Christ; and profess to be partakers of a spiritual religion, that promises spiritual and eternal things; seek those things, and look to be prepared for the enjoyment of them.

Calvin: Col 3:1

To those fruitless exercises which the false apostles urged, ⁴²⁹ as though perfection consisted in them, he opposes those true exercises in which it becomes Christians to employ themselves; and this has no slight bearing upon the point in hand; for when we see what God would have us do, we afterwards easily despise the inventions of men. When we perceive, too, that what God recommends to us is much more lofty and excellent than what men inculcate, our alacrity of mind increases for following God, so as to disregard men. Paul here exhorts the Colossians to meditation upon the heavenly life. And what as to his opponents? They were desirous to retain their childish rudiments. This doctrine, therefore, makes the ceremonies be the more lightly esteemed. Hence it is manifest that Paul, in this passage, exhorts in such a manner as to confirm the foregoing doctrine; for, in describing solid piety and holiness of life, his aim is, that those vain shows of human traditions may vanish. ⁴³⁰ At the same time, he anticipates an objection with which the false apostles might assail him. What then? “Wouldst thou rather have men be idle than addict themselves to such exercises, of whatever sort they may be?” When, therefore, he bids Christians apply themselves to exercises of a greatly superior kind, he cuts off the handle for this calumny; nay more, he loads them with no small odium, on the ground that they impede the right course of the pious by worthless amusements. ⁴³¹

1.If ye are risen with Christ Ascension follows resurrection: hence, if we are the members of Christ we must ascend into heaven, because he, on being raised up from the dead, was received up into heaven, (Mar 16:19,) that he might draw us up with him. Now, we seek those things which are above, when in our minds ⁴³² we are truly sojourners in this world, and are not bound to it. The word rendered think upon expresses rather assiduity and intensity of aim: “Let your whole meditation be as to this: to this apply your intellect — to this your mind.” But if we ought to think of nothing but of what is heavenly, because Christ is in heaven, how much less becoming were it to seek Christ upon the earth. Let us therefore bear in mind that that is a true and holy thinking as to Christ, which forthwith bears us up into heaven, that we may there adore him, and that our minds may dwell with him.

As to the right hand of God, it is not confined to heaven, but fills the whole world. Paul has made mention of it here to intimate that Christ encompasses us by his power, that we may not think that distance of place is a cause of separation between us and him, and that at the same time his majesty may excite us wholly to reverence him.

Defender: Col 3:1

The sense of "if" here is "since." Our life in Christ was assured eternally when we were born again through faith in His finished work of redemption for us. When He died for us, we were "dead with Christ" (Col 2:20; Rom 6:8), then "buried with him" (Col 2:12; Rom 6:4), and "quickened together with him" (Col 2:13).

Defender: Col 3:1

The first of twenty-one references to Christ at the right hand of God is found in Psa 16:11. By faith now, in reality with the ages to come, we also "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6)."

TSK: Col 3:1

risen : Col 2:12, Col 2:13, Col 2:20; Rom 6:4, Rom 6:5, Rom 6:9-11; Gal 2:19, Gal 2:20; Eph 1:19, Eph 1:20, Eph 2:5, Eph 2:6

seek : Col 3:2; Psa 16:11, Psa 17:14, Psa 17:15, Psa 73:25, Psa 73:26; Pro 15:24; Mat 6:20,Mat 6:33; Luk 12:33; Rom 8:6; 2Co 4:18; Phi 3:20,Phi 3:21; Heb 11:13-16

where : Psa 110:1; Mat 22:44, Mat 26:64; Mar 12:36, Mar 14:62, Mar 16:19; Luk 20:42, Luk 22:69; Act 2:34, Act 7:55; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20, Eph 4:10; Heb 1:3, Heb 1:13, Heb 8:1, Heb 10:12, Heb 12:2; 1Pe 3:22

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Col 3:1

If ye then be risen with Christ - The apostle in this place evidently founds the argument on what he had said in Col 2:12; see the notes at that passage. The argument is, that there was such an union between Christ and his people, that in virtue of his death they become dead to sin; that in virtue of his resurrection they rise to spiritual life, and that, therefore, as Christ now lives in heaven, they should live for heaven, and fix their affections there.

Seek those things which are above - That is, seek them as the objects of pursuit and affection; strive to secure them.

Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God - Notes, Mar 16:19. The argument here is, that since Christ is there, and since he is the object of our supreme attachment, we should fix our affections on heavenly things, and seek to be prepared to dwell with him.

Poole: Col 3:1

Col 3:1-4 The apostle exhorteth to be heavenly-minded,

Col 3:5-11 to mortify carnal lusts, and to put away all malice

and ill dealing in respect of one another, as

becometh Christians.

Col 3:12-17 He recommendeth brotherly kindness, charity, and other

general duties,

Col 3:18 the relative duties of wives,

Col 3:19 and husbands,

Col 3:20 of children,

Col 3:21 and parents,

Col 3:22-25 and of servants towards their masters.

If ye then be risen with Christ: having refuted superstitious observances placed in things earthly and perishing, and called them off from shadows to mind the substance; he doth, upon supposition of what he had asserted before, Col 2:12,13 , here infer that, since they were risen again with Christ, it did behove them to set about the duties required of those in that state: not of the proper resurrection of the body, which, while here below, can only be in our Head by virtue of the mystical union, as in regard of right the members of Christ are said to sit with him in heavenly places, Eph 2:6 , signified and sealed by baptism: but the metaphorical and spiritual resurrection from spiritual death, which is regeneration, Rom 6:4 Tit 3:5 , wrought by the same Spirit which raised Christ, and whereby renewed Christians live in certain hope of that proper resurrection of their bodies, which Christ hath procured.

Seek those things which are above: hereupon he urgeth them, (in the same sense our Saviour doth command to seek his kingdom, Mat 6:33 ), with diligence to pursue heaven and happiness as the end, and holiness as the means to the attaining of it; to have their conversation in heaven, Phi 3:20 .

Where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: while the apostle speaks of God after the manner of men, we must take heed of the gross error of the Anthropomorphites, who did imagine God to sit in heaven in the shape of a man. Some indeed, who abhor such a gross imagination, yet conceive that because more generally the heaven is God’ s throne, and shall be so for ever, Jer 17:12 Lam 5:19 Mat 5:34 , that he hath a particular throne in heaven, whereon he doth show himself specially present, as in his temple, 1Ki 22:19 Psa 11:4 ; and so, though Christ is set properly on the right hand of this throne, Heb 1:3 8:1 12:2 Rev 3:21 ; but because the conception of such a particular material throne, with extension of parts and proper dimensions, may (besides other inconveniences) misguide our apprehensions, and occasion adoration to the creature, which should be terminated on God alone, who is a pure Spirit; and whereas sitting is not taken properly, since Stephen saw Christ standing, Act 7:55 , and is opposed to the ministration of angels, which have no bodies or bodily parts, Heb 1:13 ; by most it is taken metaphorically, importing that Christ hath all real power and dominion put into his hands, connoting his authority and security from his enemies, who are put under his feet, Mat 28:18 1Co 15:25 , is crowned with majesty, glory, and honour, Heb 1:3 2:9 , enjoying all blessedness in a most transcendent way, Psa 16:11 110:1 Act 2:33,36 ; having the human nature filled with abilities to execute all when he entered into glory, Isa 16:5 Luk 22:29,30 24:26 1Co 15:43 Rev 19:6 ; where he resides possessed of all in safety, Act 3:21 Rev 3:21 . It was above whither Christ ascended by a local motion from a certain where here below into a certain where above; so that whatever the Lutherans argue from Christ’ s glorious ascension and session, to prove Christ’ s body a ubiquitary, or every where present, is inconsequent, since it is in heaven where he wills that believers should be to behold the glory that his Father hath given him, Joh 17:24 : wherefore,

