INTRODUCTION
1. Destination
Colosse was a small market town situated on the south bank of the Lycus River in the interior of the Roman province of Asia (an area included in modern Turkey). Located about a hundred miles east of Ephesus, its nearest neighbors were Laodicea and Hierapolis (both of these cities had communities of believers; cf. 2:1; 4:13). Colosse and Laodicea were probably evangelized during the time of Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus (Ac 19:10), though there is no record of it in Acts. All our information about the church must be found in this letter and in incidental allusions in the companion letter to Philemon.
2. Authorship
The authenticity of Colossians has been questioned, though today there is broad agreement that it is, as it purports to be (1:1; 4:18), from the hand of Paul. Evidence for this comes not only from within the letter but also from the witness of many early Christian writers. While the external testimony to Paul as the author of Colossians is not equal to that of some of his other letters, so far as we can determine, it was never doubted.
Pauline authorship was not seriously questioned until the mid-nineteenth century. Because of similarities with Ephesians, some scholars have accepted one of the two as genuine but not both, considering that one was dependent on the other. Others have denied the Pauline authorship of both Ephesians and Colossians because they thought both reflected second-century Gnosticism. But few today hold that the heresy opposed in Colossians was the fully developed gnostic systems of the second century. We have gained fresh knowledge of the bewildering variety of syncretistic religious movements of the GraecoRoman world of the first century, and this has destroyed the earlier arguments.
In recent years doubts concerning the authenticity of Colossians have focused on vocabulary, style, and doctrine. (1) Vocabulary is no great problem, for the distinctive vocabulary is most apparent where Paul is dealing with the Colossian problem. Therefore, it is not unlikely that at least some of these words were borrowed from the errorists for purposes of refutation; naturally, then, they would not be used in other different contexts. Paul had new things to say in this letter and found new ways of saying them. (2) Regarding style, some of the unquestioned letters of Paul have passages that exhibit the same features of style found in Colossians. Where Colossians is stylistically distinct, it is bound up with the sustained note of thanksgiving that runs through the letter (especially ch. 1). (3) The doctrinal argument claims that this letter’s teachings about Christ—especially the cosmic aspects of his redemptive work—are more fully developed than in other Pauline letters. Its overall Christology, it is sometimes argued, shows such a pronounced similarity to the Logos doctrine of John (Jn 1:1–18) that it betrays a post-Pauline date. But why could not two apostles share this exalted view of Christ’s person and work? Moreover, this doctrine was not entirely new to Paul (cf. Ro 8:19–22; 1Co 8:6); it was only given greater prominence and a more systematic exposition in Colossians.
A strong argument for Pauline authorship is the relation of Colossians to Philemon. Both of these books, sent to the same town and in all likelihood conveyed by the same messenger, contain the names of Paul, Timothy, Onesimus, Archippus, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. The consensus of scholarly opinion is that Philemon is incontestably Pauline, and it is the feeling of many NT scholars that this carries over to Colossians.
3. Date and Place of Origin
Colossians was obviously written during an imprisonment of Paul (4:10, 18), but it contains no indication as to the place of imprisonment. Three options present themselves: Ephesus, Caesarea, and Rome (see introduction to Philippians for more on this). Whether Paul was ever imprisoned in Ephesus is only hypothetical; moreover, Luke was with Paul when Colossians was written (4:14), but he was not with the apostle during his Ephesian ministry. Regarding Caesarea, it is unlikely that such a small city would have been the center of such vigorous missionary activity as 4:3–4, 10–14 seems to suggest. The traditional theory, and the one most generally held, is that Paul was in Rome when Colossians was written (see also introduction to Ephesians). The letter should therefore be dated about A.D. 62, during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (cf. Ac 28:30–31). Perhaps it was written before Ephesians, but surely not much time separated the two.
The site of Aphrodisias in present-day Turkey is associated with the “God-fearers” of the early church. Aphrodisias is near Colosse and was the site of an early Christian church.
4. Occasion
The immediate occasion for the writing of Colossians was the arrival of Epaphras (1:8) in Rome with disturbing news about the presence of heretical teaching at Colosse that was threatening the well-being of the church. This letter gives no direct account of the tenets of this strange teaching, and thus it is difficult to obtain a clear and consistent understanding of it. Yet from the many allusions to the heresy, we are able to sketch its leading features. (1) It professed to be a “philosophy,” but Paul calls it a “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8). (2) It placed much emphasis on ritual circumcision, dietary laws, and the observance of holy days (2:11, 14, 16–17). (3) Affirming the mediation of various supernatural powers in the creation of the world and the whole process of salvation, the false teaching insisted that these mysterious powers be placated and worshiped (2:15, 18–19). As a result of this, Christ was relegated to a relatively minor place in the Colossian system. (4) Some of the errorists were ascetic (2:20–23), teaching that the body is evil and must be treated as an enemy. (5) The advocates of this system claimed to be Christian teachers (cf. 2:3–10).
From these considerations we may conclude that the Colossian heresy was a syncretistic movement combining at least three separate elements: Judaism, paganism, and Christianity. (1) The insistence on legalism, ritualism, and the observance of holy days points to a Jewish element (though not a Pharisaic Judaism).
Belief in the inherent evil of matter made it impossible for the Gnostics to accept the real incarnation of God in Christ. Some of them explained it away by denying the actual humanity of Jesus, holding that he only seemed to be human. The body of Jesus, they taught, was an illusion. Other Gnostics explained away the incarnation by denying the real deity of Jesus. Both of these tendencies were perhaps present at Colosse in embryo form and both may be alluded to in the letter—for example, in the affirmation that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (2:9).
Belief that matter is evil also led to a distorted view of the Christian life. Some Gnostics turned to asceticism; they felt that they had to free themselves from the influence of matter (the body) by inflicting punishment on their bodies. Others turned to libertinism; they assumed an attitude of indifference to things physical and material, the idea being that only the soul is important and therefore the body may do what it pleases. Indications of both tendencies may be found in the Colossian letter, the former being opposed in 2:20ff. and the latter in 3:5ff.
Gnosticism—the word is related to gnosis, “knowledge” (GK 1194)—taught that salvation is obtained not through faith but through knowledge. Such knowledge, however, was knowledge acquired through mystical experience, not intellectual apprehension. It was an occult knowledge, pervaded by the superstitions of astrology and magic.
(3) There was a “Christian” element in the Colossian error as well. While at its heart it was a combination of Judaism and paganism, it wore the mask of Christianity. It did not deny Christ, but it did dethrone him. It gave him a place, but not the supreme place. This Christian facade made the Colossian error all the more dangerous.
That Paul found it necessary to write this letter to the community of Christians at Colosse is evidence that the false teachers had made a strong impression on them and that the threat to the well-being of the church was real. There are indications, however, that the errorists had not achieved complete success (cf. 2:4, 8, 20). Paul therefore can express gratitude for the Colossian Christians and rejoice over the order within their ranks and in their continued fidelity to Christ (cf. l:3ff.; 2:5).
5. Purpose and Theme
Paul’s purpose in writing Colossians was threefold: (1) to express his personal interest in the church, (2) to warn them against reverting to their old pagan vices (cf. 3:5ff.), and (3) to refute the false teaching that was threatening the Colossian church. The last named was undoubtedly Paul’s major concern as he made a plea for the fuller knowledge found in Christ. He confronted the false representation of knowledge by positively setting forth the exalted nature and unmatched glory of Christ.
Colossians therefore proclaims the absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ (cf. esp. 1:18; 2:9; 3:11). He is God’s Son (1:14), the object of the Christian’s faith (1:4), the Redeemer (1:14), the image of God (1:15), the Lord of creation (1:15), the head of the church (1:18), and reconciler of the universe (1:20). In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead (2:9), and under him every power and authority in the universe is subjected (2:10). He is the essence of the mystery of God (2:3), and in him all God’s treasures of wisdom and knowledge lie hidden (2:3). He is the standard by which all religious teaching is to be measured (2:8) and the reality of the truth foreshadowed by the regulations and rituals of the old covenant (2:17). By his cross he conquered the cosmic powers of evil (2:15), and following his resurrection he was enthroned at the right hand of God (3:1). Our life now lies hidden with God in Christ, but one day both he and we will be gloriously manifested (3:3–4).
EXPOSITION
I. Introduction (1:1–14)
A. Salutation (1:1–2)
Paul follows the standard form of greeting of first-century letters but puts a distinctly Christian content into it. He names himself, with appropriate Christian expressions, as the author (v.1), identifies the readers (v.2a), and then expresses the characteristic greeting of grace and peace (v.2b).
1 In designating himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus,” Paul gives his authority for writing. At its deepest level, an apostle (GK 693) denotes an authorized spokesman for God, one commissioned and empowered to act as his representative. Such is the meaning of the word when applied to the Twelve (e.g., Lk 6:13) and to Paul (see also comment on Php 2:25).
Timothy, who was with Paul at the time of writing and is here identified as a “brother” of Paul, was named as a matter of courtesy. He appears to have had no part in the actual writing of the book (cf. 4:18).
