Colossians

1. GREETINGS FROM PAUL AND TIMOTHY TO THE COLOSSIANS (1:1–2)

Colossians begins with Paul’s standard address, identifying himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God (1:1; cf. 1 Co 1:1; Rm 1:1). He includes the name of his coauthor, Timothy. Paul greets the Colossians as “saints” (or “holy people”), a typical designation for believers in Paul’s letters (1:2). By identifying them as holy, Paul draws on the ancient Jewish conviction that God’s people are set apart and devoted wholly to him. Paul reinforces his conviction that, in Christ, Gentiles too are full members of God’s kingdom (see 1:12–13; 3:11). Moreover, Paul calls the Colossians “faithful,” a term rarely used by Paul to describe humans (though he identifies Timothy as such in 1 Co 4:17). His letter will continue to build on this identity by encouraging the Colossians to “remain . . . steadfast in [their] faith” and hold fast to the “hope of the gospel” (1:23).

2. THANKSGIVING (1:3–12)

In these nine verses, Paul begins and ends with thanksgiving for the Colossians’ being in Christ. Verses 3–4 and 12 parallel each other, the latter expanding on the former; similarly, verses 9–11 build on 5–6.

1:3–6. First establishing the Colossians’ faith and love in Christ (1:4), Paul then adds another of his favorite terms—“hope” (1:5; see 1 Co 13:13; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8). The terms “faith,” “love,” and “hope” are dynamic and active for Paul (see also 1 Th 1:3). Faith is rooted in Christ; it involves personal trust, and it acts based on that trust. Love is a commitment to the well-being of all believers and then to the world. Hope is not merely hopefulness but the clear vision of that which is hoped for.

The center of this section introduces the term “gospel” (1:5), described here in organic terms—it is growing both within their community and throughout the entire world; it is bearing fruit in all places (1:6). In 1:21–23 Paul expands on what the gospel message is. He explains that Christ’s physical body was put to death, which results in humans being reconciled to God and being made holy. This gospel is accessed by faith held confidently to the end.

1:7–12. Paul offers high praise to Epaphras, a fellow worker with Paul who faithfully presented the gospel of Christ to the Colossians (1:7). Epaphras is with Paul when he writes the letter. In Phm 23 (written at the same time as Colossians), he is identified as Paul’s fellow prisoner (cf. Col 4:10; Rm 16:7). This is probably not an honorific title, and it likely indicates that while Paul wrote Philemon, Epaphras stayed with him in prison.

The description in 1:12 parallels 1:3–4 and expands on these verses to speak of the Colossians’ faith in terms of the inheritance of God’s kingdom and their love in terms of being part of God’s people. In a similar fashion, 1:9–11 builds on 1:5–6.

3. THE HYMN TO CHRIST (1:13–27)

A. The Father rescues his people (1:13–14). Paul explains how the church’s rightful inheritance of God’s kingdom (1:12) has been accomplished. (On the kingdom of God in Paul, see also Rm 14:17; 1 Co 4:20; 6:9; 15:24–28.) The Colossians had lived in darkness—that is, in sinfulness—but God rescued them through his beloved Son, and now they are in the light (1:13; cf. Lk 16:8; Jn 12:36; 1 Th 5:15). Paul describes forgiveness in terms of release from captivity (1:14), a theme he will develop more fully later in the argument, when he speaks of Christ’s overcoming the powers and authorities (1:16; 2:10, 15).

B. The Son offers reconciliation (1:15–20). This passage contains some of the most poignant Christology in the NT. The passage sounds like a hymn, so it may be something that Paul wrote himself or that he appropriated from the church. The hymn fits the context well, and Paul uses it to expand on key themes of God’s kingdom (1:12–14), creation (3:10), and Christ’s power in reconciling humans to God (2:13–14).

1:15. In declaring that Christ is the image of the invisible God, Paul asserts that pagan idols are not representative of God, for God is invisible, except through the Son (see Jn 1:18). Moreover, as the image of God, Christ reflects the Godhead in its divine nature. Christ is “the firstborn,” which means that Christ is the exalted preexistent one who was with God at creation, though he was not in his human form. These key ideas play out in 3:9–10, where Paul admonishes the Colossians to live in their new self, which is “being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”

1:16–17. Christ is the means through which creation was made and is sustained. In Christ all things were created, including anything, seen or unseen, that claims ultimate authority or precedence in a believer’s life—anything that is feared or honored above Christ (1:16). Christ being the source of all things, Paul concludes that all things are held together and function for Christ (1:17).

