Colossians
Name and Contents
This letter is named for its recipients, the Christian community in the Phrygian city of Colossae (1.2), a community founded by Epaphras, a Colossian associate of Paul (1.7–8; 4.12–13). Once a thriving town on the Lycus River in the Roman province of Asia, Colossae had a significant Jewish population. The city fell into decline after an earthquake ca. 60 ce; the site has not yet been excavated.
Authorship, Date of Composition, Historical Context, and Literary History
Despite its similarity to the undisputed letters of Paul in structure, language, and theology, Colossians lacks some central Pauline terms (e.g., righteousness, justification), uses new theological vocabulary (e.g., to be raised with Christ), and is composed in a more elevated, liturgical style. Colossians presents a vision of believers’ present lives as almost completely transformed by Christ's death and resurrection (3.1–4), a contrast to Paul's characteristic tension between the partial experience of God's blessings in the present in light of the future resurrection (e.g., Rom 6.4; 1 Cor 15.50–58). Colossians also uses the Greco-Roman format of household rules to define ethical norms (3.18–4.1), which is more characteristic of the post-Pauline Ephesians, Pastoral Letters, and 1 Peter. Paul's own ethical instructions did not reinforce or even focus on these household relationships; Paul instead adopted a baptismal creed that overturns social, ethnic, and gender hierarchies (Gal 3.28), and elevated celibacy over marriage (e.g., 1 Cor 7). Some scholars conclude that Colossians is pseudonymous—written in Paul's name by one of his disciples, either during Paul's lifetime or shortly after his death (ca. 65 ce), in order to authorize the application of Paul's thought to a new situation. Other scholars think the letter was written by Paul while imprisoned (4.3,10,18) at Rome near the end of his life and attribute any theological differences to developments in Paul's thinking and the particulars of the situation addressed.
After beginning with a glowing description of the Colossians’ lives, the author soon alludes to unnamed teachers who pose a threat to their faith. Without an independent description of these teachings, precise identification is difficult. It appears that these teachers advocated observance of ascetic rituals, where the adherent seeks the help of spiritual powers to reach the divine throne (2.8–23). Many scholars understand these rituals to be indebted to Jewish mysticism; others emphasize the influence of local Phrygian religious practices or Hellenistic philosophy. The attractiveness of Jewish ritual elements within the church at Colossae reflects not only the ongoing close connections between Jewish and Christian communities, but also the fluidity of practices across porous religious boundaries. The polemical tone of Colossians, however, represents an emerging first-century Christian ambivalence toward Jewish rituals and the desire to more clearly define community boundaries.
Structure
Colossians follows the usual structure of a Pauline letter (see pp. 2009–10), beginning with a greeting (1.1–2), an introductory thanksgiving (1.3–8) and prayer (1.9–14), and ending with greetings and instructions (4.7–18). The body of the letter includes both a theological argument (2.6–23) and ethical instructions (3.1–4.6). The basis of the theological argument—focused on Christ—is presented in 1.12–2.5. In the elevated words of an early Christian hymn, Christ is praised as the supreme power over the cosmos and the church (1.15–20). Although cosmic forces enslaved humanity in the past, believers have been freed from their malevolent influence, forgiven through Christ's death, and made full citizens of the kingdom of Christ, to whom they now owe complete allegiance (1.12–14, 21–23). Christ is the perfect revelation of God (1.19; 2.9–10) and the single source of wisdom about how to live rightly (1.9–10; 2.2–3).
Interpretation
The main theological argument of Colossians focuses on the change in believers’ spiritual existence achieved by Christ's death on the cross (2.9–15). The recurring contrasts of death and life (2.12–13,20; 3.1–5), old and new (3.9–10), and past and present (1.12–14,21–23) emphasize the fundamental psychological and moral reorientation required of those who would be faithful to Christ. This letter presupposes a world populated by a multitude of spiritual or cosmic entities enmeshed in conflict with humans and the divine (1.16; 2.8,15,18). Our author believes that rituals of mystical ascension to the heavenly realm (see above) belong to the old, inferior world and entail subjection to cosmic entities; they must be rejected as denials of Christ's lordship.
The members of a true Christian community, rejecting their previous immoral lifestyle (3.5–11) and reorienting their entire lives around Christ as Lord (3.1–4), are to live in harmony with each other as they worship and give thanks to God and Christ (3.12–17). It is therefore surprising that the idealized household (3.18–4.1) is only a mildly Christianized version of the ancient patriarchal family rather than a reconsideration of household relationships based on the equality of all in Christ and on mutual love and forgiveness (3.10–15). The letter's elevated language of death, ascension, and spiritual wisdom provided fertile ground for theological speculation since the second century ce; perhaps most significant, however, is the Christological language in 1.15–20 that shaped the debates of the fourth century and the formation of the church's creeds.
Jennifer K. Berenson
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To the saints and faithful brothers and sistersa in Christ in Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant.b He is a faithful minister of Christ on yourc behalf, 8and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God'sd will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enablede youf to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.a
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for inb him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in himb all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciledc in his fleshly bodyd through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
24I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
2
For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself,a 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
6As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your livesb in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe,c and not according to Christ. 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,d by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Gode made youf alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmedg the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
16Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwellingh on visions,i puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,a 19and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
20If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe,b why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”? 22All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. 23These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking selfindulgence.c
3
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is yourd life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.e 7These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.f 8But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusiveg language from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11In that renewalh there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
12As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lordi has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christa 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.b 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 22Slaves, obey your earthly mastersc in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.c23Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters,d 24since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you servee the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.
4
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
2Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 3At 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, 4so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.
5Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.f 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.
7Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servantg in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we areh and that he may encourage your hearts; 9he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
10Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him. 11And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servanta of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills. 13For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15Give my greetings to the brothers and sistersb in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea. 17And say to Archippus, “See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.”
18I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.c