2 In the OT, holiness is ascribed not only to persons (Lev 20:7; Dt 7:6; 2Ki 4:9; et al.), but also to places (Ex 29:31; Lev 6:16, 26; Dt 23:14; et al.) and things (Ex 28:2; 29:6; Nu 5:17; et al.). This suggests that the root idea in “holy” (GK 41) is not excellence of character but dedication, the state of being set apart for the work and worship of God. The word “faithful” (GK 4412) implies not only that the addressees are believers, but they are also loyal to Christ, a quality especially appropriate for a church under fire.
“Brothers,” a term of affection used of Christians in every letter of Paul, calls attention to the intimacy of the fellowship of the Christian community. Despite their differences of culture, social status, and racial background, the Colossian believers are bound together by a common bond of love and thus constitute one spiritual family—all spiritually begotten by one Father. “In Christ” emphasizes the spiritual position of believers. They are united with Christ, joined to him as closely as limbs are joined to the body of which they are a part.
The greeting takes the form of a prayer for “grace and peace” to be given the readers. “Grace” (GK 5921) denotes the favor of God; Paul uses this word to express the essence of God’s saving activity in Christ. In our thinking, “peace” (GK 1645) usually suggests the absence of conflict. The NT concept, however, is richer and broader. It denotes wholeness or soundness and includes such ideas as prosperity, contentedness, and good relations with others.
B. Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:3–8)
The content of this thanksgiving is determined by the condition of the church and by Paul’s relationship to it through Epaphras. In these verses we may observe the circumstances and character of the apostle’s thanksgiving (v.3) as well as the grounds and occasion for it (vv.4–8). This passage, which expresses the apostle’s own gratitude, shows that what he enjoined upon others he himself practiced.
3 Paul addresses his thanksgiving to God, thus recognizing that he is the one ultimately responsible for the virtues and graces of his people and for the success of the Gospel—both of which are mentioned in the verses that follow. God is identified as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The God to whom we pray is the God whom Jesus Christ made known to us as our Father.
4–5 Verses 4–8 express the grounds and occasion of Paul’s thanksgiving. The apostle specifically mentions three things, the first being the good report that had come to him of the well-being of the Colossian Christians. His reference to “hearing” about their spiritual condition is in keeping with the fact that he had not personally visited Colosse (cf. 1:9; 2:1). The source of this information was probably Epaphras (cf. v.8), though we must not rule out the possibility that Paul’s reference includes other previous reports of the faith of the Colossians.
The triad of “faith” (v.4a), “love” (v.4b), and “hope” (v.5a) appears with some degree of frequency in Paul’s writings (e.g., Ro 5:2–5; 1Co 13:13; 1Th 1:3; 5:8). “Faith” (GK 4411), which is commitment to or trust in another person, is defined as being anchored “in Jesus Christ.” Theirs was a Christ-centered faith.
“Love” (GK 27) is the fruit of faith and the proof of its genuineness (cf. Gal 5:6; Jas 2:14ff.; 1Jn 3:14). It means caring love, the love that counts no sacrifice too great for the one loved (cf. the verb used in Jn 3:16.) The Colossians’ love was expressed toward “all the saints,” i.e., toward all God’s people. Perhaps the apostle was contrasting the broad goodwill of the Colossian believers with the narrow exclusiveness of the heretical teachers.
“Hope” (GK 1828) is sometimes subjective (what a person feels; cf. Ro 5:2), sometimes objective (denoting what believers hope for; cf. Gal 5:5; 1Pe 1:3). Here it is the latter, referring to the glorious reward and future heavenly blessedness of God’s people. This hope is securely “stored up” for the Colossians in heaven, like a treasure. Moreover, their knowledge of hope came from hearing “the word of truth,” the Gospel that had come to them when Epaphras originally preached the Gospel to them and they were converted. That message seems to be contrasted tacitly with the more recent and heretical preaching of the Colossian errorists.
How does the word “hope” tie into this sentence? One possibility is that along with their faith and love, the Colossians’ hope gives a reason for Paul to be grateful. It is also possible, as in the NIV, to interpret hope as a ground for, or an incentive to, faith and love. Whatever construction one chooses, hope is a part of the total experience of the Colossians that Paul thanks God for.
6 Paul is now led to develop the thought of the progress of the Gospel in the world. This is brought out in such a way as to suggest that this, as well as the report of the Colossians’ welfare, was for Paul a basis for thankfulness. Two ideas are stressed. (1) The Gospel was a fruit-bearing power in the many places where it was preached throughout the ancient world. Perhaps Paul means that the ever-widening scope and deepening influence of the Gospel on its recipients was a mark of its authenticity. “Bearing fruit” suggests that the Gospel is like a living organism whose seed is in itself. “Growing” denotes the rapid spread of the Gospel. Thus these two terms speak of the inner working and the outward extension of the Gospel.
(2) The Gospel conveys the knowledge of “God’s grace in all its truth.” This phrase suggests that the “gospel” that had been recently introduced to the Colossians by the heretical teachers was a travesty. Their so-called “gospel” was not a message of divine grace and truth; it was a system of legal bondage and human traditions.
7–8 A third item in Paul’s expression of thankfulness concerns the work of Epaphras, through whom the Colossians had been instructed in the Gospel. What we know about this man is found only in this passage (vv.4, 7, 9), in 4:12–13, and in Phm 23. He was a native of Colosse and had ministered not only in that city but also in Laodicea and Hierapolis. In Philemon he is described by Paul as his “fellow-prisoner in the cause of Christ Jesus.”
We learn three things about Epaphras in vv.7–8. (1) He was Paul’s “dear fellow servant.” He was, like Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, and Paul looked on him as a valued comrade in the work of the Lord. (2) He was “a faithful minister of Christ on our [Paul’s] behalf.” Epaphras appears to have preached in Paul’s stead in establishing the work at Colosse. Perhaps Epaphras was himself a convert of Paul during the Ephesian ministry, and Paul had delegated him to take the Gospel to the Colossians. Yet as a “minister of Christ,” Epaphras had acted not under the authority of Paul but under that of Paul’s Lord. The Greek word “minister” (GK 1356) here simply means “one who serves.” (3) As a messenger from Colosse, Epaphras had communicated to Paul about the Colossians’ love; the reference may be to the love they had for all the people of God (cf. v.4) or to the love they had for Paul. “In the Spirit” means that it was the Spirit of God who had awakened this love in Paul’s readers. There were other matters not so favorable that Epaphras may have told Paul about the Colossians, but for the moment the apostle is concerned only with these positive features.
C. Prayer of Petition (1:9–14)
To the thanksgiving of vv.3–8, the apostle adds a fervent petition. He prays that the Colossians may be so filled with the knowledge of God’s will (v.9) that they may be enabled to live worthily of the Lord, pleasing him in everything (v.10a). This worthy life involves fruitfulness in every good work (v.10b), growth in the knowledge of God (v.10c), patience and long-suffering (v.11), and gratitude to God for the blessings of redemption (vv.12–14).
9 The words “for this reason,” referring back to vv.3–8, show that this petitionary prayer is Paul’s response to the news that had come to him of the Colossians’ experience in Christ. He was grateful for what had already happened to them and prays now for the further enrichment of their lives.
His prayer contains two requests. The first, and the one on which the rest of the prayer is based, is that God might fill the readers “with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The word “knowledge” (GK 2106) is used in the NT only of moral and religious knowledge. It denotes thorough knowledge, i.e., a deep and accurate comprehension. Such knowledge of God’s will is the foundation of all Christian character and conduct. Already here Paul may be touching on the fact that some in Colosse were failing to attain true knowledge by engaging in wild speculations of a philosophical wisdom.
The “will” of God in its broadest and most inclusive sense is the whole purpose of God as revealed in Christ. In this passage the term perhaps has special reference to God’s intention for the conduct of the Christian life.
To be “filled” (GK 4444) with the knowledge of the divine will suggests that such knowledge is to pervade all of one’s being—thoughts, affections, purposes, and plans. There is an unusual emphasis on “fullness” in this letter. The recurrence of this idea suggests that the Colossian errorists claimed to offer a “fullness” of blessing and truth not found in the preaching of Epaphras. Paul answers by stressing the true fullness available only in Christ (cf. especially 2:9). We acquire knowledge of the will of God by “wisdom” and “understanding.” These two words should be looked on as expressing a single thought, something like practical wisdom or clear discernment. The use of the two words gives completeness to the statement and thus deepens its impression on the reader.
10 Paul’s second petition, built on and growing out of the request for knowledge of the divine will, is that the Colossians might “live a life worthy of the Lord”; living a worthy life is thus represented as a result of knowing God’s desire for one’s life. This suggests that knowledge of God’s will is not imparted as an end in itself; it is given with a practical intent—so that one’s conduct may be godly.
“Live a life” translates a single word (lit., “walk”; GK 4344), one that is often used in Scripture to depict life in its outward expression (cf. 2:6; 3:7; 4:4; et al.). To live a life “worthy of the Lord” probably means to live a life that is commensurate with what the Lord has done for us. It may also suggest acting in conformity with our union with Christ and with his purpose for our lives. The ultimate aim of all this is to “please him [God] in every way.” To “please” (GK 742) suggests an attitude of mind that anticipates every wish. Believers want to do anything to meet the wishes of God; that is the surest path to our own highest development and gain.
