Get Ready
Colossians is unique in that Paul did not start the church in this town east of Ephesus, nor did he ever visit it. He wrote this letter in response to news of false teaching that denied Christ’s central role in the salvation and new life of the believer.
Author
Paul has been accepted as the author of this letter since the beginning of the second century. Some scholars in the nineteenth century argued that the differences in wording and teaching were great enough to deny that Paul wrote it, but their supposed author had to be someone who was very similar to Paul and who probably also wrote Ephesians and Philemon.
Context
Like Philippians, this is another “prison” letter [4:3, 10, 18]. Most authorities agree that Paul wrote it while in Rome, probably around 60 CE.
The church in Colossae was started by one or more of Paul’s associates, probably during the three years he spent in Ephesus. Most scholars believe that Epaphras, who was from the city, was the primary developer of the church. He was also the person who delivered support and news to Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome.
Evidently Epaphras brought news of worrisome teachings that were spreading among the Colossian believers. Although Paul does not explicitly state the nature of this “new philosophy,” his arguments against it in the letter provide a general picture of the heresy:
- Powers, or “angels” in the spirit world appear to be more important than Christ in guiding a Christian’s life.
- Checklists of rituals and earthly actions supposedly demonstrated spiritual discipline.
- Certain teachers possessed a “higher” knowledge or philosophy than Epaphras’ straightforward Gospel.
Paul wrote to combat these false teachings.
Paul also wrote Philemon at the same time so Epaphras could take that letter, along with Onesimus, an escaped slave who Paul converted and was sending back to his owner.
Structure
This letter is similar to several of Pauls other letters – he explains correct doctrine and then he applies that teaching to the life of believers and of the church. The major parts are:
- Greeting and introduction – Paul greets and thanks God for the believers in Colossae, [1:1-14].
- Correct doctrine and understanding – especially the role and importance of Christ in God’s plan for salvation and in guiding the believers’ lives, [1:15-2:23].
- Guidance for Christian living – Paul applies his teaching to the Christians’ daily lives, [3:1-4:6].
- Closing greetings – Paul refers to several associates who have worked with the Colossians, [4:7-18].
Major Themes
Paul states his primary purpose for writing in the introduction: That you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worth of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God, [1:9-10].
For Paul, “all spiritual wisdom” means the supremacy of Christ because he is “the image of the invisible God,” [1:15]. In answer to the Colossian philosophers, Paul calls Christ the “firstborn of all creation,” [1:15] – Christ clearly comes before and outranks any other beings in the spiritual world. Christ also brought about the reconciliation with God that the Colossians are now enjoying [1:22].
Because Christ is the Lord as well as the savior, Paul urges the Colossian believers to follow Christ in all aspects of their lives, and to avoid following “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition,” [2:8]. He describes Christ’s saving work making them “alive together with him when he forgave us all our trespasses,” [2:13]. He tells them to avoid false regulations about food and drink and festivals, which have “an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety . . . but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence,” [2.23].
The second major section then describes how to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is,” [3:1]. He then suggests what looks very much like a couple of checklists; but they are each about our attitudes toward Christ and God, as well as toward one another. Paul is talking about our heart, not our action [3:5-9]. In verse 12 he shifts and gives us a list of positive attitudes to guide our relationships with each other. Finally he deals with specific relationships: marital partners, parents and children, slaves and (earthly) masters.
Paul concludes with the direction to pray, including for his ministry, and to “conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time,” [4:5], to spread the Gospel even further among the Gentiles in that region.
Get into the Word
1. Who wrote this letter? What led some scholars to believe someone else wrote it? Who did they suggest was the author?
2. What was Paul’s situation when he wrote this letter? When did he write it? What was unique about his relationship to the Colossian church? How did Paul find out about the problem in the church?
3. What type of problem was Paul dealing with in this letter? What were the false teachings he sought to correct? Why would such doctrine be harmful to believers? Why was correct teaching so important to Paul?
4. How did Paul organize this letter? How is this letter similar to other letters of Paul? What are the primary sections of the letter? What do the two main sections cover? How does Paul close his letter?
