Colossians Colossians
Colossians
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: The apostle Paul
Audience: The church of Colossae
Date: AD 60–61
Type of Literature: A letter
Major Themes: Christ, the church, the gospel, and the Christian life
Outline:
Letter Opening — 1:1–2:5
Letter Theme: Christ-Centered Living — 2:6–7
Threats to Christ-Centered Living — 2:8–23
Living a Christ-Centered Life — 3:1–4:6
Letter Closing — 4:7–18
About Colossians
What a glorious hope lives within us! This is the theme of Paul’s masterpiece written to the church of Colossae—our hope of glory!
The beauty and revelation that comes into us when we receive the truth of this letter is astounding. The Holy Spirit hands to us many wonderful nuggets of gold here. The heavenly hope of glory, the mystery hidden and reserved for this generation, is Jesus our anointed Messiah.
Paul penned this letter while in a prison cell. When hope was absent in his environment, Paul rediscovered it in his enjoyment of Christ within himself. No matter where you live or what surrounds you in this moment, there is a burning hope inside your soul that does more than just carry you through—it releases the heavenly Christ within. Great comfort and encouragement can be found by reading the letter to the Colossians.
Written about AD 60, Paul seeks to focus on the wonderful hope of the gospel and reminds the believers to not turn aside or fall victim to those who would minimize Christ and lead the church into empty philosophies and humanism. Already, there were many false teachers and cults that were forming and deceiving new believers and drawing them away from the supremacy of Christ. Many have noted that of all Paul’s letters, Colossians speaks more of the importance of Christ than any other.
Nearly everyone who has studied Colossians would agree that the summary of this letter can be found in 1:18–19: “He is the Head of his body, which is the church. And since he is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, he is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything. For God is satisfied to have all his fullness dwelling in Christ.”
We can never be moved away from our glorious Head, Jesus Christ! To see him is to see the fullness of the Father and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. How we love this firstborn heir of all things!
Purpose
The major reason why Paul wrote this letter was to equip the Colossian church to fend off false teaching and help them resist false teachers within the community. It seems as though certain Christians in the city had believed and were promoting a version of Christianity that threatened orthodox beliefs and practices that stood in contrast to what the Colossian church had received from Epaphras. Paul judged this version to not only be deficient but dangerous. He penned this letter to remind believers of the wonderful hope of the gospel and not to turn aside or fall victim to those who would minimize Christ and lead the church into empty philosophies and humanism.
Author and Audience
Although the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church of Colossae, we do not believe he was the one who started this church, nor had he ever been to the city. It was most likely the result of Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus, which was less than a hundred miles away. So effective was Paul’s preaching and teaching that his converts spread the message out of Ephesus throughout the region known as Asia Minor. Most likely it was Epaphras who was the church planter in the Lycus Valley, which included the cities of Laodicea, Hieropolis, and Colossae.
Although Paul had never visited their city, he had heard of the believers of Colossae and began to pray for them that they would advance and become the fullness of Christ on the earth. Perhaps the new converts had met first in the home of Philemon until they outgrew the “house church.” How tenderly Paul speaks to them, as a father in the faith, to motivate them to keep their hearts and beliefs free from error. The church today needs to hear these truths.
Major Themes
The Supremacy and Centrality of Christ. The key theme to Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae is the supremacy and centrality of Christ. One of the clearest pictures we have of this theme is the famed “Christ Hymn” of 1:15–20. Colossians makes it clear that in reigning supreme Jesus is himself God. As God he reigns over all creation. Paul also makes it clear that Jesus is all sufficient for our spiritual life, and should reign supreme at its center.
The Body of Christ. One of the most unique aspects of this letter is Paul’s description of the church as Christ’s “body.” He presents Christ as the church’s ruler, who has authority over her and who also sustains her. And as Christ’s body, we are the continuing presence of Christ on the earth; through the church the mission of Christ is revealed and advanced.
The True Gospel. The major purpose for Paul’s letter was to confront false teachers and their false gospel. Apparently, they were adding to the gospel Epaphras taught—mixing Jewish legalism, human tradition, and angel worship. Paul urges the Colossians to reject this religious enslavement and remember the true message of Christ and his lasting hope: “Never be shaken from the hope of the gospel you have believed in” (Col. 1:23).
The Christian Life. Using the metaphor of a body, Paul teaches that our life as Christians must be rooted in Christ—he is the Head, after all. He is the one who empowers us and renews us; we have our entire existence in him! Since it is through Christ we live as Christians, a “rules-oriented” lifestyle dictated by humans will not lead to spiritual growth.
Colossians
Heaven’s Hope
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