Verses 10b–14 underline some of the constituent parts of the kind of life that is pleasing to the Lord. The leading ideas are expressed by four participles: “bearing fruit” (v.10b), “growing” (v.10c), “being strengthened” (v.11a), and “giving thanks” (v.12). (l) “Bearing fruit” (GK 2844; cf. v.6) means that the Christian life is to exhibit continual fruitfulness (cf. Gal 5:22–23). The fruit itself consists in “every good work”—Paul lays great stress on good works in his letters (cf. Eph 2:10; Gal 5:5; Tit 1:16; 2:7, 14; 3:8, 15; et al.). In his discussion on good works, he represents them as the fruit, not the root, of a right relationship with God.
(2) The Christian should also experience continual personal spiritual enlargement, an idea expressed in the words “growing [GK 889] in the knowledge of God.” The preposition in suggests that the knowledge of God is the sphere or realm in which spiritual growth takes place. It is possible, however, to translate the phrase as “growing by the knowledge of God.” When rendered like this, the text affirms that the knowledge of God is the means by which the Christian grows. What rain and sunshine are to the nurture of plants, the knowledge of God is to the growth and maturing of the spiritual life.
11 (3) “Being strengthened with all power” is the next element in the life pleasing to God. Christians are engaged in moral conflict with the cosmic powers of a darkened world (cf. Eph 6:12), and nothing short of divine empowerment can enable them to stand. “Strengthened” (GK 1540) translates the same root word used in Php 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
This empowerment is “according to his [God’s] glorious might.” That is to say, it is not proportioned simply to our need, but to God’s abundant supply. “His glorious might” is literally translated “the might of his glory.” We should probably retain this rendering and understand the thought to be the might of God’s own manifested nature. In this interpretation “glory” stands for the revealed splendor or majesty of God—the sum total of his divine perfections.
The twofold issue of such empowerment is “endurance and patience.” The first term (GK 5705) denotes the opposite of cowardice and despondency; it is the capacity to see things through. “Patience” (GK 3429) is the opposite of wrath or a spirit of revenge. It speaks of even-temperedness, the attitude that in spite of injury or insult does not retaliate.
It is debatable whether “joyfully” should be construed with “endurance and patience” or with “giving thanks.” A distinctively Christian quality (cf. Gal 5:22; Php 1:18; 2:17; 3:1; et al.), joy is often associated in the NT with hardship and suffering.
12 (4) The crowning virtue of the worthy Christian life is “giving thanks.” One reason for gratitude to God is that he has “qualified” believers “to share in the inheritance of the saints.” In themselves believers have no fitness for sharing in the heritage of God’s people. They can experience this only as God qualifies them for such a privilege. This God has done for the Colossians and does for any believer at the time of his or her conversion.
To “share in” the inheritance of the saints is to have a portion of the heritage belonging to God’s people. There is an obvious allusion to the inheritance of ancient Israel in the Promised Land and the share of the inheritance each Israelite had. Christians, as the new people of God, also have an inheritance, and each believer has a share allotted to him or her.
“In the kingdom of light” seems to mark the inheritance as future and heavenly. But the following verse affirms that Christians have already been rescued from the dominion of darkness and are even now in the kingdom of God’s Son. The kingdom of God is all around us—in our homes, our families, our businesses—in sum, in everything that makes up our lives.
13 The proof that God has qualified us for a share of the inheritance of the saints is that he has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” “Rescued” (GK 4861) means to liberate, save, or deliver someone from something; that from which Christians have been rescued is a “dominion of darkness” (Jesus used the same phrase at the time of his arrest in Gethsemane; see Lk 22:53). “Darkness” in Scripture is symbolic of ignorance, falsehood, and sin (cf. Jn 3:19; Ro 13:12). But Paul probably had the Colossian heresy in mind, because the principalities and powers to which the false teachers urged Christians to pay homage are designated by him “the powers of this dark world” (Eph 6:12).
God’s action in behalf of his people does not stop with deliverance from the authority of darkness. He has also “brought [them] into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” “Brought” (GK 3496) was a word used in reference to removing persons from one country and settling them as colonists and citizens in another country. This took place at the time of the Colossians’ conversion. The “kingdom” (GK 993; see comment on Mk 1:15) is not to be interpreted as a future realm; it was for the Colossians a present reality (cf. Jn 3:3–5). Nor is the kingdom to be interpreted as an area designated on a map; it is the sovereign rule of the Lord Christ over human hearts. The expression “the Son he loves” is reminiscent of the words of the Father at the baptism and the transfiguration of Jesus (Mt 3:17; 17:5).
14 By virtue of union with Christ, redemption and forgiveness are ours. “Redemption” (GK 667), a term that speaks of a release brought about by the payment of a price, was used of the deliverance of slaves from bondage or of prisoners of war from captivity. “We have” teaches that the believer’s redemption is a present possession. “Forgiveness” (lit., “a sending away”; GK 912) speaks of the removal of our sins from us, so that they are no longer barriers that separate us from God. By putting redemption and forgiveness in apposition to each other, Paul teaches that the central feature of redemption is the forgiveness of sins.
II. The Supremacy of Christ (1:15–23)
The most dangerous aspect of the Colossian errorists’ teaching was its depreciation of the person of Jesus Christ. To them, Christ was not the triumphant Redeemer to whom all authority in heaven and on earth had been committed. At best he was only one of many spirit beings who bridged the space between God and humankind. This passage is part of Paul’s answer to this heretical teaching. As one of several great Christological declarations in Paul (cf. 2:9–15; Eph 1:20–23; Php 2:5–11), it proclaims the unqualified supremacy of our Redeemer. The affirmations of this passage are all the more remarkable when we remember that they were written of One who only thirty years earlier had died on a Roman cross.
It is somewhat arbitrary to separate this passage from what precedes it. So imperceptibly does Paul move from prayer (vv.3–14) to exposition that it is difficult to know exactly where one leaves off and the other begins.
A. The Scope of Christ’s Supremacy (1:15–18)
Three profound and sweeping statements concerning Christ are made, showing his relation to deity (v.15a), to creation (vv.15b–17), and to the church (v.18). In making these assertions, Paul refutes the Colossian errorists, in whose system angelic mediators usurped the place and function of Christ. His task in earlier letters (e.g., Romans and Galatians) had been to expound the importance of Christ for salvation; in the face of this new teaching at Colosse, he finds it necessary to affirm Christ’s cosmic significance.
15 In regard to deity, Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (cf. 2Co 4:4). He is not the image of God in a material or physical sense. Nor should we, as some interpreters do, understand this as a reference to Christ’s existence in the preincarnate state. The context strongly supports the view that Paul was thinking of Christ in his glorified state. To be sure, there is a very real sense in which Christ always has been, is, and always will be the “image” (GK 1635) of God. But that seems not to be the point here. The word expresses two ideas. One is likeness: Christ is the image of God in the sense that he is the exact likeness of God, like the image on a coin or the reflection in a mirror (cf. Heb 1:3). The other idea in “image” is manifestation: Christ is the image of God in the sense that the nature and being of God are perfectly revealed in him (cf. Jn 1:18). Therefore Paul can boldly say that we have “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2Co 4:6) and that believers, reflecting the Lord’s glory, “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2Co 3:18). Paul’s statement leaves no place for the vague emanations and shadowy abstractions so prominent in the gnostic system.
In relation to the universe, Christ is “the firstborn over all creation.” “Firstborn” (GK 4758; see also v.18; Ro 8:29; Heb 1:6; Rev 1:15) may denote either priority in time or supremacy in rank. In the present passage, perhaps we should see both meanings. Christ is before all creation in time; he is also over it in rank and dignity. The major stress, however, seems to be on the idea of supremacy. Some see in the word an allusion to the ancient custom whereby the firstborn in a family was accorded rights and privileges not shared by the other offspring. He was his father’s representative and heir, and to him the management of the household was committed. Following this line of interpretation, Christ is his Father’s representative and heir and has the management of the divine household (all creation) committed to him. He is thus Lord over all God’s creation.
16 The apostle now states the ground for Christ’s dominion over creation: he is firstborn (Lord) over creation because he made it. To him it owes its unity, its meaning, indeed its very existence.
Three prepositional phrases define the creative activity of Christ: All things came to be “in [NIV, by] him” (v.16a), “through [NIV, by] him” (v.16b), and “for him” (v.16c). Creation was in him in the sense that it occurred within the sphere of his person and power. He was its conditioning cause, its originating center, its spiritual locality. Creation is through Christ in the sense that he was the mediating Agent through whom it actually came into being. The entire life of the universe is mediated from God through Christ (cf. Jn 1:3, 10). Creation is for Christ in the sense that he is the end for which all things exist, the goal toward whom all things were intended to move. They are meant to serve his will and to contribute to his glory.