PBC: Col 3:1

See WebbSr: RAISED UP-THEN SEEK

Haydock: Col 3:1

Here begins the second or the moral part of this epistle. ---

If you be risen, &c. The remaining part of this epistle has no great difficulties, but excellent instructions, as that to the Ephesians. (Witham)

Gill: Col 3:1

If ye then be risen with Christ,.... The apostle having observed in the former chapter, that the believing Colossians were dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, were buried with him in baptism, and were risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, argues from hence how much it became them to regard a new and spiritual life, and to seek after superior and heavenly things, and treat with neglect and contempt carnal and earthly ones. For he does not here call in question their being risen with Christ, but takes it for granted that they were, and makes use of it as an argument for his present purpose. They were risen with Christ as their head, and as members in union with him representatively, when he rose from the dead; and emblematically in their baptism, when having gone down into the water, and being baptized, they emersed from it; and spiritually in conversion, when they were raised from a death of sin, to a life of grace, by Christ, as the resurrection and the life, the efficient cause of it, and in virtue of his resurrection from the dead: wherefore being thus raised again in every sense, it highly became them to

seek those things which are above; the better and heavenly country, the continuing city, which is above the heavens, whose builder and maker is God; Christ, who is in heaven, and salvation alone by him without the works of the law; all spiritual blessings, such as pardon, peace, righteousness, life, and glory, which are in heavenly places in him; doctrines and ordinances, which come from heaven, and are the means of supporting a spiritual and heavenly life; especially that bread of life which came down from heaven, and gives life unto the world, and of which if a man eats, he shall never die, but live for ever; and particularly glory, honour, immortality, and eternal life, the crown of righteousness laid up above, the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of it; which are to be sought for in the first place with all affection, earnest desire, care, and diligence, not by or for works of righteousness, but in Christ, and as the gifts of God's grace through him.

Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: which contains other reasons and arguments to engage believers to look upwards, and seek after heavenly things; that as Christ, when he died and rose again from the dead, did not stay long on earth, nor minded the things of the world, but ascended up to heaven, where he now is, and will remain until his second coming; so they, being dead and risen with him, should, in their thoughts, desires, and affections, in the exercise of the graces of faith, hope, and love, ascend heavenwards, like pillars of smoke perfumed with frankincense; and the more should their hearts be where he is, and intent on things above there, from the consideration of that great honour and dignity in which he is. He is "on the right hand of God"; in human nature, an honour which none of the angels were ever admitted to: here he "sitteth", as having done the work of redemption, and entered into his rest, beholding the travail of his soul with satisfaction, though he continues to be an advocate, and to make intercession for his people; which is another reason enforcing this exhortation.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

Geneva Bible: Col 3:1

If ^{( 1 )} ye then ^{( 2 )} be ^{( a )} risen with Christ, ^{( 3 )} seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

^{( 1 )} Another part of this epistle, in which he takes occasion by reason of those vain exercises, to show the duty of a Christian life: which is an ordinary thing with him, after he has once set down the doctrine itself. ^{( 2 )} Our renewing or new birth, which is accomplished in us by being partakers of the resurrection of Christ, is the source of all holiness, out of which various streams or rivers afterwards flow.

^{( a )} For if we are partakers of Christ, we are carried as it were into another life, where we will need neither meat nor drink, for we will be similar to the angels. ^{( 3 )} The end and mark which all the duties of Christian life aim at is to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and to give ourselves to those things which lead us there, that is, to true godliness, and not to those outward and physical things.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Col 3:1-25

1 He shows where we should seek Christ.

5 He exhorts to mortification;

10 to put off the old man, and put on Christ;

12 exhorting to charity, humility, and other several duties.

Maclaren: Col 3:1-15

Risen With Christ

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. 7. In the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them. 8. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him: 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness longsuffering; 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.'--Col. 3:1-15.

THE resurrection is regarded in Scripture in three aspects--as a fact establishing our Lord's Messiahship, as a prophecy of our rising from the dead, and as a symbol of the Christian life even now. The last is the aspect under which Paul deals with it here.

I. Col. 3:1-4 Set Forth The Wonderful But Most Real Union Of The Believer With The Risen Christ.

We have said that the Lord's resurrection is regarded as a symbol, but that is an incomplete representation of the truth here taught, for Paul believed that the Christian is so joined to Jesus as that he has, not in symbol only, but in truth, risen with him. Mark the emphasis and depth of the expressions setting forth the believer's unity with his Lord: Ye were raised together with Christ'; Ye died, and your life is hid with Christ.' And these wonderful statements do not go to the bottom of the fact, for Paul goes beyond even them, and does not scruple to say that Christ is our life.'

The ground of these great declarations is found in the fact that faith joins us in most real and close union to Jesus Christ, so that in His death we die to sin and the world, and that, even while we live the bodily life of men here, we have in us another life, derived from Jesus. Unless our Christianity has grasped that great truth, it has not risen to the height of New Testament teaching and Christian privilege. We cannot make too much of' Christ our sacrifice,' but some of us make too little of Christ our life,' and thereby fail to understand in all its fulness that other truth on which they fasten so exclusively. Union with Christ in the possession of His life in us, and the consequent rooting of our lives in Him, is a truth which much of the evangelical Christianity of this day needs to see more clearly.

The life is hid,' as being united with Jesus, and consequently withdrawn from the world, which neither comprehends nor sustains it. A Christian man is bound to manifest to the utmost of his power what is the motive and aim of his life; but the devout life is, like the divine life, a mystery, unrevealed after all revelation.

The practical conclusion from this blessed union with Jesus is that we are, as Christians, bound to be true in our conduct to the facts of our spiritual life, and to turn away from the world, which is now not our home, and set our mind (not only our affections ) on things above. Surely the Christ, seated on the right hand of God,' will be as a magnet to draw our conscious being upwards to Himself. Surely union with Him in His death will lead us to die to the world which is alien to us, and to live in aspiration, thought, desire, love, and obedience with Him in His calm abode, whence He rules and blesses the souls whom, through their faith, He has made to live the new life of heaven on earth.

MHCC: Col 3:1-4

As Christians are freed from the ceremonial law, they must walk the more closely with God in gospel obedience. As heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed together; and affection to the one will weaken and abate affection to the other. Those that are born again are dead to sin, because its dominion is broken, its power gradually subdued by the operation of grace, and it shall at length be extinguished by the perfection of glory. To be dead, then, means this, that those who have the Holy Spirit, mortifying within them the lusts of the flesh, are able to despise earthly things, and to desire those that are heavenly. Christ is, at present, one whom we have not seen; but our comfort is, that our life is safe with him. The streams of this living water flow into the soul by the influences of the Holy Spirit, through faith. Christ lives in the believer by his Spirit, and the believer lives to him in all he does. At the second coming of Christ, there will be a general assembling of all the redeemed; and those whose life is now hid with Christ, shall then appear with him in his glory. Do we look for such happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this?