5. Who delivered this letter to the Colossians? What other task did he carry out on this particular journey?
6. What is Paul’s major purpose in writing this letter? What are the two aspects of his teaching in the letter? What is the foundation of all Paul’s teaching? Why does he believe this central fact about the Gospel? What is the outcome of following Paul’s teaching? How do you think the Colossians responded to Paul’s instruction?
7. What does Paul advise the Colossians to avoid? Why does he suggest this? What is the ultimate value of “false regulations?” How does this advice relate to the apparent “checklists” in the next section of the letter?
8. What is Paul actually talking about in the lists he provides in the letter? Why are these things important for the Colossians? Why are they important for us today? What is Paul’s last instruction to the Colossians?
Bible Trivia:
Paul claims to be an Apostle of Christ in all but three of his New Testament letters (those are 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philippians). An Apostle is a person who was sent (the literal meaning of the Greek word), who had seen Christ after his resurrection, and who had powers to authenticate his claim [1 Cor 15:8].
70: The new life in Christ – Colossians 3:1-4:6
Get Ready
How do you deal with your wardrobe? Do you have different clothes for work and non-work times? Do you have some clothes for special occasions? Do you have special athletic or workout clothes? What type of clothes do you prefer to wear most of the time?
The Word
3So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices
10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters,
24 since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.
4Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, 4 so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.
5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. What is Paul’s basis for the directions he is giving the Colossian believers? Why is this so important to Paul? What should be the Colossians’ focus?
2. What does Paul say about “earthly” attitudes and ideas? How should the believers deal with them? Why does their faith change things? What image does Paul use for the changes the Colossians need to make? How does this affect their perception of each other in the church?
3. What attitudes does Paul suggest in place of the “earthly” ones? What image does he use for these changes? What is to be the “director” or “umpire” in their relationships with each other? How much of their lives is affected by this new principle?
4. What specific advice does Paul provide? Why did he select these subjects?
Get Personal
How has God been working on your attitudes recently? How has he helped you “let the peace of Christ rule” in your heart?
Notes . . .
3:1. Have been raised — Christians have already been raised with Christ, just as they have already died with him, spiritually. Therefore their new spiritual lives should be different because they are getting their guidance and model from “above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God,” [Check Psalm 110:1, Heb 1:3, or 1 Peter 3:22].
3:3. Hidden — our new life as believers is protected and concealed by God’s power [2:6-7].
3:5. Put to death — Paul suggests that Christians should live as if our earthly passions are now dead, and can no longer influence our actions. (Paul deals with the difficulty of doing this in other letters, [check Rom 7].
3:9. Stripped off — Paul uses the image of clothing to distinguish between our former earthly life and our new life “from above” – we need to take off and get rid of [3:8] all the old, soiled attitudes and habits that marked our life before Christ [compare with Rom 13:12].
3:11. Renewal — in addition to the old attitudes, the new life designed by and for Christ gets rid of the old racial and class distinctions humans used to rely on.
3:12. Clothe yourselves — Paul continues the clothing metaphor with the attitudes that mark the “new clothes” of a believer’s new life [contrast vv. 12-17 with the list in vv. 5 and 8].
3:13. Forgive — Paul echoes Jesus’ teaching in in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” [Matt 6:12], and that we are to forgive, “not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times,” [Matt 18:22].
3:15. Rule — the Greek word actually refers to athletics: peace should be the “umpire” in our relationships with our fellow believers.
3:17. Whatever you do — Paul leaves no doubt that Christ should guide every aspect of a believer’s life.
3:18. Wives . . . husbands — if Christ is ruling all aspects of Christian lives, their relationships with one another will be very different than they were in their former life. The pagan culture of Paul’s time gave husbands and fathers absolute authority over wives and children, as masters had over slaves. Paul’s directions put all relationships in a Christ-ruled context: as is fitting in the Lord . . . never treat them harshly . . . acceptable duty in the Lord . . . wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord . . . as done for the Lord . . . you also have a Master in heaven, [3:18-4:1].
4:5. Wisely — wisdom means, “knowing God’s will,” [Proverbs 2:6, also compare with Col 3:16].
Salt — both preserves and brings out the flavor of food – just as wisdom brings out the understanding of the Gospel.
Memory Verse
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, [Col 3:17].
Next Lesson
1 Thessalonians 2: Paul’s ministry in Thessolonica.
