Introduction
Authorship
Who is the author of the epistle to the Colossians? Tradition and scriptural evidence teaches that the apostle Paul is the author. Paul was a former Pharisee that persecuted and treated the early church as a false–teaching Jewish cult. However, while on his way to imprison Christians in a city called Damascus, Christ appeared to him in a shining light (Acts 9). In this vision of Christ, Paul was called to be an apostle and to carry the gospel to the Gentile nations. Paul suffered a great deal for this calling from both Jews and Gentiles (Col. 1:24). At the time Paul wrote Colossians, around AD 60–62, he was a prisoner in Rome (Acts 28). It was during this time that he wrote several other letters: Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. These are often called the “Prison Epistles.”
The scriptural evidence that supports Paul’s authorship is the fact that Paul’s name is mentioned three times in the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18). Unlike letters written today which give the authors name at the end of the letter, ancient letters gave the name in the introduction. Colossians begins with “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” (1:1). Timothy was not the co–author of the epistle. His name is included because he was with Paul at its writing. Timothy was Paul’s faithful disciple and “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). It should be noted that Paul gives his title as an “apostle of Christ” to show his official authority as a representative of Christ in order to address the issues happening in the church. In other letters, like Philippians or 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he simply addresses himself as Paul and sometimes adds the humble title of “servant of Christ,” which seems to reflect the gentler tone of these letters. The apostles were a select group of people who had seen Christ after his resurrection, were commissioned, and sent forth to build the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20).
Other scriptural evidence that Paul is the author is seen in the similarities with his other letters, such as the books of Philemon and Ephesians. In Philemon, Paul mentions eight of the same people mentioned in the Colossians letter: Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas. In addition, Philemon was also written during Paul’s imprisonment. Many believe Paul’s fellow–servant Tychicus carried both letters to Colosse at the same time (Col. 4:7–9). This gives persuasive evidence that Colossians was written by the apostle Paul.
Also, it should be noted that the book of Colossians and the book of Ephesians are very similar. They both have a bifid format, discussing doctrine for the first couple of chapters and then becoming practical. They both discuss the church as the body of Christ and Christ as the head (Eph. 1:23; 5:23; Col. 2:18–19). They share how the church has been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). They emphasize the church’s union with Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col 1:2). They discuss the church as a mystery (Eph. 3:3, 4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). They include lengthy sections on the believer’s old man and new man (Eph. 4:21–24; Col. 3:9–10), and also on family relationships and the relationship between slaves and masters (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–25). In fact, it has been said that fifty–four of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to verses found in Colossians. These similarities also support Pauline authorship.
Background
As mentioned previously, Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colosse during his Roman imprisonment around AD 60–62. We don’t know exactly how this church was formed, but we do know that Paul had never been to it (2:1). Most scholars believe that this church was founded during Paul’s three–year ministry in Ephesus, which was about one–hundred miles west of Colosse. While in Ephesus, Scripture says that all who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Acts 19:10). This would have included people who lived in Colosse. Two of these members were probably Epaphras (Col. 4:12) and Philemon (Philem. 1:19). It seems that Epaphras heard the gospel in Ephesus and went back to Colosse to share the gospel, eventually founding the church.
Paul obviously kept in contact with Epaphras, and when this church was under attack by a cult, Epaphras went to Rome to tell his mentor about the situation (Col. 1:5–7). The epistle to the Colossians is Paul’s response. This letter was probably carried by Tychicus, one of Paul’s fellow ministers, from Rome to Colosse (Col. 4:7–8). It was also to be shared with the church in Laodicea (v. 16). As mentioned previously, many commentators believe Tychicus carried both Colossians and Philemon to Colosse. Accompanying Tychicus was Onesimus, the runaway slave mentioned in the book of Philemon (Col. 4:9; Philem. 1:10). Paul gave instructions for the Colossians to share their letter with Laodicea and for the Laodiceans to share their letter with the Colossians. Colossians 4:16 says this: “After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.”