“All things” denotes the totality of things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. The reference to “thrones,” “powers,” “rulers,” and “authorities” is perhaps an allusion to the angelic hierarchy that figured so prominently in the Colossian heresy. Paul’s mention of these things does not, of course, mean that he recognized the existence of a hierarchy of spirit beings, such as the errorists taught. His words do suggest, however, that whatever supernatural powers there may be, Christ is the One who made them and he is their Lord.
17 Verse 16 has stated the essential reason for Christ’s lordship over creation, namely, that he is its creator. Verse 17 is a sort of summing up of the thought of vv.15–16. But in addition, it rounds out and completes the statement of Christ’s relation to creation. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” That Christ is “before” all things means primarily that he is before all in time; yet the statement is general enough to include also the notion that he is above all in rank (cf. “firstborn over all creation” in v.15b). That all things “hold together” (GK 5319) in Christ means that he is both the unifying principle and the personal sustainer of all creation. It springs from him and finds in him its common cohesion and center (cf. Heb 1:3).
18 Paul’s third affirmation concerning Christ’s supremacy relates to the new creation: “And he is the head of the body, the church” (v.18a; cf. 2:19; Eph 1:22–23; 4:15). To be the “head” (GK 3051) of the church is to be its sovereign ruler. In the figure there may also be the suggestion that Christ is the source of the church’s life, but this is not its primary significance. Christ, and no other person, is the chief and leader of the church. It is he who guides and governs it.
“Church” (GK 1711), which means “assembly” or “congregation,” is best interpreted here as a term embracing all the redeemed people of God. The mention of the church as “the body” of Christ suggests at least three things: (1) that the church is a living organism, composed of members joined vitally to one another, (2) that the church is the means by which Christ carries out his purposes and performs his work, and (3) that the union that exists between Christ and his people is most intimate and real. Together they constitute one living unit, each, in a sense, being incomplete without the other.
Verse 18b gives one ground or basis of Christ’s headship over the church: “He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.” “Beginning” (GK 794) may be interpreted in any one of three ways: (1) supremacy in rank, (2) precedence in time, or (3) creative initiative. There is, of course, truth in each of these, but it seems best to see in Paul’s word the idea of creative initiative. In other words, Christ is the origin and source of the life of the church, the fount of its being.
“Firstborn” ((GK 4758; cf. v.15) defines more precisely what Paul means by Christ as beginning. In v.15, this term pointed to Christ’s relation to creation, and we concluded that it suggested both precedence in time and supremacy in rank. In the present passage the idea of precedence is the more prominent. Thus, Christ was the first to come from the dead in true resurrection life (i.e., never to die again, cf. 1Co 15:20). And because he was the first to be born from the dead, he possesses in himself the new and higher life that his people, by virtue of their union with him, now share. Thus he establishes his place as the beginning, the origin of the church’s life.
“So that in everything he might have the supremacy” in one sense is a summary of all that Paul has affirmed from v.15 to this point, but syntactically it must be seen as expressing the purpose of the immediately preceding statement about Christ’s being the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. He rose from the dead in order that his preeminence might become universal, extending both to the old creation and to the new. He had always been first, but by his resurrection he entered upon an even wider and more significant sovereignty (cf. Ac 2:26; Ro 1:4).
B. The Basis for Christ’s Supremacy (1:19–23)
Paul has ascribed unique supremacy to Jesus Christ. He has affirmed him to be image of God, Lord over creation, Head of the church—indeed, preeminent in all things. These next verses now state the grounds (cf. “for” in v.19) on which such supremacy is affirmed. The last phrase of v.18 implies that Christ has unshared supremacy because God has decreed it. This section states this in different terms, but still puts it within the context of the divine will. Two things that God willed are specifically set forth, one having to do with the fullness of God in Christ (v.19), the other with the reconciling work of Christ (vv.20–23).
1. The fullness of God in Christ (1:19)
19 God has willed that in Christ “all fullness” should dwell. The word “fullness” (GK 4445) is one of the key words of this letter, but also one of the most difficult to interpret (cf. also 2:9; Eph 1:23; 3:19; 4:13; see comments on Col 1:9; 2:9). The word seems to have been in current use by the false teachers, and was possibly employed by them for the totality of supernatural powers that they believed controlled people’s lives. But to Paul, the totality of divine powers and attributes exists only in Christ; nothing of deity is lacking in him (cf. 2:9 for a similar view).
According to the Colossian errorists, many spirit beings filled the space between God and the world as intermediaries, and any communication between God and the world had to pass through them. They probably included Christ among these supernatural powers, admitting that he was of heavenly origin and that God was in some sense present in him. He was, however, only one aspect of the divine nature and in himself was not sufficient for all the needs of humankind. Paul, in contrast, declares that Christ is not just one of many divine beings. He is the one and only Mediator between God and the world, and all, not part, of the attributes and activities of God are centered in him. “Dwell” (GK 2997) suggests permanent residence as opposed to temporary sojourn. Paul may be refuting a Colossian notion that the divine fullness had only a transient and incidental association with Christ. To Paul, it abides in him permanently.
2. The reconciling work of Christ (1:20–23)
20 The Father was pleased “to reconcile to himself all things” through Christ. This statement sustains a close connection with v.19. For one thing, “reconcile” (GK 639) is parallel with the word for “dwell” (v.19), both terms being grammatically dependent on the verb rendered “was pleased.” That is, the Father willed that all fullness should dwell in Christ and that he would reconcile all things to himself through Christ. “Reconcile” suggests removing all enmity between God and the human race and effecting in humankind a condition of submission to, and harmony with, God (cf. Ro 5:10–11; 2Co 5:18–20; Eph 2:14–15). This reconciliation is on the widest possible scale—“all things.” The “things in heaven” is an inclusive term, taking in everything not belonging to the “earth” (i.e., the starry heavens). “Things on earth . . . things in heaven” thus denotes everything in God’s universe.
One must be careful not to interpret this verse in such a way as to make it contradict the clear teaching of other Scriptures. Admittedly, the statement might appear, on its surface, to indicate that eventually everything will be brought into a saving relationship with God. Such universalism, however, is contrary to those passages that affirm that apart from personal trust in Christ there is no salvation. Our Lord spoke of the impenitent as going away into “eternal punishment” (Mt 25:46). This statement refers, therefore, to the cosmic significance of Christ’s work, the thought being similar to, but not identical with, that of Ro 8:19–22. There the general sense is that the disorder that has characterized creation will be done away and divine harmony restored. Here the main idea is that all things eventually are to be decisively subdued to God’s will and made to serve his purposes.
21 Verse 20 has presented the general aspect of the reconciling work of Christ; vv.21–23 show how this applies personally and specifically to the Colossians. Prior to their conversion to Christianity they had been “alienated” or estranged from God and were “enemies” (GK 2398) in their minds. The latter word affirms the Colossians’ hostility to God. This hostility, Paul explains, affected their “minds” (i.e., their thoughts and disposition) and was outwardly expressed in their wicked deeds.
22 God reconciled the Colossians “by Christ’s physical body through death.” The phrase “physical body” seems to emphasize (in contradiction to the views of the heretics) the reality of Christ’s human body. To the errorists, reconciliation could be accomplished only by spiritual (angelic) beings; they attached little or no value to the work of Christ in a physical body. In opposition to this, Paul stressed the importance of Christ’s body.
The result of Christ’s reconciling work is the presentation of the Colossians as “holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Both the present and the future seem to be in view here. In reconciling believers, God brought them into his presence, no longer as stained by sin and bearing the burden of guilt, but as “holy” and “without blemish and free from accusation.” That is their standing at the time of and by the death of Christ. But on the day of Christ’s return, they will be officially presented as perfected in glory. In the meantime, they are progressing in holiness wrought in them by the Spirit of God.
“Holy” suggests consecration and dedication (see comment on v.2). “Without blemish” (GK 320), which translates a technical sacrificial term (Lev 22:21), was used of animals that were without flaw and therefore worthy of being offered to God. The use of this word gives support to the view that in this statement Paul was not thinking about our personal conduct but about our position in Christ. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a Christian life that is without blemish in actual conduct. But Christians’ identification with Christ is such that his righteousness and his standing before God are theirs (2Co 5:21; 1Jn 4:17).
“Free from accusation” likewise expresses a condition possible only because people are in Christ, covered by and sharing in the benefits of his death for them.
23 Those who emphasize the future aspects of v.22 explain v.23 as a warning against indolence and complacency. The Colossians will be thus presented to God only “if [they] continue in [their] faith, established and firm,” and so forth. Those who emphasize v.22 as a statement of the believer’s present condition contend that the words of v.23 are proof of a past (and continuing) experience, not a condition of what is future. Paul is simply stating the absolute accomplishment of salvation in the past sufferings of Christ. It is significant for both interpretations that the condition is stated in such a way as to express the apostle’s confidence in his readers.
“Faith” (GK 4411) here, as is usual in the NT, means one’s personal faith, i.e., one’s reliance on Christ. The words that follow “faith” explain what is involved in continuing in one’s faith. “Established” suggests being founded securely, as on a rock. “Firm” depicts a steady and firm resolve. The “hope held out in the gospel” is in its fullest sense the expectation of ultimate, complete salvation that will belong to believers upon the return of their Lord. There may be an implicit contrast between the certainty of the Gospel and the delusive promises offered by the Colossian errorists.