Matthew Henry: Col 3:1-4

The apostle, having described our privileges by Christ in the former part of the epistle, and our discharge from the yoke of the ceremonial law, comes here to press upon us our duty as inferred thence. Though we are made free from the obligation of the ceremonial law, it does not therefore follow that we may live as we list. We must walk the more closely with God in all the instances of evangelical obedience. He begins with exhorting them to set their hearts on heaven, and take them off from this world: If you then have risen with Christ. It is our privilege that we have risen with Christ; that is, have benefit by the resurrection of Christ, and by virtue of our union and communion with him are justified and sanctified, and shall be glorified. Hence he infers that we must seek those things which are above. We must mind the concerns of another world more than the concerns of this. We must make heaven our scope and aim, seek the favour of God above, keep up our communion with the upper world by faith, and hope, and holy love, and make it our constant care and business to secure our title to and qualifications for the heavenly bliss. And the reason is because Christ sits at the right hand of God. He who is our best friend and our head is advanced to the highest dignity and honour in heaven, and has gone before to secure to us the heavenly happiness; and therefore we should seek and secure what he has purchased at so vast an expense, and is taking so much care about. We must live such a life as Christ lived here on earth and lives now in heaven, according to our capacities.

I. He explains this duty (Col 3:2): Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Observe, To seek heavenly things is to set our affections upon them, to love them and let our desires be towards them. Upon the wings of affection the heart soars upwards, and is carried forth towards spiritual and divine objects. We must acquaint ourselves with them, esteem them above all other things, and lay out ourselves in preparation for the enjoyment of them. David gave this proof of his loving the house of God, that he diligently sought after it, and prepared for it, Psa 27:4. This is to be spiritually minded (Rom 8:6), and to seek and desire a better country, that is, a heavenly, Heb 11:14, Heb 11:16. Things on earth are here set in opposition to things above. We must not dote upon them, nor expect too much from them, that we may set our affections on heaven; for heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, and a supreme regard to both is inconsistent; and the prevalence of our affection to one will proportionably weaken and abate our affection to the other.

II. He assigns three reasons for this, Col 3:3, Col 3:4.

1. That we are dead; that is, to present things, and as our portion. We are so in profession and obligation; for we are buried with Christ, and planted into the likeness of his death. Every Christian is crucified unto the world, and the world is crucified unto him, Gal 6:14. And if we are dead to the earth, and have renounced it as our happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it, and seek it. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it.

2. Our true life lies in the other world: You are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, Col 3:3. The new man has its livelihood thence. It is born and nourished from above; and the perfection of its life is reserved for that state. It is hid with Christ; not hid from us only, in point of secrecy, but hid for us, denoting security. The life of a Christian is hid with Christ. Because I live you shall live also, Joh 14:19. Christ is at present a hidden Christ, or one whom we have not seen; but this is our comfort, that our life is hid with him, and laid up safely with him. As we have reason to love him whom we have not seen (1Pe 1:8), so we may take the comfort of a happiness out of sight, and reserved in heaven for us.

3. Because at the second coming of Christ we hope for the perfection of our happiness. If we live a life of Christian purity and devotion now, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we shall also appear with him in glory, Col 3:4. Observe, (1.) Christ is a believer's life. I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, Gal 2:20. He is the principle and end of the Christian's life. He lives in us by his Spirit, and we live to him in all we do. To me to live is Christ, Phi 1:21. (2.) Christ will appear again. He is now hid; and the heavens must contain him; but he will appear in all the pomp of the upper world, with his holy angels, and in his own glory and his Father's glory, Mar 8:38; Luk 9:26. (3.) We shall then appear with him in glory. It will be his glory to have his redeemed with him; he will come to be glorified in his saints (2Th 1:10); and it will be their glory to come with him, and be with him for ever. At the second coming of Christ there will be a general meeting of all the saints; and those whose life is now hid with Christ shall then appear with Christ in that glory which he himself enjoys, Joh 17:24. Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it? Our head is there, our home is there, our treasure is there, and we hope to be there for ever.

Barclay: Col 3:1-4

The point Paul is making here is this. In baptism the Christian dies and rises again. As the waters close over him, it is as if he was buried in death; as he emerges from the waters, it is like being resurrected to a new life. Now, if that is so, the Christian must rise from baptism a different man. Wherein is the difference? It lies in the fact that now the thoughts of the Christian must be set on the things which are above. He can no longer be concerned with the trivial passing things of earth; he must be totally concerned with the eternal verities of heaven.

We must note carefully what Paul means by that. He is certainly not pleading for an other-worldliness in which the Christian withdraws himself from all the work and activities of this world and does nothing but contemplate eternity. Immediately after this Paul goes on to lay down a series of ethical principles which make it quite clear that he expects the Christian to go on with the work of this world and to maintain all its normal relationships. But there will be this difference--from now on the Christian will view everything against the background of eternity and no longer live as if this world was all that mattered.

This will obviously give him a new set of values. Things which the world thought important, he will no longer worry about. Ambitions which dominated the world, will be powerless to touch him. He will go on using the things of the world but he will use them in a new way. He will, for instance, set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving above avenging. The Christian's standard of values will be God's not men's.

And how is this to be accomplished? The life of the Christian is hid with Christ in God. There are at least two vivid pictures here.

(i) We have seen repeatedly that the early Christians regarded baptism as a dying and a rising again. When a man was dead and buried, the Greeks very commonly spoke of him as being hidden in the earth; but the Christian had died a spiritual death in baptism and he is not hidden in the earth, but hidden in Christ. It was the experience of the early Christians that the very act of baptism wrapped a man round with Christ.

(ii) There may well be a word play here which a Greek would recognize at once. The false teachers called their books of so-called wisdom apokruphoi (614), the books that were hidden from all except from those who were initiated. Now the word which Paul uses to say that our lives are hidden with Christ in God is part of the verb apokruptein (613), from which the adjective apokruphos (614) comes. Undoubtedly the one word would suggest the other. It is as if Paul said, "For you the treasures of wisdom are hidden in your secret books; for us Christ is the treasury of wisdom and we are hidden in him."

There is still another thought here. The life of the Christian is hidden with Christ in God. That which is hidden is concealed; the world cannot recognize the Christian. But Paul goes on: "The day is coming when Christ will return in glory and then the Christian, whom no one recognized, will share that glory and it will be plain for all to see." In a sense Paul is saying--and saying truly--that some day the verdicts of eternity will reverse the verdicts of time and the judgments of God will overturn the judgments of men.

Barclay: Col 3:1-4

In Col 3:4Paul gives to Christ one of the great titles of devotion. He calls him Christ our life. Here is a thought which was very dear to the heart of Paul. When he was writing to the Philippians, he said, "For me to live is Christ" (Phi 1:21). Years before, when he was writing to the Galatians, he had said, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). As Paul saw it, to the Christian Christ is the most important thing in life; more, he is life.

This is the kind of peak of devotion which we can only dimly understand and only haltingly and imperfectly express. Sometimes we say of a man, "Music is his life--Sport is his life--He lives for his work." Such a man finds life and all that it means in music, in sport, in work, as the case may be. For the Christian, Christ is his life.