1:18. The fact that Christ is preeminent over creation has consequences for humanity. Specifically, Christ is the head (Gk kephalē) of the church, which Paul identifies as his body. And Christ is the beginning (Gk archē). Both of the terms in Greek carry the sense of source, creative initiative, or first principle as well as leader. Paul may be drawing on all these nuances—Christ is the source, the leader, and the mind of the church. It is Christ’s resurrection that secures his supremacy. Christ has always had preeminence in principle, but the resurrection made that supremacy actual in time by defeating sin and death on the cross and in the grave. The reward is not only authority over all things but also the resurrection of his body (literally and figuratively as the church).

1:19–20. The purpose behind Christ’s death and resurrection, as 1:20 makes clear, is to reconcile all things to God. Christ is fully God (1:19) and as such is able to carry out the redemption plan, which redeems and reconciles all creation—his creation—to God. The cross made peace between God and his creation; it reconciled all things, which suggests that its power was not limited to human sin but covered the ramifications of sin throughout all creation. This reconciliation is available to all by faith. Paul is not claiming a universal salvation here; rather, he is emphasizing the scope of Christ’s redemptive work—all people, and indeed all creation, can be reconciled, through faith (1:23; see also 2 Co 5:10). [The Colossians and the Hymn to Christ]

C. The Colossians stand firm in faith and hope (1:21–23). After finishing the hymn of praise to Christ, Paul now presents the implications of his Christology. In the past the Colossians were alienated from God (1:21). From God’s perspective, the situation that created their alienation has been fixed on the cross (1:22). Does Paul imply that this “fix” is conditional, when he adds “if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith” (1:23)? The point Paul makes is that the Colossians must stay the course, both in mind and in behavior. They must remain connected to the head, Christ, for the body cannot live without its head. Paul gives no hint that he is worried they might not reach this goal.

D. The example of Paul’s suffering (1:24–27). 1:24. Paul declared himself a servant of Christ in 1:23 and in the next few verses fleshes out what that means in terms of Christ’s sacrifice and the growth of the church. He uses terms such as “flesh” and “body” that carry a range of meanings. In 1:22, Paul declared that Christ conquered sin with his death (on the cross) in his fleshly body, and in 1:24, Paul expands the connotations of Christ’s body to include the church. He has both meanings in mind when he declares that he suffers physically (in his flesh) for the church, following Christ’s example for the church (metaphorically, Christ’s body).

1:25–27. Paul has described the gospel’s power as bearing fruit and expanding across the whole world (1:6, 23). Now he adds a new descriptor to the word of God—mystery (1:25–26), which refers to the new activity of God in Christ in creating a new people for God (see also Rm 11:25–26; 16:25–26; Eph 3:3–6). The secret revealed is that Gentiles are full members of God’s family through Christ (1:27). Now Jews and Gentiles equally partake of the riches of God through faith in Christ. The mystery is Christ himself (2:2) and his work on the cross creating a body (church) for himself.

4. THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN MATURITY (1:28–4:6)

A. Paul contends for the Colossians (1:28–2:7). 1:28. Paul reveals his overriding concern for the Colossians—namely, their maturity in Christ, which consists of discerning true wisdom (found in Christ alone) and then living that truth consistently to the end. The term “mature” carries the connotation of completeness and realized potential.

1:29–2:5. Twice Paul uses an athletic image to stress his fervent efforts on behalf of the Colossians and their neighbors in Laodicea. He is “striving” (1:29) and “struggling” (2:1) for them, using terminology that draws on the rich imagery of the Roman stadium games. Paul invites them to compare his diligence in serving the church with that of athletes who train fiercely for clan honor and pride.

When Paul declares that his sufferings are “completing . . . what is lacking” in terms of Christ’s afflictions (Col 1:24), he is referring to the ongoing work of Christ’s servants who encounter great struggles as they preach the gospel (Rm 8:17). While in prison, Paul declares that he desires to participate in Christ’s sufferings (Php 3:10–11). Paul knows well that tribulations are part of his work (see 1 Co 4:8–13; 2 Co 11:23–33) and that the church, as Christ’s body, will experience suffering as it lives out the gospel.

2:6–7. The final two verses in this section summarize in more detail what Paul has in mind in encouraging them to full maturity (1:28). Paul speaks of the Colossians having “received” this truth (2:6), the verb here carrying a technical sense of tradition being passed on by a qualified teacher. Paul uses the same language in 1 Co 11:23, when speaking about the Eucharist, and in 1 Co 15:1, 3, when he summarizes the gospel message. Paul enjoins them to gain a better understanding of their faith that they might live strong and with joyous thankfulness (2:7; cf. 1:12; 3:15). So armed, they will be well prepared to face down the “philosophy” that threatens (2:8).

