Book of Colossians
Summary of the Book of Colossians
This summary of the
book of Colossians provides information about the title, author(s), date of
writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the
chapters of the Book of Colossians.
That Colossians is a
genuine letter of Paul (1:1) is usually not disputed. In the early church, all who speak on
the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. In the 19th century, however,
some thought that the heresy refuted in ch. 2 was second-century Gnosticism.
But a careful analysis of ch. 2 shows that the heresy referred to there
is noticeably less developed than the Gnosticism of leading Gnostic teachers of
the second and third centuries. Also, the seeds of what later became the
full-blown Gnosticism of the second century were present in the first century
and already making inroads into the churches. Consequently, it is not necessary
to date Colossians in the second century at a time too late for Paul to have
written the letter.
Instead, it is to be
dated during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, where he spent at least two
years under house arrest (see Ac 28:16-31). Some have argued that Paul wrote Colossians
from Ephesus or Caesarea, but most of the evidence favors Rome as the place
where Paul penned all the Prison Letters (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians
and Philemon). Colossians should be dated c. a.d. 60, in the same year as
Ephesians and Philemon.
Several hundred years
before Paul's day, Colosse had been a leading city in Asia Minor (present-day
Turkey). It was located on the Lycus River and on the great east-west trade route
leading from Ephesus on the Aegean Sea to the Euphrates River (see map, p.
2288). By the first century a.d. Colosse was diminished to a second-rate market
town, which had been surpassed long before in power and importance by the
neighboring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis (see 4:13).
What gave Colosse NT
importance, however, was the fact that, during Paul's three-year ministry in
Ephesus, Epaphras had been converted and had carried the gospel to Colosse
(cf. 1:7-8; Ac 19:10). The young church that resulted then became
the target of heretical attack, which led to Epaphras's visit to Paul in Rome
and ultimately to the penning of the Colossian letter.
Perhaps as a result of
the efforts of Epaphras or other converts of Paul, Christian churches had also
been established in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Some of them were house churches
(see 4:15; Phm 2). Most likely all of them were primarily
Gentile.
Paul never explicitly
describes the false teaching he opposes in the Colossian letter. The nature of
the heresy must be inferred from statements he made in opposition to the false
teachers. An analysis of his refutation suggests that the heresy was diverse in
nature. Some of the elements of its teachings were:
1. Ceremonialism. It held to strict rules about the kinds
of permissible food and drink, religious festivals (2:16-17) and circumcision (2:11;3:11).
4. Depreciation of Christ. This is implied in Paul's emphasis on
the supremacy of Christ (1:15-20; 2:2-3,9).
5. Secret knowledge. The Gnostics boasted of this (see 2:18 and Paul's emphasis in 2:2-3 on Christ, "in whom are hidden all
the treasures of wisdom").
These elements seem to
fall into two categories, Jewish and Gnostic. It is likely, therefore, that the
Colossian heresy was a mixture of an extreme form of Judaism and an early stage
of Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism; see also note on 2:23).
Paul's purpose is to
refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this goal, he exalts Christ as the
very image of God (1:15), the Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17), the head of the church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) and the reconciler (1:20-22). Thus Christ is completely adequate. We
"have been given fullness in Christ" (2:10). On the other hand, the Colossian heresy was altogether
inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptive philosophy (2:8), lacking any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23).
The theme of
Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness
of mere human philosophy.
Final Greetings and
Benediction (4:7-18)