In the closing words of v.23 Paul makes three statements to stress the importance of remaining true to the apostolic Gospel. (1) It is the message “that you heard.” The reference is to the Gospel that had been initially preached to them by Epaphras (cf. 1:7) and was the instrument of their conversion. (2) It has been “proclaimed to every creature under heaven.” The universality of the Gospel in all places of the Roman empire is a mark of its authenticity. Obviously there is an element of hyperbole in this statement. (3) Paul closes with the affirmation that he himself had “become a servant” of the Gospel. He does not designate himself in this fashion for the purpose of magnifying his office, but to impress on the Colossians that the Gospel heard by them from Epaphras and proclaimed in all the world was the same Gospel he had been preaching.
III. The Ministry of Paul (1:24–2:7)
This passage, which is somewhat parallel to Eph 3:1ff., comes as a sort of digression. Though decidedly autobiographical, it is not so much concerned with Paul the man as with the office he filled. In the course of his discussion, Paul mentions his suffering and its bearing on the Colossians (1:24), his commission to preach and its implications for them (1:25–29), and his personal interest in and concern for them (2:1–5). The passage closes with a direct appeal to the Colossians (2:6–7).
A. A Ministry of Suffering (1:24)
24 The interpretation of this verse is much disputed, but the general sense of it is clear. In it the apostle teaches that the sufferings he endured in the course of his work were in the interest of the Colossians, indeed, of the whole church; in that knowledge, he is able to rejoice (cf. Eph 3:13).
“Now” may be both temporal and transitional in force. In its temporal sense, the word indicates that Paul’s joy and his suffering were both realities at the time of writing this letter. In its transitional sense, “now” shows that this paragraph is closely related to the thought of the preceding section. Looked at in this manner, the term is almost equivalent to “therefore” and shows that the thought of Christ’s supremacy is a factor in Paul’s ability to rejoice in the midst of suffering.
Three things are said in the verse about the sufferings of Paul. (1) They are for the sake of other people (“for you” and “for the sake of his [Christ’s] body”). In both phrases “for” means “in the interest of.” The first phrase alludes to the fact that Paul’s imprisonment had come as a result of bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles, to which class the Colossians belonged. His sufferings, therefore, were for their sake in that they shared in the benefit of the ministry that brought on the sufferings. The second phrase affirms that the benefit of Paul’s sufferings extends not simply to those Colossians or even to the Gentile portion of the church; they in some sense have a bearing on the whole body of Christ. Indeed, his sufferings contribute even to our well-being, for had he not suffered imprisonment, this letter might never have been written, and we would have been deprived of its message.
Most scholars see in the letter to the Colossians evidence of a heretical group that was pressuring true believers there to adopt their teachings. Paul labels these teachings as “hollow and deceptive philosophy,” based on “human traditions” (2:8). Judging from the content of this letter, the following appear to be the main tenets of the heretics and Paul’s rebuttal to them.
| Teaching of heresy | Paul’s answer | Relevant texts |
| Emphasis on worship of angels, called “thrones,” “rulers,” “powers,” and “authorities.” | Christ created these powers and he rules over them; believers are delivered from their power. | 1:13, 15–17; 2:9–10, 15, 18–19 |
| Angels are intermediaries between God and human beings. | Christ is the only mediator we need. | 1:13–23; 2:6, 9–10 |
| Endorsed submission to the “basic principles of the world. | Christ rules over them, and Christians have died to them in Christ. | 2:8, 20 |
| Endorsed circumcision. | Believers undergo a form of circumcision in the death of Christ, experienced through baptism. | 2:11–13 |
| Endorsed special religious days and legalistic food rules. | Do not listen to such rules; believers have died to them and their power is cancelled. | 2:14, 16–17, 20–23 |
| Emphasis on a special, secret knowledge. | God fills all believers with his wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. | 1:9–10, 28; 2:2–4, 22 |
(2) Paul’s sufferings are identified with “Christ’s afflictions.” The words “I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions” have evoked a great amount of discussion. Many Roman Catholics, for instance, interpreting the “afflictions” of Christ as Christ’s redemptive sufferings, have asserted that Christ’s atonement is defective and that the sufferings of the saints are needed to supplement his work on our behalf. But whatever this verse means, we may be sure that Paul did not regard the death of Jesus as lacking in efficacy (cf. Col 2:11–15). That death was complete, once for all, and wholly adequate to meet our need.
The afflictions of Christ are undoubtedly those endured personally by him on earth, but the reference is to his ministerial afflictions, not his redemptive sufferings. “Afflictions” (GK 2568) is never employed in the NT of the sufferings of Christ on the cross; the reference, then, is to the tribulations our Lord endured in the course of his life and ministry. The sufferings his people endure are a continuation of what he endured, and in that sense they complete his afflictions. The church is built by acts of self-denial in Christ’s servants; they continue the work he began.
The underlying principle is the believer’s union with Christ. That union is so intimate—Christ the Head, his people the body—that he suffers when they suffer (cf. Isa 63:9). His personal sufferings are over, but his sufferings in his people continue (cf. 2Co 1:5; Php 3:10). Perhaps Paul was thinking of Christ’s words to him on the Damascus road (Ac 9:4–5). “What is still lacking” is not an intimation of deficiency in Christ’s own sufferings but a reference to what is yet lacking in Christ’s suffering in Paul. In his experience as a prisoner, the apostle was filling up the sum or quota of suffering yet remaining for him to endure.
(3) They are the sphere of Paul’s joy. The sufferings Paul endured for the Gospel seem never to have been to him a source of perplexity or of sadness. But his attitude had nothing in common with those ascetics of a later time who inflicted torture on themselves in the belief that they would thereby gain merit with God. Paul’s joy was not in suffering as such, but in “what was suffered for you.” That is to say, it was the distinctive character and circumstances of his sufferings that enabled him to find joy in the midst of them. He saw them as a necessary part of his ministry (see also Mt 5:12; Ac 5:41; Heb 10:34.)
B. A Ministry of Preaching (1:25–29)
A second feature of Paul’s ministry was the proclamation of God’s message. His statement concerning this is of great value to all who wish a better understanding of preaching. The thought revolves around four conceptions: Paul’s appointment to the office of preacher (v.25a), the message he preached (vv.25b–28a), the method he employed (v.28b), and his ultimate aim (vv.28c-29).
25 Elsewhere Paul speaks of himself as a minister of the Gospel (v.23; Eph 3:7), of God (2Co 6:4), of Christ (2Co 11:23), and of a new covenant (2Co 3:6). Here he is the church’s minister or “servant” (GK 1356; cf. 1:7, 23), and as such is bound to toil and suffer in whatever way the church’s welfare requires.
Paul’s appointment to his office was “by the commission God gave” him—lit., “according to the dispensation of God.” The word translated “commission” (GK 3873) has a wide range of meanings; here it is perhaps best rendered by “stewardship” (cf. Lk 16:2–4). This rendering suggests that Paul conceived of the work to which God appointed him as both a high privilege and a sacred trust. He was a servant of the church, but in the deepest sense he was a steward of God (cf. 1Co 4:1).
The purpose of the apostle’s stewardship was “to present the word of God in all its fullness.” Some understand this to refer to the geographical extension of the Gospel (cf. Ro 15:19). But Paul probably means that his special ministry was to make clear the true nature of the Gospel as a divine provision intended for all.
26 The preceding verse has spoken of Paul’s message as “the word of God,” a general term that sums up the oral proclamation of the apostles. Verses 26–27 define the word of God more specifically in terms of a “mystery” (GK 3696), a word used in the NT of truth undiscoverable except by divine revelation (cf. 1Co 2:6ff.; 14:51); i.e., it denotes something that, though once a secret, has now been fully revealed in the Gospel. In Ephesians it is used six times—more often than in any other book of the NT: in 1:9, where it refers to the mystery of God’s dealing with the world; in 3:3–9 (three times), where it has special reference to the inclusion of Gentiles in the privileges and blessings of the messianic salvation; in 5:22, where it speaks of the spiritual union of Christ and his church; and in 6:19, where it is practically equated with the Gospel. Here in Colossians the word occurs four times (1:26, 27; 2:2; 4:3).
Paul goes on to express two characteristics of this mystery: it was “hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed.” “Ages” and “generations” are used together to refer to people living in former times. Now, however, “to the saints” (i.e., the people of God) the formerly hidden truth is “disclosed.” Paul’s expression here reflects an intense joy that the long silence has been broken.
27 God was pleased to reveal to his people how great is the glorious character of the gospel mystery. Paul’s frequent use of “riches” (GK 4458) suggests that Christ had made available an inexhaustible treasure of goodness (Ro 2:4), glory (Ro 9:23; Eph 1:18; 3:16; Php 4:19), wisdom (Ro 11:33), and grace (Eph 1:7; 2:7). “Among [lit., in] the Gentiles” defines the sphere in which the wealth of glory has been especially displayed. Paul seems to have been thinking of the wonder of the unfolding of the divine mystery in the conversion of pagan people and in their being drawn into the one body of Christ. The inner content of the mystery is defined as “Christ in you,” a phrase that refers to an inner, subjective experience of the indwelling of Christ.