And here we come back to where this passage started--that is precisely why the Christian sets his mind and heart on the things which are above and not on the things of this world. He judges everything in the light of the Cross and in the light of the love which gave itself for him. In the light of that Cross the world's wealth and ambitions and activities are seen at their true value; and, the Christian is enabled to set his whole heart on the things which are above.

Constable: Col 3:1-4

A. The basic principle 3:1-4

To encourage his readers to turn away from their false teachers, Paul reminded them of their union with Christ. He also urged them to continue living in keeping with their position in Christ.

3:1-2 Again we could translate "If" as "Since" (first class condition). It introduces another situation Paul assumed to be true to reality for the sake of his argument (cf. 2:20). Paul returned to his thought about the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (2:9-15).

Two present imperatives identify the Christian's responsibilities: "seek" (v. 1) and "set your affection on" (v. 2).

Since God raised us with Christ and we are already as good as seated with Him in heaven, we should "keep seeking" heavenly things.

"The description of Christ as seated at the right hand of God' is another implied rejoinder to those who were seeking to diminish Christ's role as mediator, inasmuch as the right hand of God is a metaphor for the place of supreme privilege and divine authority."¹³⁵

Second, we should continually "set" our minds on the things of heaven (our spiritual blessings and hope, our Savior's desires, etc.) rather than on the things that are only physical and temporal. They should occupy a large place in our thought lives.

"You must not only seek heaven; you must also think heaven."¹³⁶

". . . from now on the Christian will see everything in the light and against the background of eternity. . . . He will no longer live as if this world was all that mattered; he will see this world against the background of the large world of eternity."¹³⁷

This is the legitimate mysticism of Paul. The two commands differ in that the first emphasizes the more practical pursuits of life whereas the second stresses the whole bent of the life. The first is outward and the second inward.

Jesus Christ's present rule on His Father's throne over the church is not the same as His rule on David's throne over David's kingdom, which will begin when He returns to earth.¹³⁸

3:3 Our life is hidden away with Christ. This statement that the believer died with Christ in the past (aorist tense in Greek) and continues to live with Christ in the present (perfect tense) suggests three thoughts. Our life draws nourishment from secret springs (cf. John 14:19; Phil. 3:20). Our life is as safe as a deposit locked in a bank vault. Our life is one with Christ who is in the bosom of the Father.¹³⁹

"The aorist is simply a powerful metaphor for the fact that when they believed in Christ in baptism they were putting their previous way of life to death and having it buried out of sight. Consequently, it should no longer be a factor in their new way of life."¹⁴⁰

3:4 "Whenever" indicates that a revelation of Christ in the future is certain, but its time is unknown. The Greek word phaneroo ("revealed") stresses the open display of Christ at His coming. This is probably a reference to the Second Coming. Then we will return to the earth with the Lord and be revealed to those living here then. This will be a glorious public revelation of Him and us. Now our eternal life is hidden (v. 3), but then it will be manifest.

"In Colossians . . . there is an emphasis on realized eschatology. Within the already--not yet' tension the stress falls upon the former, called forth by the circumstances of the letter. . . . The already' of salvation needed to be asserted repeatedly over against those who were interested in the heavenly realm but who had false notions about it, believing it could be reached by legalistic observances, knowledge, visionary experiences and the like. . .

"But if the already' pole received the emphasis, the not yet' of salvation still needed to be mentioned, and here in verse 4 we find a clear future reference."¹⁴¹

In view of this prospect the Colossians and we need not pursue another system that claims to provide more than we have in Christ. God has provided all we need for acceptance with Him and godly living in Christ. All we need to do is act on the implications of these truths.

College: Col 3:1-25

COLOSSIANS 3

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

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your ^a life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

^a 4 Some manuscripts our

Verses 1-4 pick up many of the ideas previously set forth in Colossians, and prepare for the same ideas to be repeated later. Here was the true Christian profession, contrasted to the heresy. The false teaching is left behind, at least in terms of specific reference, and Paul moves into the ethical section of the letter. He will speak of the true heart of devotion to God, rather than the empty system he had just criticized. As these four verses center in the believer's relation to Christ, so the ethical appeals will draw their power from the relation to Christ (3:11,12,13,15,16,17,18,19,23,24).

3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Pokorny´ points out that the entire paranetic section, through 4:6, shows the importance of their baptism, since obedience was the living out of the promise and divine transformation accomplished at that time. The death and resurrection motifs imply their baptism (2:12) and are indicated as well in verses 5 and 12. It is quite likely that the convert was given ethical instruction at baptism, and this would explain the proximity of baptismal allusions and ethical exhortation.

Here Christians had been raised. Verse 4 looks forward to the ultimate resurrection. But for the present the resurrection at baptism contained moral demands. "Become what you are" was Paul's meaning. "Above" was not important spatially, but rather as the dwelling place of Christ. "Let that life be lived out in your life" (cf. 3:12-16). "Things above" were eternal, compared to things that perish (2:22). As Christ was raised and ascended, so let his risen disciples put their hearts into ascent. On "the right hand of God" see Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:36 and parallels.

3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

This verse seems to repeat the previous one, but there is a Greek nuance the NIV misses by using "set" in both. In verse 1 the term means to "seek" while in verse 2 a different term indicates a mind set which determines actions. The Greek here is fronevw (phronço ), and the word is a favorite with Paul (cf. notes at Phil 1:7). Melick says verse 1 is moral and verse 2 is mental. Seek, and then become what you find. "Earthly things" may be a parting reference to the heresy, but also anticipates 3:5-10. Christian thoughts and minds were not to be trapped by the concerns and values of the fallen order, even though Christians must live in it.

3:3 For you died,

In verses 3 and 4 the motivation for the imperatives of verses 1 and 2 are more fully unfolded. Those who were raised in their baptisms had also died. The death theme is continued with "put to death" in verse 5. As "raised" in verse 1 called for further effort, so does "died."

and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Why did Paul choose "hidden" (from kruvptw , kryptô ) to describe their situation with Christ? Safety and security might be implied, as well as a source of strength and well-being. Bruce says the Christian has "a doubled rampart" - with Christ in God. It has also been suggested that "hidden" indicates that the source of the Christian's life is hidden from a world which does not know the Lord. Or it could be a play on some concept held by the heretics. Since the next verse speaks of appearing it may have implied that the full blessedness of the saints was not yet known.

3:4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

As Colossians began with hope in 1:5, so the doctrinal section ends with hope. Though this is the only explicit reference to the return of Christ in the letter, the concept is implied often (1:28; 3:6,24). At the appearance both Christ and his followers would appear in glory. This picture differs somewhat from other Pauline pictures of the return, but moral impact rather than architectural consistency was the aim of such texts. On the glory of believers see Philippians 3:20f; 1 Corinthians 15:42ff; 2 Corinthians 5:1f; 1 John 3:2. On Christ as life see Philippians 1:21; Galatians 2:20; and 1 John 5:12.