B. Christ is over every power and authority (2:8–15). 2:8. This “philosophy” encouraged Gentiles to take up the Mosaic law in addition to their faith in Christ for full attainment of the Christian life. Paul warns the Colossians of this potential threat. The dangerous teaching, which has yet to infect the community, is characterized by human tradition, not the wisdom of God. Moreover, it relies on the stoicheia (elemental forces, basic principles of the world, or the gods of this world; see also 2:20; Gl 4:3, 8–9) rather than Christ, who represents the fullness of God (2:9). (On the identity of this “philosophy” and the implications of stoicheia, see “Purpose and Content” in the introduction to Colossians.)

Paul says that he is laboring, striving, and struggling for the Colossians and Laodiceans (Col 1:29–2:1). His language draws on the image of an athletic competition. These are the remains of the stadium at Laodicea, where Paul’s Letter to the Colossians was also meant to be read (Col 4:16).

2:9–13. Arguing against the philosophy, Paul stresses the fullness of God in Christ (2:9). Paul provides a strong defense for the incarnation: in Jesus Christ’s life and death we see the fullness of God. This fullness lives on in the community because Christ has been raised and is alive and has made believers alive in him (2:13). The insistence that Christ is head over all powers and authorities (2:10) anticipates Paul’s later charge that though the philosophy seeks visions (access to or control over powers of the cosmos, perhaps), such pursuit severs them from Christ, the head (2:18–19).

The importance of circumcision (2:11) in this section suggests that the philosophy is connected with synagogue teachings. Even as circumcision was the key identifier for Jews, so baptism served as the initiation for Christians (2:12). The central question becomes, Who makes up the people of God—those who are circumcised or those who are baptized in Christ? Paul declares that the Colossian Gentiles and Jews are made alive and have their sins forgiven through Christ (2:13). Paul uses past-tense verbs to describe both their burial in baptism and their having been raised with Christ. The significance of the past tense here is to emphasize the reality of their new life in Christ, the power of the resurrection that lives in them through Christ.

2:14–15. Through the cross of Christ, God defeated sin, disarmed powers, and gave believers life. Through Christ’s death, God blotted off the page, so to speak, the condemning verdict (2:14). In canceling the debt of sin, God in Christ thereby rendered impotent those powers and authorities (2:15). When Paul speaks of these powers being made a public spectacle, he likely draws on the image of a triumphant general who has returned from battle displaying his conquered captives.

C. Reject false teachings (2:16–23). 2:16–17. Having established the forgiven status of the believer in Christ and having shown Christ’s triumph over the powers and authorities, Paul warns the Colossians to resist the philosophy’s condemning influence (2:16, 18). In describing the discrete components of the philosophy, Paul highlights its Jewish character, including focus on Sabbath, new moon celebrations, and food laws (2:16).

2:18–19. Paul speaks about the philosophy’s “worship of angels” (2:18), a difficult phrase to interpret. The phrase probably refers to worship with angels, suggesting that the worshipers are taken up (perhaps in an ecstatic state) into the heavens and there worship God along with the angels. This interpretation is supported by Paul’s claim in the next sentence that these people describe their visions in detail. Such bragging further condemns them (see also 1 Co 4:6, 18–19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4). Paul declares that the philosophy’s detailed visions and ascetic practices fail to bring its followers close to God. Paul condemns them as disconnected from Christ, the head of the body, the church (2:19).

2:20–22. Paul has no patience for such teachings—he enjoins the Colossians to resist. The Colossians must own their true selves: they have died to this world and now live in Christ (2:20; see also Rm 6:8–11; 7:4–6; Gl 2:19). The world’s traditions and expectations need no longer control them because they have entered into Christ’s new life through baptism (2:12–15).

The description “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch” (2:21) suggests Jewish piety, here relegated to the present age, which works off human tradition and its limited wisdom (see also Mt 15:9, citing Is 29:13). Paul does not claim that Jews are legalistic or dismiss these practices outright; rather, he relegates them to a secondary status in light of the surpassing greatness of Christ (2:22). Paul is speaking from an eschatological perspective: in Christ the new age for Jews and Gentiles has begun. The law was part of the old age and as such is a precursor to the reality in Christ.

2:23. Paul labels their behavior as false humility (2:23), although the term “false” is not found in the Greek; it must be added to communicate the context. The description implies ascetic behavior, especially fasting (cf. 2:18). In both Judaism and paganism, fasting was often linked to obtaining visions. For Paul, the philosophy’s regulations fail to deliver a holy life.

