Colossians Introduction
INTRODUCTION
I. THE TOWNS OF THE LYCUS VALLEY
About one hundred miles inland (Med. Sea) from Ephesus in the valley of the River Lycus, near where it joins the Maeander, there once stood three important cities: (1) Laodicaea (remember 30 years later the 7 letters in Revelation (96 AD) 3:14 – 18 14- And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15- I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16- So then because thou art lukewarm (Laodicea stood midway between the hot springs of Hierapolis and the cold waters of Colossae), and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17- Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18- I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.), The proximity of Colossae to the 7 churches in Asia could imply that they were dealing with some of the same false doctrines of those churches. (2) Hierapolis, and (3) Colosse. They stood almost in sight of one another. 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. This was Asia Minor which now is modern Turkey. This letter to Colossae was also intended for Laodicaea and Hierapolis.
Colossians 4:13 “For I bear him (Epaphras) record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.”
They were instructed to pass it around:
Colossians 4:16 “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of
the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
II. A WEALTHY AREA
A. The ground was fertile and produced excellent pasture land. On these pastures there were great flocks of sheep and the area was perhaps the greatest center of the woollen industry in the world. Laodicaea was specially famous for the production of garments of the
finest quality.
B. The waters that flowed through Colosse was chalky. 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.
III. THE UNIMPORTANT CITY
A. 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 financial headquarters of the whole area, a city of splendid prosperity.
B. 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 vapors and springs, famous for their medicinal quality; and people came in their thousands to Hierapolis to bathe and to drink the waters.
C. For some reason the glory departed from Colosse. Though mounds remain to this day to distinguish Laodicaea and Heirapolis, there is not a stone to show where Colosse stood and her site is only to be guessed at.
D. These cities were overthrown by an earthquake in the times of emperor Nero. Accordingly, not
long after this letter was written (about a year).
E. City has been extinct for more than 1800 years. The city which was raised in the place of former
was called Chonos or Konos.
IV. THE JEWS AT PHRYGIA
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.
Acts 16:6 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were
forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,”
Acts 18:23 “And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of
Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”
Colossians 2:1 “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at
Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;”
So did they see Paul or not?
V. THE CHURCH AT COLOSSE
A. Not founded by Paul and had never been visited by Paul. It was the work of Epaphras,
and Philemon. It was a house church as most of the churches were in that time.
Some believe we will go back to house churches due to future persecution of Christianity.
B. Colosse was about one hundred miles from Ephesus (Paul stayed three years in Ephesus
teaching the gospel) and it was no doubt in that campaign of expansion that the Colossian
Church was founded. It may well have been founded by Epaphras, who is described as Paul's
fellow-servant and the faithful minister of the Colossian Church. It is possible in this period
of three years, Epaphras visited Paul in Ephesus and took the gospel to Colossee. (Ephesus was one of the 7 churches that received letter of Revelation from John. Rev. 2:1-7 1- Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2- I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3- And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. 4- Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5- Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6- But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7- He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.)
These letters no doubt, were circulated from church to church assuming they remained at this time.
C. A Gentile Church. Colossian church was about 5 yrs old at time of letter.
The wording and allusions to Gentile sins points to the church being mainly Gentile in nature. In 1:27 he speaks of making known the mystery of Christ among the Gentiles.
D. A Threat to the Church
It appears that Epaphras communicated the trouble of the Colossian church to Paul while he was in a Roman prison. The trouble had not yet become epidemic. Paul believed that
prevention as better than cure; and in this letter he is grasping this evil before it has time
to spread.
E. The Heresy at Colosse --> The letter itself lists characteristics. (Chuck Missler)
1. The heresy attacked the supremacy of Christ.
2. The heresy attacked the part that Christ played in creation.
3. The heresy denied that Christ came in a fleshly body.
4. There is an astrological element. Stars and heavenly bodies were significance in the teachings of Christianity. The ancient world was dominated by thought of the influence of stars; and even the greatest and the wisest men would not act without consulting them.
5. This heresy made much of the powers of demonic spirits. The ancient world lived in a demon-haunted universe.
6. The heretics were saying that the simplicities of the gospel needed a far more elaborate knowledge (philosophy) added to them. Philosophy -- the study of the fundamental
nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an
academic discipline.