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

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ^{a 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

^a 6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient

"Put to death" (nekrwvsate , nekrôsate ) is another uncompromising imperative, as in verse 1, calling on the Christians to grow in their faith (cf. 1:6). The two negative lists in this paragraph each contains five items, with an elaboration on the fifth in each case. This grouping could reflect a custom of the day with such lists, though it was not the style Paul always used. These groupings may have assisted converts, instructed at baptism, to remember. Of the many virtue and vice lists in the New Testament, the ones most similar in form to this are in Ephesians and 1 Peter. The sins condemned were all pagan practices that Jews found particularly reprehensible.

3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:

Understanding Christ, which Paul has promoted throughout the previous part of this letter, was to produce the lifestyle which he will now set forth. This was no arbitrary list, giving the terms of a bargain with God, but was a reflection of God's nature as lived out by his people. Nor was it a compelled obedience, but a response of love to his love. "Put to death" referred to a point of action from which their style of life was to proceed. It also implied something of their lifestyles before they became Christ's followers. The death idea reflects earlier references in 2:11f, 20, and 3:3. "Earthly nature" (cf. the prohibition in 3:2) does not refer to anything characteristic of physical existence, but does refer to any immoral use of one's mind and body. The Greek mevlh . . . ejpiΙ th'" gh'" (melç...epi tçs gçs ), literally, is "members upon the earth," which the NIV interprets as "earthly nature," changing a physical description to a spiritual - and properly so.

sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires

The progress Paul has described has moved from knowledge ("set your hearts" in 3:1) to a disposition ("set your minds" in 3:2) to action ("put to death" here). The first four sins listed were sexual ones, which violated love for neighbor, and the fifth, greed, denied ultimate love for God. Sexual sins, in addition, violated the integrity of marriage and the family (cf. vv. 18-21). On sexual sins cf. Galatians 5:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 5:6-11, 6:18f; Ephesians 5:5. "Sexual immorality" (porneiva , porneia ) refers to any unlawful sexual intercourse, though a primary application may have been to consorting with prostitutes. The Greek term is the root of the English "pornography." "Impurity" (ajkaqarsiva , akatharsia ) has the same general sense, but was a term of wider application (cf. Rom 1:24f). "Lust" or "passion" (pavqo", pathos ) would be the evil desire leading to sexual immorality (cf. Rom 1:26; 1 Thess 4:5). The word in other contexts could refer to legitimate desire, as in 1 Timothy 3:1 ("desires" in the NIV). "Evil desires" (ejpiqumiva , epithymia ) also renders a word that could be used in the good sense, though obviously not here. The meaning here is close to that of the previous word. In Paul's lists it is not always possible to discern nuances of difference between the terms used. The overall impact was the thing.

and greed, which is idolatry.

"Greed" (pleonexiva , pleonexia ) is identified as "idolatry." It was seen as a rival religion, and thus was as dangerous in its way as was the heresy. Idolatry was abhorrent to the Jew, and the use of the term as a modifier here stresses the heinousness of a sin often glossed over and unrecognized. Greed is the inordinate desire for what one does not have. It may involve jealousy because of what others possess. It focuses on this life, and is self-centered. Thus it denies genuine love (contrast v. 14). Unfortunately it is often made to appear respectable. Even the Graeco-Roman world repudiated greed. In the New Testament see Luke 12:15; Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:10f; 6:10; and Ephesians 5:3. Lohse says greed seizes man's heart, leads him away from God, and imprisons him.

3:6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

This is Paul's first reference in Colossians to the negative side of God's final action (cf. Rom 1:18, 32; 1 Cor 5:13; 1 Thess 4:6). "Wrath" (ojrghv , orgç ) is commonly seen as God's final judgment, and vice catalogues often ended with a statement like this. But it is also possible that the term referred to the very nature of God's universe, in which disobedience to God would finally bring judgment on itself, because it was not the way God's universe "works." This, of course, must also involve the final judgment, since often the wicked go through this life seeming to be happy and without mishap.

"Wrath" is seldom used by Paul to describe God. Weed suggests a better translation would be "disaster" - a term avoiding some of the negative implications associated with the other. The language says that God, rich in mercy, must also be consistent with his nature. He could not act as if offenses to his very purity and being did not matter. If he did, what kind of a God would he be? The moral nature of the universe would be destroyed and chaos would result. "Wrath" does not show him a vindictive God eager to punish. It does show the seriousness of moral issues, and was a powerful motivator to turn to God. No one need experience God's wrath. One who failed to see its seriousness might treat morals lightly. Texts such as this warn against such unconcerned folly.

3:7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

This verse indicates that the Colossian church was largely Gentile, for the Jews found the behavior described in verse 6 abhorrent. Whereas other writings of Paul would stress the Holy Spirit as empowering the moral life, in Colossians it is the relationship to Christ - death, burial and resurrection. The method and result in Christian experience were the same, but Paul spoke as he did here because of his stress on Christ throughout the epistle.

Translations which have the longer version of verse 6 ("those who are disobedient" - see the NIV footnote) translate the opening of this verse "among whom" rather than "these ways." The basic truth is not changed.

3:8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:

"Rid yourselves" is the image of putting off dirty or worn-out clothes. It may take its meaning from baptism, in which the candidate may have changed into some form of baptismal garment. Paul names five more vices, vices which could destroy social relations. As with the five in verse 6, here the last vice is elaborated. The first three were attitudinal, and the last two verbal. Of course they could interact in practice.

anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

"Anger" (ojrghv , orgç ) and "rage" (qumov" , thymos ) are very close in meaning, showing again that Paul aimed for total impact, rather than to distinguish between precise nuances. These attitudes would burst out in ways that would destroy relationships and deny love (v. 14). "Malice," a general term, may describe the attitude that would lead to slander and filthy language. "Slander" is, in the Greek, blasfhmiva (blasphçmia , blasphemy). The New Testament usually has it describing speech against God or his servants. Here it probably had the broader idea of "abuse," which was a common usage in the world of that day (cf. Titus 3:5). "Filthy language" is from a word (aijscrologiva , aischrologia ) found only here in the New Testament. Other translations render it "abusive" language, which perhaps catches the sense more accurately. It was not profanity in the commonly accepted sense. "Lying," in the next verse, was probably an illustration of Paul's meaning.

3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Paul's emphases in these prohibitions would certainly be directed to his knowledge of the Colossian situation. Thus, lying would be a problem of the old life which may have crept into the church. So Paul says especially that they should not lie "to each other." The reference to taking off the old self is similar to "rid yourselves" of verse 8 and "putting off" of 2:11. It may also suggest the changing of clothes for baptism. Normally lying was associated with "filthy language" and perhaps with "slander" of the previous verse, but Pokorny´ suggests it sums the entire section from verse 3, since it was the opposite of preaching the truth, which was Christ. Or was Paul attempting to associate lying with teaching heresy? That, however, seems strained, as does Pokorny´'s view.

3:10 and have put on the new self,

The reason to avoid lying (and all the other vices?) is continued here with the positive statement. The "new self" was not just personal change, but was the new human situation made possible through Christ. Christians, emerging from baptism, came into a new world. It was a world of new knowledge and new behavior. When the old behavior threatened to return, it was a world of discipline and prayer to overcome.

which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

"Renewed in knowledge" echoes Paul's prayer of 1:9ff (see also 2:3). The knowledge was more than cognition. This whole paranetic section indicates it was lifestyle. Knowledge, then, involved grasp of God's purpose and conformation to it. And it was to be a continuing process. The renewal was in the image of the Creator. This could be in God's image, indicating a return to God's original place for man (cf. Gen 1:26f). In view of 1:16, however, Paul may have had Christ in mind here. The result would be the same with either interpretation.