The relationship of Jewish law to the church created numerous debates and conflicts within the early church. This is seen, for example, at the Jerusalem Council (Ac 15:1–35), in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Gl 2:1–12), and here again in the Letter to the Colossians (Col 2:16; cf. 1 Co 8:1–13; 10:1–33; Rm 14:3–6, 17).

At this point in the letter, Paul leaves the discussion of the philosophy to explore what life in Christ should look like among the Colossians.

D. Set your heart and mind on things above (3:1–4:6). 3:1–4. Paul described the death and resurrection of Christ in 2:12, and in 2:20–23 he detailed the ramifications of Christ’s death for believers. Now in 3:1–4 he expands on the implications of Christ’s resurrection. Both 2:20 and 3:1 begin with the same Greek phrase translated “if” or “since,” suggesting that the instructions are two sides of the same coin. Just as the death of Christ demolished once and for all the world’s wisdom and values, so too the resurrection of Christ confirms the future glory awaiting the saints (3:4). The gospel message must embrace both aspects of the cross—its past victory over sin and the future glory when Christ returns.

Paul pushes the believers to make Christ’s return and future glory a beacon that guides their steps in the dark and depraved world. The vision that should capture the Colossians’ imagination is one of Christ now seated at God’s right hand (3:1). The force of the verb “to set” in 3:2 carries the sense of forging a perspective, permanently reshaping a mindset, and fixing a sustained opinion. The Colossians have died in Christ (in baptism, 3:3; cf. 2:12) to the nonsense promoted by the philosophy and now must go forward daily living out that new reality.

3:5–7. Paul exhorts the Colossians to “put to death” all that is connected to this world (3:5a). Does this statement contradict what he insisted on in 3:3? No, for in 3:5 Paul elaborates how this death in Christ can be actualized in their daily lives. As Christians, the Colossians no longer need take the bait of sin. Freed from that compulsion, believers can reject all those behaviors that alienate them from each other and from God.

The picture of Christ “seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1) has deep roots in earliest Christianity, drawing on Ps 110:1. This psalm is cited directly in Mk 12:36 (and parallel passages); Ac 2:34–35; and Heb 1:13, as well as alluded to a number of other times throughout the NT.

The first grouping of sins (3:5b) spotlights sexual improprieties, listed in order from the most to the least visible. He begins with public sexual immorality, rampant in the ancient pagan world. He moves from behaviors to attitudes, including greed, which focuses on satiating desires. Paul concludes that if you trace back from the behavior to the mindset that led to it, you will find idolatry at the core. The inward focus on satisfying physical passions amounts to placing oneself at the center instead of God. Paul insists that to effect a change at the public, behavioral level, one has to ultimately kill that which led to it all—idolatry.

3:8–9. A second list of sins pivots on anger (3:8). Once again Paul moves from the most public demonstration of anger—rage—to the more subtle forms of anger, such as slander. In all cases, what comes from the mouth sullies the person. Paul is quite concerned about lying (3:9). Truth telling should be characteristic of those who live in Christ, who is God’s truth to us. Since we image Christ, the fully human being, we must be truthful (3:10). By following his charge against lying with the emphatic claim that social, racial, and ethnic differences should not divide the people of God (3:11), Paul reveals that lying is not simply a private matter but could infect the entire community.

3:10–17. Paul promises that the believer’s new self is being renewed “in knowledge according to the image of your Creator” (3:10). A similar sentiment is expressed in Rm 12:2, where the believers are to renounce this world and be transformed by renewing their minds (see also 2 Co 4:16). Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and Paul’s claim in 3:10 indicates that, in Christ, humanity has been restored to fullness and completeness. Paul was clearly thinking of the entire church, rather than the individual, because he goes on to describe the body of Christ as one, not disparate ethnic and social groups (3:11). Unlike the philosophy, which stressed private visions and competitive asceticism, Paul stresses the unity of the Christian community (3:12–17).

3:18. After encouraging the Colossians to pursue peace in their community, Paul applies the truth of the gospel to the household (3:18–4:1). What one does in the privacy of one’s most intimate relationships will reveal whether the “new self” is living up to its full potential. (For more background, see the article “The Greco-Roman Family and the Household of God”; see also the article “Household Codes” in Ephesians.) Paul is concerned here not about social and legal codes but about relationships lived in the covenant of love in Christ. [The Greco‐Roman Family and the Household of God]

Therefore, the wife is asked to submit herself to her husband because submission is a Christian character trait that can be lived out in marriage (3:18). All the Christian character traits—peace, wisdom, knowledge, forgiveness, compassion, and so on—should be part of her Christian behavior at home. Jesus Christ practiced perfect submission to the Father (1 Co 15:28); wives have a similar opportunity to practice this sort of submission. The phrase “fitting in the Lord” is an important qualifier. This phrase likely means that the wife submits only to the degree that is countenanced in the Lord (see 1 Co 7:15).