7. It laid down laws about food and drink. Its slogans were: "Touch not; taste not; handle not." It was a heresy which was out to limit Christian freedom by insistence on all kinds of legalistic ordinances such as circumcision.
8. This heresy had at least sometimes an antinomian streak in it (relating to the view that
Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law).
It tended then to make men careless of the chastity which the Christian should have and to make him think lightly of the bodily sins.
9. Lastly, there seems to have been in this heresy something which can only be called spiritual and intellectual snobbery. 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.
F. The Gnostic Heresy-- Gnosis means “to know”. Agnostic=cannot know Latin-ignoramus (CM)
1. It was philosophical, laying emphasis on some special or deeper knowledge (gnosis).
2. 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 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:
3. 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.
4. It involved the worship of angels as mediators to God, between Jesus and God. They held
to a form of astrology, believing that angelic beings associated with heavenly bodies
influenced the affairs on earth.
5. This seminal Gnosticism denied the deity of Christ, thus calling forth one of the
greatest declarations, by Paul of Christ’s deity found anywhere in Scripture.
6. 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.
7. It has 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. The body must be kept under in which its every need and desire is 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 cater to the body's desires and it would make no difference.
8. One thing followed from all this--Gnosticism was a highly intellectual way of life and thought. There was this long series of emanations between man and God; man must fight his way up a long ladder to get to God. In order to do this he would need all kinds of secret knowledge and esoteric learning in hidden passwords. 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.
9. There remains one thing to fit into the picture. It is quite obvious that there was a Jewish element in the false teaching threatening the Church at Colosse. They were
stressing the need for observing OT laws and ceremonies. The festivals and the new moons and the sabbaths were essentially Jewish levitical laws. The idea that the rite of circumcision was helpful in spiritual development and the OT dietary laws were also helpful in attaining spiritual perfection. So, Good and Evil were derived from rules and regulations. Therefore many Jews were sympathetic to Gnosticism.
G. Leads to religious Asceticism: (Chuck Missler)
1. Matter is not evil neither is the human body.
2. Our fallen human nature wants to control the body and use it for sin; but the body itself is
not evil, or Jesus would never have come to earth in a human body. Nor would He
have enjoyed the everyday blessing such as attending wedding feasts or dinners.
3. Diets and disciplines may be good for one’s health, but they have no power to develop
true spirituality.
H. The Age of Syncretism: (Chuck Missler)
1. These false teachings were a combination of many things: Jewish legalism, asceticism,
Oriental philosophies, pagan astrology, mysticism, with a touch of Christianity.
2. Here was “something for everybody”—an attempt to harmonize and unite different
schools of thought into a composite religion.
3. These teachers claimed that they were not denying the Christian faith, but only lifting
it to a “higher level.”
4. Do we have any of these heresies today? Indeed: and they are more dangerous!
I. Nothing is “New” in the “New Age.” (Chuck Missler)
1. Every modern erroneous cult is some ancient Satanic heresy revived.
2. The Bible by the Holy Spirit anticipates these cults and therefore it gives a rebuke to
the heresies.
3. When we make Jesus Christ and the Bible only a part of a total religious system or
philosophy, we cease to give Him preeminence.
4. When we strive for “spiritual perfection” or “fullness” by means of formulas, disciplines,
or rituals, we go backward instead of forward.
5. We must beware of mixing our Christian faith with such alluring things as yoga,
transcendental meditation, Oriental mysticism, and the like.
6. We must also beware of the “deeper life” teachers who offer a system for victory and
fullness that bypasses devotion to Jesus Christ. There’s only one name in heaven
and earth that can save you other than Jesus Christ.
7. We live in a day where religious toleration is interpreted to mean “one religion is as
good as another.” Many people try to take the best from various religions and try
to fabricate their own. To them, Christ is one of only several religious teachers,
with no more authority than they have.
8. Heresies always have the objective of discrediting Christ or/and His teachings.
9. Grace is what God supplies. Peace is what man experiences. The heresies were
discounting the grace and upsetting the peace. Do these heresies bring peace?
10. No religion can improve on the gospel of grace so they always go the other way:
Legalism.