3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

This is a marvelous statement of the universal sweep of the gospel (cf. Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 12:13). But why did Paul put it here? If any rifts in the Colossian church had been along these lines, he has nowhere else indicated it. Could these be areas where "natural" animosities would likely lead to the kinds of mistreatment Paul had just condemned? Or was he amplifying the contrast of "old" and "new" of verses 9 and 10? Formerly there had been racial, religious, cultural and social barriers. They were now no longer relevant, for the new reality was either Christian or non-Christian. Love and proper treatment were to extend across that barrier. So in Christ the old sinful life and the old human divisions were done away. Christ was all, and in all. That relation was to govern everything!

"Greek" probably means all Greek-speaking Gentiles. Here they were mentioned before Jews, since Paul was writing to a Gentile church. Circumcision and uncircumcision refer to the literal act, not the spiritual act of 2:11. Barbarians were Gentiles who did not speak Greek. Scythians were at the low end of the barbarian scale. Josephus said they were little better than wild beasts, and in Attic comedy they were ridiculed as being uncouth in speech and action. Slave and free were categories on Paul's mind because of the situation with Onesimus, the runaway slave (4:9 and the book of Philemon). Though their societal status stayed the same, all enjoyed the same spiritual status.

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

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

Paul now exhorts to positive characteristics, and lists five qualities, as he had previously given two lists of five vices each. "Therefore" grounds these exhortations in the "new world" created by God, and in all the powerful realities set forth throughout previous parts of this letter. These include God's choice of the Christians, a picture parallel to his choice of Israel. Christians were the new chosen race (cf. Rom 8:33; 1 Pet 2:9). "Holy" is the term found in 1:2,4 ("saints"). "Beloved" enhances the power of Paul's motivations.

clothe yourselves

Those who have rid themselves of vice now clothe themselves - again a possible reference to baptism. "Clothe" refers to a point of action, but obviously with continuing effects. The virtues noted were specific parts of the totally new way of thought and life. These qualities were to be present whether one was Greek, Jew, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free.

with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

"Compassion" (splavgcna oijktirmou' , splanchna oiktirmou ) is literally "inward parts" (cf. Rom 12:1; 2 Cor 1:3 for oiktirmos by itself). It can mean the whole inner person. It was not just a virtue, but was a part of one's character. "Kindness" (crhstovth" , chrçstotçs ) often describes God (cf. Rom 2:4; 1:22; Eph 2:7; Titus 3:4). God gave it to the totally undeserving, who were thus called to extend it to others, even to the undeserving. It was caring, the extending of blessings. "Humility" (tapeinofrosuvnh , tapeinophrosynç ) has been found in 2:18, 23, where the NIV translators have added "false" to indicate it was an undesirable trait in connection with the heresy. Here it was a virtue which was one quality that set Christians apart. In the Greek world at the time this quality was considered a weakness. "Gentleness" (prau?th" , prautçs ) involves considering others and even being willing to give up one's rights to help them (cf. 2 Cor 10:11; Gal 5:23, 6:1; Eph 4:2). Some translations render the word "meekness," which implies self-control and avoidance of excessive self-concern. "Patience" (makroqumiva , makrothymia , cf. Rom 2:4; 9:22) endures wrong and puts up with the frustration produced by others without becoming unduly and unwisely irritated. Cf. "bear with" in the next verse.

3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Bearing and forgiveness were functions of the attitudes specified in verse 12. The call to forgive echoes Jesus' teaching (see Matt 18:23; Luke 11:3) but draws further significance from his death and resurrection. The word carivzomai ( charizomai , "grant forgiveness") translated "forgive" and "forgave" is not the usual New Testament term, but stresses the grace (unmerited blessing) involved in Christ's sacrifice. See also Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Galatians 3:18; Ephesians 4:32; Philippians 1:29, 2:9; and Colossians 2:13. "Grievances" suggests the idea of unremitted debts, and may indicate the presence of such feeling in the congregation. The aggrieved person was to take the initiative, as God took the initiative for man's sake. Did Paul have in mind any attitude toward the heretics, hoping that gracious overtures would lead them to repentance? We cannot say. It is clear here and throughout that forgiving was more than just a command given to Christians. It was woven into the very fabric of God's action in Christ. To refuse it would be to deny the very nature of Christianity.

3:14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Paul spoke of the supremacy of love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, and said all other commandments were summed up in love in Romans 13:9f. Here he elevates it above the virtues he had enumerated, as that which bound them in perfect unity. There are two views of his meaning. One is that love, like a belt, holds the other virtues together. The idea may be that if one is loving then the other virtues would be a part of that love. This would seem to agree with 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 and Romans 13:9f. The other view is that love binds the members of the church together so that they are led to perfect unity. Love would solve all problems of division among Christians. In either event the profound importance of love must be affirmed.

3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

Those who love one another are at peace. On the peace of Christ cf. John 14:27; Ephesians 2:14; Philippians 4:7 and 2 Thessalonians 3:16. This was peace in community, not simply inner peace. "Rule" indicates control. Their relationships should be controlled by peace.

And be thankful.

"Thankful" (eujcavristo" , eucharistos ) picks up Paul's words in 1:12. The particular focus here would be gratitude for the forgiveness and new life from God described in the previous verse. This was intrinsic to the faith, and was to be the Christian's constant motivation.

3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

Paul instructs his readers to love each other (v. 14), to be at peace with each other (v. 15), and now to teach and admonish each other. This verse is a lovely picture of a harmonious community at worship. Teaching and admonishing had their ground in the Word of Christ. This was probably the message about Christ (see 1:15-20) and thus the message about redemption. One might also think of the teachings of Christ, but they do not seem to be the focus of this letter.

"In you" could be a personal indwelling, or could mean within the community. Throughout the epistle this word about Christ has been Paul's constant antidote to the heretical teaching. When the church was centered in that message, false doctrine could not gain a foothold.

as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,

Teaching and admonition are activities of those who love one another, and who wish to help others grow in Christ. No view of the corporate activities of Christians can afford to neglect this. "Wisdom" could modify teaching and admonishing, as in the NIV, or it could modify "sing." The term would imply acting judiciously and in a manner that would be most effective. It can be understood as a call to the church to carefully examine and select its hymns so that they would be used wisely. On wisdom in Colossians see 1:9,28; 2:3,23; and 4:5.

The parallel to this text is Ephesians 5:19, which says "speak to one another." Although we cannot be certain, perhaps the early church employed antiphonal singing. There is a question as to whether the singing was the vehicle of teaching or whether it was a separate activity. We consider it to be the former, on the basis of the parallel with Ephesians 5:19. In addition to 1:15-20, other New Testament texts considered to be early Christian hymns are Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 5:14; 1 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

Scholars agree it is virtually impossible to make nice distinctions between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. "Psalms" is used, of course, of Old Testament psalms. The basic meaning is a song of praise. The Christians probably composed new songs of praise, modelled on the Old Testament psalms, appropriate to their faith in Christ (cf. 1 Cor 14:26). The verbal form of the word is found in 1 Corinthians 14:15 and James 5:13. "Hymns" (a transliteration of the Greek u{mno" , hymnos ) is also a term describing songs of praise. The only other New Testament usage is Ephesians 5:19, but the related verb form is found in Mark 14:26 and parallels, and in Acts 16:25. "Songs" (wj/dhv , ôdç ) is also a song praising God's acts, as in Revelation 5:9; 14:3; and 15:3. None of these terms implies anything about the activity itself beyond the actual singing.