“Christ in you” is now declared to be “the hope of glory.” “Hope” is joyous expectation or anticipation; “glory” is that which will belong to the Christian in the heavenly state (cf. 3:4; Ro 5:2; 8:17). The general truth is that Christ living in the believer is the ground for certainty of complete salvation (cf. Eph 1:13–14, where the Spirit is designated as “the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance”). In this letter Christ himself occupies the sphere that Paul elsewhere gives to the Spirit.
28 In v.25 Paul has defined his message as “the word of God.” In vv.26–27 he has used the term “mystery.” Here his message centers in the Christ who indwells believers. At the deepest level, therefore, the apostle conceived of his message not as a system or as a collection of rules and regulations, but as a living and glorious Person who is the fulfillment of the deepest hopes of humankind and the source of new life for all his people. “We” distinguishes Paul and his fellow preachers from the Colossian errorists. “Proclaim” (GK 2859) suggests a solemn or public proclamation with authority. This term includes the idea of instruction and admonition.
“Admonishing” (GK 3805) and “teaching” (GK 1438) describe two attendant circumstances of Paul’s preaching. The former word has to do with the will and emotions and connotes warning. Here it relates to non-Christians, the thought probably being that the apostle sought to awaken each of them to his or her need of Christ and to the necessity of repentance. The latter word, probably referring to a ministry for converts, stresses the importance of instruction in proclaiming the Word. “With all wisdom” seems to express the way the teaching was done.
“Everyone,” stated twice for emphasis, shows that Paul’s Gospel was not marred by the exclusiveness that characterized the false teachers. They believed the way of salvation to be so involved that it could be understood only by a select few who made up a sort of spiritual aristocracy. Unlike the errorists, Paul slighted no one. Every person was the object of his direct concern.
The aim of Paul’s proclaiming, admonishing, and teaching was to “present everyone perfect in Christ.” “Present” (GK 4225) refers to being brought into God’s presence at the return of Christ (cf. 1Th 2:19–20; 5:23); only then will God’s work in the believer be complete. “Perfect” (GK 5455) suggests attainment of the proper end of one’s existence—maturity in faith and character (cf. Eph 4:13). Such maturity is possible “in Christ,” i.e., by virtue of the believer’s union with Christ.
29 Paul gave himself unstintingly to accomplishing this end. “Struggling” (GK 76) is a term from the athletic arena, signifying intense exertion. This struggle is “according to his [God’s] working.” In other words, the struggle is carried on, not through Paul’s own natural powers, but by the supernatural power at work in him. The entire statement shows that through faith in Christ we can link our life with a source of strength that enables us to rise above our natural limitations.
C. A Ministry of Intercession (2:1–5)
A third feature of Paul’s ministry was his pastoral concern for those he served. The concern expressed in these verses arose from Paul’s anxiety about the response of the Colossian Christians to the error being propagated by the false teachers (cf. Php 3:18). Anyone sharing Paul’s exalted concept of Christ (cf. Col l:15ff.) can never be indifferent to the inroads of error.
1 The metaphor of the arena is implicit in this verse as Paul again uses the word “struggling” (a Greek word built on the same root as “struggling” in 1:29; GK 74). He indicates how strenuously he was exerting himself with deep and earnest solicitude. The powers that wrestled with Paul for the ruin of his work were real and resolute; he therefore had to meet them full force in Christ. The particular struggle Paul had in mind appears to have been that of prayer. At the time he wrote these words he could not move beyond the walls of his “rented house” (Ac 28:30), being continuously held by the chain linking him to a Roman soldier. But even under these circumstances he could engage in the combat of prayer and so exert himself strenuously in behalf of his readers.
This brings before us an aspect of Paul’s prayers that we often overlook—namely, that they sometimes involved him in a truly awesome conflict, an intense struggle of the soul. This agony in prayer was “for” (i.e., in behalf of) the Colossians. But it was also in behalf of “those at Laodicea and for all who have not met me personally.” Laodicea was an important banking center in ancient times and is mentioned elsewhere in the NT only in 4:13, 15–16; Rev 3:14. The wording of v.1 seems to suggest that the Colossians and the Laodiceans were among those who had not met Paul personally.
2 Paul’s concern for his readers was that “they may be encouraged in heart and united in love.” The Greek word for “encouraged” (GK 4151) means “to call to one’s side,” signifying such ideas as comfort, encouragement, and exhortation. The central thought here is being strengthened against the onslaught of error. “United” (GK 5204) suggests being welded into a genuine unity. The Greek construction suggests that the means by which the strengthening takes place is the readers’ being knit together in love.
One consequence of being encouraged and united is attaining “the full riches of complete understanding.” Heart encouragement and being united in love bring an inward wealth that consists in full or assured understanding. This in turn brings a deep and full knowledge (see comment on 1:9) of Christ, who is “the mystery of God” (see comment on 1:26).
3 This Christ is now described as the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” This statement contains two thoughts. (1) All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. The false teachers claimed to have, through their relation with a supposed hierarchy of supernatural beings, a higher knowledge than that possessed by ordinary believers. Against this, Paul argues that all wisdom and knowledge are in Christ and that their treasures are accessible to every believer. (2) The treasures of wisdom are in Christ in a hidden way. “Hidden” does not, however, mean that they are concealed but rather that they are laid up or stored away as a treasure.
4 Paul now expresses the reason for his anxious concern. His words in vv.1–3 have been written so that the Colossian errorists will not “deceive” (GK 4165) the Christians in Colosse and lead them away from their convictions about Christ. “Deceive” implies leading astray by false reasoning; “fine-sounding arguments” has something of the same meaning, implying the attempt to convince someone by “fast talk.”
5 Paul was no indifferent spectator of his readers’ problems but had a sincere interest in them. Though not physically with them, he felt his spiritual oneness with them and rejoiced in their orderliness and in the firmness of their faith. “How orderly you are” contains a military term connoting the orderly array of a band of disciplined soldiers. “Firm” (GK 5106) also belongs to military parlance and means solidity and compactness. If this is the imagery Paul intended, he sees the situation of the Colossians as being like that of an army under attack and affirms that their lines were unbroken, their discipline intact, and their “faith in [reliance on] Christ” unshaken.
D. A Ministry of Exhortation (2:6–7)
It seems best to take these two verses as a kind of summary appeal made in light of the preceding discussion—an appeal for the readers to remain true to Christ as Lord.
6 “So then” links Paul’s appeal with what he has just said. The Colossians had received Christ as the Anointed of God (“Christ”), as the historic Savior (“Jesus”), and as the sovereign “Lord.” Now Paul appeals to them to “continue to live [GK 4344] in him” in the same manner. He wants their present conduct to conform regularly to the doctrine taught them at the beginning, the doctrine they had committed themselves to at their conversion.
7 In this verse four participles describe the walk in Christ. The first two, “rooted [GK 4845] and built up [GK 2224] in him,” go together. The first expression suggests a once-for-all experience, i.e., a being permanently rooted in Christ; the second one indicates a continual process. The Colossians have been “strengthened [GK 1011] in the faith”; i.e., their strength has been in the body of truth or the faith system that they learned when they first became Christians. The final phrase, “overflowing [GK 4355] with thankfulness,” means that for believers thanksgiving is to be a continual, habitual thing. Paul may be implying that those who lack a deep sense of thankfulness to God are especially vulnerable to doubt and spiritual delusion.
IV. Warning Against Error (2:8–23)
The apostle now makes his most direct attack against the Colossian heresy. The entire passage bristles with exegetical difficulties and calls for closer attention to its wording and argument than any other part of this letter. Its tone is both admonitory and affirmative, but admonition is the prevailing note sounded throughout. The affirmations, which mainly concern Christ and his sufficiency (cf. vv.9–15), form the basis on which the warnings are issued and give point and power to them.
It is characteristic of Paul in Colossians to use the vocabulary of his opponents, though often in a different sense. Instances of this in the present passage may be “philosophy” (v.8), “fullness” (v.9), “Deity” (v.9), “powers and authorities” (v.15), “humility” (v.18), “disqualify” (v.18), and “self-imposed worship” (v.23).
A. The Error of False Philosophy (2:8–15)
1. The warning stated (2:8)
8 Paul first warns against the danger of being taken captive through a false philosophy. The singular “no one” suggests that Paul may have had a particular person in mind, perhaps the leader of the heretical teachers. The words translated “that no one takes you captive” point to a real, not a supposed, danger. “Takes captive” (GK 5194), a word regularly used of taking captives in war and leading them away as booty, depicts the false teachers as “people-stealers,” wishing to entrap the Colossians and drag them away into spiritual enslavement.
“Through hollow and deceptive philosophy” expresses the means whereby the errorists were attempting to do this. This is the only occurrence of the word “philosophy” in the NT. It would be a mistake to conclude that Paul intended his statement to be a condemnation of all philosophy. Here, because of the reference to the Colossian error, it has a derogatory connotation.