What is the letter from Laodicea? One cannot be dogmatic, but many believe it is the letter to the Ephesians. Early manuscripts of the epistle to the Ephesians do not contain the phrase “in Ephesus” (1:1). With the fact that this letter does not share any problems happening in the local church or mention any members of the church, many think Ephesians was originally meant to be a circular letter that first went to the church of Laodicea. It may have been a letter addressed to the “Church” as a whole instead of to one specific congregation.
The city of Colosse, where this letter was sent, was very small. It was a city in the province of Phrygia, which was located in Asia Minor, now modern–day Turkey. It was about ten miles east of Laodicea and thirteen miles southeast of Hierapolis (cf. 4:13). The city had a large population of both Jews and Greeks, which probably accounts for the infusion of both Jewish legalism and Gentile mysticism (Col. 2:16–18) seen in the teachings of the cult attacking this church.
Purpose
As mentioned, Paul’s letter was written to address the false teaching of a cult attacking the church of Colosse. This cult seemed to be an early form of Gnosticism. The Gnostics were primarily attacking the deity of Christ and the sufficiency of the gospel. They taught that in order for a person to be saved they must have a higher form of knowledge, a higher form of wisdom. The Gnostic name actually comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means “to know.”
The Gnostics were very syncretic; they had many beliefs which originated from various sources. It was infused with Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy, and mysticism (cf. Col. 2:8–23). Greek philosophical dualism believed that matter was inherently evil and that things of the spirit were good. This affected how they specifically viewed God and the doctrine of creation. Since they believed God was good and could not touch evil, they created a system of emanations or spirits descending from God. Each spirit or “god” was a lesser form of God and therefore a more evil form. As these emanations continued, finally there was a “god” far enough from God and less pure than God who could create the earth. For the Gnostics, Christ was one of these lesser emanations.
This philosophy greatly distorted the doctrine of Christ. Because Jesus was a human, they believed it was impossible for him to be God. They said that “Christ,” the emanation from God, descended upon Jesus at his baptism and left him before his death. Jesus Christ therefore was not perfect and was not fully God. He simply was a lesser form of God who did not create the earth and was not sufficient for salvation. One needed this higher form of knowledge in order to be saved. This teaching had shaken the Colossian church, and therefore their pastor Epaphras sought Paul for counsel.
In the book of Colossians, Paul writes one of the strongest teachings on Christology seen in Scripture. He teaches that not only is Christ God, but he is the creator of all things. All things were created by him and for him (Col. 1:16). He is the supreme of all creation, and he is sufficient for salvation (Col. 1:18). If the major theme of the book of Ephesians is the mystery of the church, and Philippians’ is joy in suffering, then Colossians’ major theme is the supremacy of Christ.
Throughout the letter, Paul exalts Christ and teaches that it is Christ’s presence in the church that is “the hope of glory” (1:27). It was through Christ that the believer was redeemed from sin and has victory over Satan (2:11–15). The believer died with Christ (3:3), has been raised with Christ (3:1), and this relationship with Christ should radically change his life. The believer should think on heavenly things (3:1). He should take off the clothes of sin and put on the clothes of righteousness (3:5–17). The believer’s relationship with Christ should affect every other relationship. Paul gives instructions to husbands, wives, children, fathers, slaves, and masters (3:18–4:1). He speaks to the church on how to walk wisely around those who are unsaved (4:5–6). In contradiction to what the Gnostics taught, it is Christ in whom all the fullness of God dwells (1:19; 2:9), and it is through Christ that God is reconciling all things to himself (1:20–23). Surely, it is Christ who should have supremacy (1:18) both in our lives and throughout the world!
The teachings in Colossians are very important as they emphasize the good news of the gospel and the deity and full sufficiency of Christ. It is an apologetic against the errant teachings that declare that Christ is not enough or that he is not God. Aspects of Gnostic theology are still seen in many of today’s popular teachings: Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, and even Roman Catholicism. Again, the church must guard and defend the truth that Christ is God and that he is sufficient to fully reconcile all things to God. It is not Christ plus anything. It is Christ alone. The book of Colossians is still relevant and needed today, even as Christ is still Lord and God. May its message challenge and encourage us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