"Spiritual" (pneumatikov" , pneumatikos ) may modify all three terms. Some consider this as Spirit-prompted singing. Others think it refers to the content of the songs, or to the gratitude to God which prompted the singing of them. Since Colossians says so little about the Holy Spirit, we incline to the latter view.

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

"Gratitude" translates the word cavri" (charis) usually rendered "grace." Since the term is used with the definite article, and since Paul was not speaking of the aesthetic value of the singing, but of its teaching role, "gratitude" seems an appropriate translation. It also parallels the references to thankfulness in verses 15 and 17.

3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

In a sense this verse climaxes the main paranetic section of Colossians and sums up what Paul had been saying. It is appropriate that such a statement climax the depiction of Christ Paul has been making throughout. Next Paul will give the household rules (3:18-4:1) which stand as a separate unit. This will be followed by a personal request (4:2-4), a brief exhortation (4:5,6) and closing greetings and instructions (4:7-18).

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This universal statement directed readers in a life perspective. Those who pursued it did not need to be given specific rules for every possible circumstance. "In the name" can indicate all Jesus was, all he taught, and the acknowledgment of his role as savior. "Thanks" (cf. 1:12; 3:15) could be an additional note, but we think it more likely the words and deeds were to be spurred by gratitude for Christ's love. The whole expression may be drawn from the baptismal procedure, as has so much of the language of the preceding verses (cf. Rom 10:9,13; 1 Cor 1:2,10,31; Eph 4:5; 5:20; 1 Thess 1:12; 3:6; 2 Tim 2:19; 1 John 2:12; 3:23; 5:13). Baptism has been central in Paul's thought throughout as he has penned this letter, since it was a decisive act in an individual's commitment to Christ.

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

A. HUSBANDS AND WIVES (3:18-19)

¹⁸ Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

This section and others like it in the New Testament have been called "house tables," or "rules for the household." See similar material in Ephesians 5:22-6:9; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 6:1f; Titus 2:1-10; 1 Peter 2:18-3:7; and outside the New Testament in Didache 4:9-11; Epistle of Barnabas 19:5-7; First Clement 1:3; 2:6-9; Ignatius to Polycarp 4:1-6:2; and Polycarp to the Philippians 4:2--6:1. The different style of this material is obvious even to the casual reader. The relationships occur in pairs, with the subordinate member listed first, and the relations move from the closest to the most remote. It was generally assumed that Christians would obey the exhortations to both parties, so that there was a symbiotic relationship. Paul does not say here, for example, what the Christian wife of a non-Christian husband ought to do if he mistreated her. Here her submission is met by his love, and vice versa.

The normal form of these admonitions first lists the member addressed, then gives the imperative, and finally (usually) gives a motivation. Some of these same instructions could be found in non-Christian ethical instructions, but in them the motivation would differ. Note how often these verses refer to the Lord (Master) - 18,20,22,23,24 (twice) and 4:1. These relations give specific form to "all in the name of the Lord Jesus" of verse 17.

There has been much discussion, but no consensus, about the origin of these housetables. Were they adapted and modified by Christians from some non-Christian background? That sort of adaptation was done by Hellenistic Jews in their synagogues. If so, what was the background? Might they have been part of the instruction given new converts before or following baptism? If so, it seems strange that certain New Testament books (Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1, 2 Thessalonians, James, and John's writings) omit them. It does seem significant, though, that these instructions take similar form in various New Testament writings, implying they may have been somewhat "fixed" in many churches. The questions posed here have still not been answered definitively.

Were these standards only relevant to the cultural situation of the day, or were they of eternal validity? Often personal agendas determine how individuals answer this question. If one takes all Paul's writings into account, it is clear he had a hierarchical view of relationships, especially husband and wife (see 1 Cor 11:3,7-9; Eph 5:23ff). He placed his instructions in the context of relation to the Lord (see 1 Cor 11:2-16 and Eph 5:22-33). He also said in Christ there was neither male nor female (Gal 3:28) which, though indicating equal access to salvation, no more abrogates the nature of that interrelationship than it says slaves were no longer slaves. If one begins to eliminate Paul's words on a cultural basis, it would be difficult to know where to stop the process. Further the rightness or wrongness of a matter cannot be determined by whether or not it was culturally "correct." Behind such an argument is the supposition that the view of culture held by the person making the argument is the correct one.

Since much of a person's life was lived in the household, it was important that Christianity offer instructions aimed directly at those relationships.

3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

The wife's submission is here treated as a status she chose because of her relation to the Lord. "Submit" (uJpotavssesqe , hupotassesthe ) in Greek is in middle voice, i.e., "submit yourself" - choose to do so. Paul's words give no comfort to the chauvinist, since "love" in the following verse tempers and conditions submission. It would be no burden to submit to love. The same complementary relationship between love and submission is seen in Ephesians 5:22-33, and in 1 Corinthians 7:3f, Paul also speaks of the "rights" of both partners. Thus nothing demeaning to the wife can be deduced from Paul's language here. Nor is there any indication of a natural inferiority of the wife to her husband. After all everyone must submit to someone, if only to God.

3:19 Husbands, love your wives

The counterpoint to the submission of the wife is the love of the husband. "Love" translates the term found in verse 14, and is the same word (agapç ) the New Testament uses of God's love for man. This word was not found in any secular list of household duties. No motivation clause is found here because love in Christian terms carried its motivation within itself; love was "absolutely valid."

and do not be harsh with them.

The prohibition of harshness is literally "don't be embittered" (mhΙ pikraivnesqe , mç pikrainesthe ). This would call for patience with faults, and also for a refusal to vent on the wife bitterness generated by outside circumstances. Weed points out that Paul's words are in contrast to Jewish and pagan ethics which gave husbands all the rights and wives all the duties.

B. CHILDREN AND FATHERS (3:20-21)

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Children are addressed as being responsible, contrary to pagan ethics. Further they are asked to obey, rather than the fathers being asked to enforce obedience. "Obey" (uJpakouvw , hypakouô ) is a stronger term than "submit" in verse 18, and "everything" adds further strength. We are not told if the children had become Christians, but as part of a Christian household they were to respect its rules. The verse ends, in Greek, with "in the Lord," probably meaning "in the Christian sphere." The Jewish background for these words is found in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16. Again it is assumed the fathers act as Christians should (v. 21, Eph 6:4). Paul does not discuss cases of unreasonable parents or rebellious children.

3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

We presume fathers are addressed because of their special responsibility, but one would suppose these instructions would apply to both parents, since verse 20 indicates obedience to both parents. In the Roman culture the father's parental authority was unlimited, so that this teaching would considerably temper any extremes. As O'Brien says, the idea here is responsibility to children, not authority over them. The word translated "embittered" (from ejreqivzw , erethizô ) is found elsewhere in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 9:2 ("stirred," NIV). Some translations have "provoke" here. The word may refer to nagging or belittling of the children. If they were constantly criticized, they might feel it was impossible to become worthwhile persons. A sense of failure inbred into children could poison their entire lifetimes. The opposite term from "discouraged" (ajqumevw , athymeô ) means "take heart," and refers to the "undergirding presence of God" in Acts 27:22,25 and 36.