11. The gospel declares three simple truths:
a. All are sinners. Roman 3:23
b. No one can save themselves by “law keeping” strategies. Gal. 2:16a
c. Salvation is only grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12; Gal. 2:16 b
12. Nothing needs to be added to our relationship with Him—each believer is complete
in Him. He is totally sufficient. Wrong doctrine always results in wrong living.
*It is clear that the false teachers of Colossae 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.
VI. THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE LETTER (Just mention and go on.)
Many scholars do not believe that Paul wrote this letter at all. They have three reasons:
A. They say that in Colossians there are many words and phrases which do not appear in any other of Paul's letters.
B. 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 to Gnosticism, the letter is necessarily later than Paul.
C. They say that the view of Christ in Colossians is far in advance of any of the letters certainly written by Paul. Some scholars if it was written by Paul, say Colossians is the most profound
letter ever written by Paul (60-62 AD)
VII. Paul’s History:
A. Born 2 A. D.
1. First mentioned Acts 7:58 Stephen’s stoning “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him:
and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose
name was Saul.”
2. Paul was 28 -32 years old when Stephen was stoned. 30 if in Sanhedrim.
Called a young man leads us to believe a youth, but Ananias calls him a "man”.
Acts 7:58 “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid
down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.”
I wonder if the way Stephen faced death that Paul was touched.
B. 32 – 34 A. D. Converted on the road to Damascus.
1. Spends 3 years in Arabia.
2. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it officially known is located on the Arabian Penninsula,
along the eastern shore of the Red Sea.
3. Gal. 1:15-18 (15) “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb, and called me by his grace, (16) To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach
him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
(17) Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me;
but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. (18)Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.”
C. 35 A. D. Traveled to Jerusalem. Not accepted by the apostles.
D. 36 – 42 A. D. Returned to Tarsus to teach.
Galatians 2:1 “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
and took Titus with me also.”
E. 42 – 44 A. D. In Antioch (Turkey) as teacher with Barnabas.
Galatians 2:9 “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the
grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of
fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”
F. 44 A. D. Collection for the poor in Jerusalem.
G. 45 – 57 A. D. Travelled on missionary journeys.
H. 58 – 60 A. D. Detained at Caesarea
I. 60 – 61 A. D. Trip to Rome under Roman guard.
J. 61 – 63 A. D. House arrest in Rome under Augustus.
K. 63 A. D. Released from Roman jail.
L. 64 – 66 A. D. Return visits to churches.
M. 67 A. D. Arrested and martyred at Rome under Nero.
VII. Paul’s Letters in chronological order: [Paul was born again 20 yrs before letters.]
(1)1 Thessalonians 52 A.D. ; (2) 2 Thessalonians 53 A.D. ; (3) Galatians 54 A.D.;
(4) 1 Corinthians 57 A.D. ; (5) 2 Corinthians 57 A.D.; (6) Romans 57 A.D. ;
(7) Colossians 62 A.D. ; (8) Ephesians 62 A.D. ; (9) Philippians 62 A.D. ;
(10) Philemon 63 A.D. ; (11) 1 Timothy 64 A.D. ; (12) Titus 64 A.D. ;
(13) 2 Timothy 67 A.D. Hebrews?
VIIII. WHY TEACH COLOSSIANS?
A. At several points the world of first century Colossae and twentieth century America intersect.
1. Permissiveness in sexual immorality.
2. Fascination with astrology, demonology, and the spirit world.
3. Combinations of ideas from many religions.
4. Confusion of roles within marriage.
5. Disintegration of family life.
B. The problems that tend to emerge in churches of any era.
1. Friction developing from persons interacting with one another.
2. Worldly values imported into the Christian setting.
3. The challenge of personal suffering to Christian belief in the goodness of God.
IX. A Litmus test for Churches: (Chuck Missler)
A. Has the church failed to tell you that you are a sinner?
B. Has the church failed to deal with you as a lost individual?
C. Has the church failed to offer you salvation in Jesus Christ alone?
D. Has your church failed to proclaim:
1. The horrible consequences of sin.
2. The certainty of hell.
3. The fact that Jesus alone can save?