Paul uses three descriptive phrases to characterize this “hollow and deceptive” system; each constitutes a reason for its rejection. (1) It was according to “human tradition.” By “tradition” (GK 4142) Paul likely means the various pagan theories current in that day. He asserts that these, not divine revelation, were the bases of the “philosophy” of the Colossian errorists.
(2) It was a philosophy that depends on “the basic principles of this world.” “Basic principles” (GK 5122) has a variety of meanings. Originally it denoted the letters of the alphabet, its root meaning being “things in a row.” The term then came to be used of the elements (“ABC’s”) of learning (cf. Gal 4:3; Heb 5:12), of the physical elements of the world (cf. 2Pe 3:10), and of the elemental spirits or supernatural powers believed by many ancients to preside over and direct the heavenly bodies (cf. Gal 4:3). The sense in the present passage may be either the elements of learning or the elemental spirits. If the former sense is intended, the statement means that the Colossian system was really only rudimentary instruction, the ABC’s of the world—i.e., it was elementary rather than advanced. The rendering “elemental spirits” is, however, to be preferred. This philosophy probably had the elemental spirits of the universe as its subject matter. We know from 2:18, for example, that the Colossian heresy made much of the “worship of angels.”
(3) It was a system not according to Christ. This is Paul’s most telling criticism of the teaching at Colosse. The philosophy of the heretics did not accord with the truth as revealed in Christ. He is the standard by which all doctrine is to be measured, and any system, whatever its claims, must be rejected if it fails to conform to the revelation God has given us in him.
2. The warning justified (2:9–15)
Paul’s warning rests on Christ’s unshared supremacy (v.9) and his complete adequacy to meet human need (vv.10–15). Because of who he is and what we find in him, any system “not after Christ” must be wrong. The passage takes up the central phrase of 1:19 (“fullness”) and draws out its consequences in relation to the Colossian heresy.
a. The full deity of Christ (2:9a)
9a Nearly every word in this statement is significant. “For,” linking this and the following verses to v.8, shows that the warning in that verse rests on what is said here about Christ and his fullness. The phrase “in Christ” (see comment on 1:2) stresses that in Christ alone the fullness of deity dwells. “Lives” (GK 2997) suggests the idea of taking up permanent residence. The tense is present, stating a general truth and denoting continuous action. The full thought, then, is that in Christ the fullness of deity permanently resides, finding a settled home in him. The context suggests that the primary reference is to Christ in his present glorified state. “Fullness” (GK 4445; see comment on 1:19) is defined by the addition of “of the Deity” (GK 2540). This word is an abstract term, meaning not just divine qualities and attributes but the complete, inner essence of God that lives in Christ.
b. The real humanity of Christ (2:9b)
9b The preceding statement corresponds to the phrase in Jn 1:1, “the Word was God”; this present statement corresponds to Jn 1:14, “the Word became flesh.” The fullness of deity dwells in Christ “in bodily form,” i.e., in incarnate fashion. This fullness, to be sure, resided in the preincarnate Word, but not in bodily fashion.
c. The complete adequacy of Christ (2:10–15)
10 This statement crowns Paul’s argument. Because Christ is fully God and really human, believers “are made full,” i.e., share in his fullness; “in him” denotes our vital union with the Savior. In union with Christ, our every spiritual need is fully met. Possessing him, we possess all. There was no need, therefore, for the Colossians to turn to the “philosophy” of the errorists, the ritual of the Mosaic law, or the spirit-beings worshiped by the pagan world. All they needed was in Jesus Christ.
Paul goes on to affirm the all-sufficiency of Christ by stating that he is “the head over every power and authority.” He is “the head” in the sense that he is the source of life for all that exists and sovereign Lord over it all (cf. 1:16, 18). Whatever powers there are in the universe, whatever ranks and orders of authority and government, they all owe their being to Christ and are under his lordship. It is important to observe that though Christ is here described as head, the powers and authorities are not called his body. That distinction is reserved for Christ’s people.
11 Paul now expands on the idea of Christ’s sufficiency. Our Lord has done three things for us: spiritual circumcision (vv.11–12), forgiveness of sins (vv.13–14), and victory over evil forces (v.15).
In union with Christ, believers have true “circumcision,” i.e., they have found in him the reality symbolized by Mosaic circumcision. The Christian’s “circumcision” is defined as “the putting off of the sinful nature.” “Putting off” (GK 589) uses the picture of stripping off and casting away a piece of filthy clothing. The “sinful nature” (lit., “the body of the flesh”) has been variously explained, but only two interpretations seem worthy of consideration. One understands “body” to be a reference to the physical body, “flesh” to be a description of the body as conditioned by our fallen nature. The other takes “body” to denote something like “mass” or sum total, “flesh” to denote our sinful nature (i.e., the entire carnal nature; cf. NIV).
The description of Christian circumcision as “not . . . done by the hands of men” is obviously intended to contrast the Christian’s “circumcision” with that required by the Mosaic law (and advocated also by the errorists of Colosse). The circumcision prescribed by Moses, which represented the cutting away of a man’s uncleanness and was the outward sign of participation in Israel’s covenant with God, was made with hands (i.e., was physical), and it affected an external organ of the body. The circumcision that the believer experiences in Christ is spiritual, and it relates not to an external organ but to one’s inward being. In short, it is what elsewhere in Scripture is called “circumcision of the heart” (Ro 2:28; cf. Php 3:3)—something that took place at the time of conversion.
12 Paul gives a further explanation of spiritual circumcision: Christian baptism is the outward counterpart to that experience and as such is the means by which it is openly declared. The emphasis of the verse, however, is not on the analogy between circumcision and baptism; that concept is soon dismissed, and the thought shifts to that of baptism as symbolizing the believer’s participation in the burial and resurrection of Christ (cf. Ro 6:3ff.).
Being “buried” and “raised” with Christ conveys the thought not simply of burying an old way of life and rising to a new kind of life but of sharing in the experience of Christ’s own death and resurrection. That Paul did not think of baptism as actually effecting participation in that experience is made clear when he adds that the Colossians were raised through their “faith in the power of God.” Baptism, then, is not a magic rite, but an act of obedience in which we confess our faith and symbolize the essence of our spiritual experience. Faith is the instrumental cause of that experience, and, apart from real faith, baptism is an empty, meaningless ceremony.
13–14 In the closing words of v.12 Paul mentioned God’s raising Christ from the dead. Now he assures his readers that in Christ they share the resurrection experience. In Christ’s case it was a literal bodily resurrection from the dead. In their case, the death was spiritual (“dead in your sins,” “uncircumcision”), and the being make alive is also spiritual. Eventually, of course, believers will experience a bodily resurrection (see 1Co 15).
The NIV translation “dead in your sins and . . . and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature” suggests that “sins” and “uncircumcision” are the sphere in which death was manifested. It is perhaps better to follow ASV and read the text to mean dead by reason of trespasses and an uncircumcised (unregenerate or pagan) nature (cf. Ac 7:51).
The first part of v.13 affirms the readers’ deadness through trespasses and their being made alive in union with Christ. The last part of this verse indicates that their being made alive involved the forgiveness of everything that had once alienated them from God. In other words, forgiveness and being made alive are two facets of the same act of divine grace.
Verse 14 vividly describes the attendant circumstances of forgiveness in Christ. One is the cancellation of “the written code.” “Having canceled” (GK 1981) should be translated “canceling out” (lit., “wiping out”; cf. Ac 3:19; Rev 3:5; 7:17; 21:4); it specifies the act by which the forgiveness was carried out. What is canceled is called “the written code,” an expression used of any document written by hand. This can be understood as an official written indictment or as a self-acknowledged state of indebtedness (like an IOU); in any case, it refers is to the Mosaic law. God has blotted it out so that it no longer stands against us.
Paul uses three expressions to describe the law: (1) It was written with “regulations” (cf. Eph 2:15). (2) It was “against us” (i.e., God’s law had a valid claim on us). It was (if we follow the imagery of a “bond”) like a promissory note having our signature attached as evidence that we acknowledged its claim and our debt. (3) It “stood opposed to us.” This suggests that because we could not meet the claims of the law, it was hostile toward us or was an obstacle in our way.
Verse 14a has asserted that this bond or indictment has been “canceled out”; v.14b now adds that God (or Christ) “took it away, nailing it to the cross.” In other words, the bond (the Mosaic law) has been removed permanently, so that its claims against us can never again alienate us from God.
Paul’s vivid metaphor of nailing the law to the cross has been variously explained. Some think it alludes to an ancient custom dictating that when decrees were nullified, a copy of the text should be nailed up in a public place. Others see here an allusion to the custom of hanging over the head of an executed person a copy of the charge on which he was condemned. When Jesus was crucified, the superscription nailed to his cross contained the words “The King of the Jews.” Paul ignores the real superscription and imagines the law as nailed above the cross. That was, after all, the real reason why Christ was put to death—because of our sins against God’s law. Still others understand the idea to be that the indictment was itself crucified.
To sum up, the great principle asserted in v.14 is the destruction of the law in and by the cross of Christ. The law, however, is viewed in a certain character (i.e., as a bond of indebtedness or as an instrument of condemnation).