C. SLAVES AND MASTERS (3:22-4:1)

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

¹ Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

3:22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything;

The instructions to slaves are as lengthy as those to all other groups combined. This may indicate a large number of slaves in the church, or that problems with slaves were a particularly challenging case for Christian ethics. The case of Onesimus was on Paul's mind, and though the issues discussed in Philemon are not those noted here, they may have been relevant to Onesimus before his escape (cf. the book of Philemon). We are given an interesting look at the attitudes of some slaves. Paul's words indicate a radical change of heart from what was otherwise the case in society.

and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

"Earthly masters" is a reminder that the slave owner's sovereignty over his slaves was not absolute. There was a higher authority governing the relationship. "Obey in everything" is the same language as that used in verse 20. "Their eye is upon you" could imply they would work only when watched, or that they were trying to attract attention. The Greek is literally "eye service" (ojfqalmodouliva , ophthalmodoulia ), and the first known usages are here and in Ephesians 6:6. "Sincerity" indicates undivided loyalty (the NRSV has "wholeheartedly"). What higher motivation could be given than "reverence for the Lord" (literally, "fearing")? In a sense, then, a slave's daily service was worship.

3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,

This verse is similar to verse 17. A slave who worked as "for the Lord" need never suffer anxiety over failure to serve his owner (assuming the owner were reasonable, and not a tyrant.) "Working for the Lord" expands on "reverence for the Lord."

3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

This verse strengthens the motivation of the slave. For the third consecutive verse relation to the Lord is noted. Under Roman law slaves could not inherit, so Paul's "inheritance" would be a particularly striking statement. Not only inheritance, but what an inheritance (cf. 1:5,12,27; 3:1-4)! The word translated "reward" (ajntapovdosi" , antapodosis ) is only here in the New Testament. "Serving" could also be translated as an imperative; i.e., "you serve." The word douleuvw (douleuô ) is the verbal form of the usual word for slave ( doulos ). They were, finally, slaves of Christ, which determined their earthly demeanor.

In the other relationships of verses 18-21 a reciprocity is supposed. Here the case may be different. Ought not the slave to obey, whatever the treatment given by the master? 1 Peter 2:18ff indicates they should.

It is also intriguing to imagine the situation in the church if a slave was an overseer/elder. Then in that sphere he would be concerned, as a shepherd, for the spiritual health of his Christian master. Yet in everyday life he would still have the obligation Paul describes here. This could be a delicate situation for both slave and master.

3:25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

This is the other side of the inheritance pictured in verse 24. The principle stated was universal and inescapable (cf. Gal 6:7f). Though in the broader sense all were under this principle, the question here is whether Paul spoke to slaves, to masters, or to both. Those who think it was slaves point out that masters are not specifically addressed till the next verse, and that the word for "do wrong" (ajdikevw , adikeô , "act unjustly") is used of Onesimus in Philemon 18. On the other hand are those who say masters could wrong their slaves, but not vice versa. Those arguing for masters note that the word translated "favoritism" is applied to masters in Ephesians 6:9.

Whatever the primary sense, neither group would receive special consideration. If there were "favoritism" in this life, there would be none in God's judgment. Those who treated others wrongly should fear, and those wrongly treated should take heart.

4:1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

The implication of "earthly masters" in 3:22 is now made specific. Christian masters were themselves slaves under the heavenly master, and were called upon to serve the Lord as their slaves were to serve them. Though slavery in the first Christian century is often pictured as harsh and repressing, both pagan and Jewish moralists laid down principles for humane treatment. Thus "right" and "fair" would be understood even outside Christian circles. The difference with Christians was the motivation.

Christianity, at this point, was not fomenting major social revolution. Slavery was accepted as a given. It has been said that when Christian principles were thoroughly understood and accepted in society, slavery became more difficult, and eventually impossible.

Christians may ask if these principles apply to the relation of employer and employee. Though the question has difficult nuances, it is hard to see how either a Christian employer or employee could ignore the mandates given here, since they are anchored in a relation with the Lord.

-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 3 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

Col 3:1, He shows where we should seek Christ; Col 3:5, He exhorts to mortification; Col 3:10, to put off the old man, and put on Christ; Col 3:12, exhorting to charity, humility, and other several duties.

Poole: Colossians 3 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 3

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 3 (Chapter Introduction)

(Col 3:1-4) The Colossians exhorted to be heavenly-minded.

(Col 3:5-11) To mortify all corrupt affections.

(Col 3:12-17) To live in mutual love, forbearance, and forgiveness.

(Col 3:18-25) And to practise the duties of wives and husbands, children, parents, and servants.

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 3 (Chapter Introduction)

I. The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world (Col 3:1-4). II. He exhorts to the mortification of sin, in the various instances of it (Col 3:5-11). III. He earnestly presses to mutual love and compassion (Col 3:12-17). And concludes with exhortations to relative duties, of wives and husbands, parents and children, masters and servants (Col 3:18-25).

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 3 (Chapter Introduction)

The Risen Life (Col_3:1-4)

Christ Our Life (Col_3:1-4 Continued)

The Things Which Lie Behind (Col_3:5-9)

The Things Which Must Be Left Behind (Col_3:5-9 Continued)

The Universality Of Christianity (Col_3:9-13)

The Garments Of Christian Grace (Col_3:9-13 Continued)

The Perfect Bond (Col_3:14-17)

The Personal Relationships Of The Christian (Col_3:18-25; Col_4:1)

The Mutual Obligation (Col_3:18-25; Col_4:1 Continued)

The Christian Workman And The Christian Master (Col_3:18-25; Col_4:1 Continued)

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 3 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 3

This chapter contains exhortations to several duties, some more general, which relate to all Christians, and others more particular, which belong to saints in such and such a state of life. The apostle begins with an exhortation to seek things heavenly, and not earthly, and to set the affections on the one, and not on the other: the arguments used to enforce it are taken from the saints being risen with Christ; from Christ being in heaven at the Father's right hand; from their being dead to sin, the law, and the world; from their having life in Christ safe and secure; yea, from Christ being their life, and their appearance with him in glory, Col 3:1. And next he proceeds to an exhortation to the mortification of sin, and the deeds of it, which he urges from the wrath of God coming upon men for these things, and from the consideration of their former state and condition, expressed by walking and living in them, Col 3:5, and by a metaphor taken from the putting off and on of garments, he exhorts to the putting off of the old man, with his deeds, several of which are mentioned, Col 3:8, and to the putting on of the new man, and to the exercise of various graces, as mercy, meekness, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, and peace, Col 3:10. And then he proceeds to exhort to such duties as relate to the word and worship of God; as that the word of Christ should have an abiding place in them, and that they should teach and instruct one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and do all they did in a religious way, in the name of Christ, with thankfulness to God by him, Col 3:16. And closes the chapter with the duties of wives to their husbands, and of husbands to their wives, and of children to their parents, and of parents to their children, and of servants to their masters, Col 3:18.

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