3:19. Paul turns to husbands with the command to love their wives. His choice of verb, agapaō (related to agapē), alerts his readers that he is speaking of the type of love characterized by Christ’s self-giving on the cross (e.g., Rm 8:37). Paul’s recipe for harmony in the marriage is that the love that unites the church should bind husband and wife. Paul also speaks to husbands to resist bitterness. Husbands might feel cheated by having to love their wives sacrificially, since the society taught that husbands were owed respect and devotion. Paul insists that they resist becoming bitter against their wives if such cultural expectations are not met.

3:20–21. Paul’s charge to children (3:20) echoes the fifth commandment (Ex 20:12), which promises that those who honor parents will have a long life. In the ancient world (and in many cultures today) the child’s obedience and honor due his or her parents continued until the parents’ death. Given that, Paul is careful to warn fathers against abusing their authority (3:21; cf. his warnings against abusive speech in 3:8).

3:22–4:1. The most extensive discussion is that of slave and master. Even as children are to obey their parents in all things, so too slaves are to obey their masters (3:22). Paul would not expect either children or slaves to obey an order that contradicted God’s teachings. Nor is Paul condoning the institution of slavery. Rather, he is explaining to slaves how they can be faithful in the midst of their servitude. Paul declares that they are slaves of Christ (3:24), a label he uses for himself. He enjoins them to work as though the Lord himself is their master, and such efforts will be rewarded with an inheritance (3:23–24), something no slave could expect from a human master. Moreover, justice will be meted out; the Lord will fairly judge situations and render appropriate rewards and punishment (3:25). This is comforting news to those whose situation might render them voiceless (1 Pt 2:19–20; Gn 39:11–20).

To conclude this section, Paul writes to slave masters (4:1), who, it should be noted, could be male or female. The slave owner must wield responsibility mindful of the Lord’s own claims on his or her life. The master is enjoined to be just, even as Christ will judge fairly.

Paul discusses the Christian household in Col 3:18–4:1 and Eph 5:21–6:9, while in 1 Pt 3:1–7 Peter focuses on a situation where a believing wife is married to an unbelieving husband.

4:2–6. In the remaining call to faithful prayer, Paul repeats his concern that the Colossians continue to be thankful (4:2; cf. 1:12; 2:6; 3:15). He speaks again of the mystery of Christ (4:3–4), having explained God’s salvation plan in Christ to bring all people into the family of God (1:26; 2:2), and he invites the Colossians to enter into that ministry by living the gospel (4:5–6).

5. FINAL GREETINGS (4:7–18)

4:7–11. Paul mentions ten names at the end of his letter, all companions in the ministry of the gospel. There is intriguing overlap in the names here and throughout the Letter to Philemon.

Tychicus is the bearer of the letter (4:7–8); he is joined by Onesimus, the slave of Philemon (4:9). Paul mentions three Jewish believers, Aristarchus, Mark (cousin of Barnabas), and Jesus called Justus, who stood by him faithfully (4:10–11). Paul asks that the Colossians welcome Mark if he comes, implying that the Colossians knew of the fallout between Paul and Barnabas (Ac 15:36–40). Paul assures them that the rift has been mended.

4:12–17. A special commendation is given to Epaphras, the founder of the Colossian church (4:12–13; cf. Col 1:7). Paul also sends greetings from Luke and Demas (4:14) and asks that a special greeting be given to Nympha and her house church (4:15–16). He also gives a message for Archippus to complete the work he began in the Lord (4:17).

Although Colossians includes only a single verse addressed to slave owners (Col 4:1), Paul also sends an entire letter to a slave owner, Philemon, in the Colossians’ midst, where he more fully expresses his opinions on Christians owning Christians. Paul’s Letter to Philemon makes clear that, in the long term, slave ownership is not compatible with the Christian life.

4:18. Paul concludes with a signature statement explaining that he writes the final remarks in his own hand (cf. 1 Co 16:21; Gl 6:11; 2 Th 3:17). One has the sense that he is impeded from elaborating the final blessing, for normally he writes “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Php 4:23; Gl 6:18) or even more expansive closings (2 Co 13:13; 1 Co 16:23–24; Rm 16:25–27). He asks the Colossians to uphold him because of his chains (see Col 4:3). Not only does he desire their prayers, but perhaps also he needs their active (financial?) support.