15 The meaning of nearly every word of this verse is disputed. One of the key issues concerns the interpretation of “powers and authorities.” The interpretation preferred here is that which sees these as hostile supernatural powers, i.e., as the hierarchy of spiritual forces that are in rebellion against God (see comment on 1:16; cf. 2:8; Eph 6:12). Paul affirms that Christ has “disarmed” (GK 588) these forces of evil. He has stripped the powers and authorities just as a conquered antagonist was stripped of his weapons and armor and put to public shame.
Paul goes on to say that God (in Christ) “made a public spectacle of them.” That is to say, he exposed them to public disgrace by exhibiting them to the universe as his captives. The added words, “triumphing over them by the cross,” expand this idea. The picture, quite familiar in the Roman world, is that of a triumphant general leading a parade of victory. The conqueror, riding at the front in his chariot, leads his troops through the streets of the city. Behind them trails a wretched company of vanquished kings, officers, and soldiers—the spoils of battle. Christ, in this picture, is the conquering general; the powers and authorities are the vanquished enemy displayed as the spoils of battle before the entire universe (cf. 2Co 2:14). To the casual observer the cross appears to be only an instrument of death, the symbol of Christ’s defeat; Paul sees it as Christ’s chariot of victory.
B. The Error of Legalism (2:16–17)
16 The false teachers at Colosse laid down rigid restrictions with regard to eating and drinking and with regard to the observance of the religious calendar. “Therefore” shows that this and the following warnings grow out of what Paul says of Christ’s complete sufficiency in vv.10–15. He is particularly thinking of Christ’s removal of the law and his triumph over the forces of evil (vv.14–15). In light of what Christ did, the Colossians were to let no one “judge” their standing before God on the basis of their observance or nonobservance of the regulations of the Mosaic law. In such matters the principle of Christian liberty comes into play (cf. Gal 5:1). The Christians at Colosse should assert their Christian liberty in the face of the errorists’ attempts to undermine it (though see also Ro 14:13–21; 1Co 8:7–13).
“What you eat or drink” is probably a reference to the dietary rules in the Mosaic law about clean and unclean food, though it could also refer to the peculiar ascetic tendencies of the Colossian heresy that may have required abstinence from such things as meat and wine. The reference to “Sabbath day” points clearly to the Jewish calendar, for only Jews kept the Sabbath. That being the case, “religious festival” and “New Moon celebration” undoubtedly point to the ritual calendar of the Jews. Paul’s thought is that the Christian is freed from obligations of this kind (cf. v.14; Gal 4:9–11; 5:1). No one, therefore, should be permitted to make such things a test of piety or fellowship (cf. Ro 14:1ff.).
17 All such OT legal stipulations were but “a shadow [i.e., an anticipation] of the things that were to come.” Therefore to cling to the prophetic shadow is to obscure the spiritual reality of which those things were a prefigurement. “The reality” or the substance belongs to Christ. In him, the things to come have appeared (on this issue, see also Heb 8:5; 10:1). These two verses are an earnest appeal for “Christian liberty.” But we should also note that the “liberty” Paul means is the opposite of license and has nothing akin to the miserable individualism whose highest ambition is to do just what it likes. Paul’s whole aim is for the fullest, deepest, and most watchful holiness. He wants his Colossian converts above all things to be holy and to live a life in submission to their Redeemer.
C. The Error of Angel Worship (2:18–19)
18 Paul’s third warning brings before us two of the most puzzling verses in the NT. The expression “disqualify [GK 2857] you” has been rendered in many different ways. A technical meaning of the clause is “let no one act as umpire against you,” i.e., give an adverse decision against you. Perhaps it is only a stronger and more picturesque way of saying, “Let no one judge you” (cf. v.16). The essential meaning is, “Let no one deny your claim to be Christians.”
The person attempting to make such judgment is described as one “who delights in false humility and the worship of angels.” The context suggests that someone was seeking to impose these things on the Colossians, and that this was the means by which he was attempting to disqualify them for their prize. “False humility” may be a technical term for fasting, since in the OT this was the usual way for one to humble oneself before God. Whether this be so or not, the word in this context appears to denote a mock humility. “Worship of angels” is an allusion to the deference the heretical teachers paid to the hierarchy of spirit-beings who, in their system, filled the whole universe. Perhaps the “humility” and the “worship of angels” were closely related. That is to say, the heretics probably insisted that their worship of angels, rather than appealing directly to the supreme God of all grace, was an expression of humility on their part.
We see a further indication of the method of the false teachers in the words “goes into great detail about what he has seen.” The heretical teacher possibly took his stand on imaginary or alleged visions; he “harped” on those visions, claiming more than he could prove. Paul goes on to depict the heretical teacher as inflated with conceit. “His unspiritual [lit., fleshly] mind puffs him up with idle notions.” That mind is one dominated by the unrenewed nature, without spiritual enlightenment.
19 The false teacher lacked vital contact with Jesus Christ. This is profoundly serious because it is from Christ as Head that “the whole body [the church], supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows.” Each believer is thought of here as forming a vital connection with Christ the Head. Thus joined to him, they all become the joints and ligaments by which the church is supplied with energy and life. The heretical teacher, without this contact with Christ, has cut himself off from the source of spiritual vitality for God’s people and cannot possibly contribute to their growth.
D. The Error of Asceticism (2:20–23)
Paul’s fourth and final warning is against asceticism—the imposition of man-made rules as a means of gaining favor with God. For ascetics the body was a thing to be buffeted and punished, to be treated like an enemy. They saw the body as evil and concluded that the way to holiness was to deny all the body’s desires, refuse its appetites, and cut its needs down to an irreducible minimum. Asceticism was apparently a prominent feature of the Colossian heresy—one that could easily lead to the deprecation of marriage, the exaltation of virginity and monasticism, and the devising of endless means of self-torture. Paul condemns asceticism and urges the Colossians to reject it as a way of life.
1. The Christian’s death to the world (2:20–22a)
20 When one becomes a Christian, one’s connection with the world of legal and ascetic ordinances is severed. Asceticism, then, is not in keeping with the nature and circumstances of the new life in Christ. Believers at the time of their conversion have “died” to all the rules and requirements of asceticism. In the mention of dying and rising (3:1) with Christ, there may be an allusion to Christian baptism (see comments on 2:12). However, baptism only pictures the death of believers to an old way of life and their rising to a new life; the actual change is effected when they are joined to Christ by faith.
As they enter into fellowship with Christ, they are delivered from “the basic principles of this world.” “Basic principles” has the same ambiguity that marks it elsewhere (see comment on 2:8). It can be understood as referring to the supernatural powers of evil, but the passage also yields an acceptable meaning if it is interpreted as in the NIV. At any rate, to order life by ascetic rules is to revert to an inferior state supposedly abandoned at the time of conversion. To die to “the basic principles of this world” is to have all connections with them severed, to be done with them, to be liberated from their authority once for all. “Submit to its rules” (GK 1505) recalls v.14, where reference was made to the canceling out of the bond of ordinances against us. The Christian must not permit life to become a round of rules again.
21 The “rules” Paul had in mind are such decrees as “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” The reference is to the dietary restrictions the errorists imposed as a means of attaining salvation. Some may have been reenactments of the Mosaic law; others were doubtless prohibitions stemming from pagan asceticism. There is a descending order in the terms, the climax being reached in the last word—i.e., “Don’t even touch.”
22a Parenthetically, Paul adds that all such things are “destined to perish with use.” Dietary restrictions have to do with things made to be used; and with their use they perish, for food ceases to be food once it is eaten. The underlying thought, then, is that the restrictive regulations of the Colossian heresy deal with matters that are temporary and unimportant. Christ, in fact, has made all food clean (Mk 7:19).
2. The human origin of ascetic restrictions (2:22b)
22b Such regulative prohibitions as “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” are “based on human commands and teachings.” The rules of the ascetic are, both in origin and in medium of communication, strictly human.
3. The ineffectiveness of ascetic restrictions (2:23)
23 Ascetic rules masquerade as wisdom. On the surface, they seem to be reasonable and wise. But this is only an appearance of wisdom. In reality these rules are expressions of “self-imposed worship” and spurious “humility.” The first expression denotes worship which people choose for themselves without authorization from God. The context suggests that the errorists engaged in such “worship” (cf. v.18) in the hope that they would thereby acquire superior merit before God.
“Humility” (GK 5425) must in this context refer to a mock humility (cf. v.18). The idea is that asceticism, while parading under the guise of humility, actually panders to human pride. “Harsh treatment of the body” is a reference to ascetic torturings of the body. “Lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” translates a very difficult Greek construction. It suggests that the ascetics end up putting far more emphasis on the indulgence of the flesh than they ought to, and they are proud of it (cf. Gal 5:19–21).
To sum up, v.23 teaches that ascetic rules have the appearance of wisdom for many people in that they seem to be expressions of devotion to God, of humility, and of a commendable discipline of the body. Paul, however, declares that these regulations have nothing to do with real wisdom, and the worship and humility they seem to express are both spurious. His final appraisal is that asceticism is a dismal failure and not the way to spiritual victory. Christianity is not a religion of prescriptions but of a living relationship with Jesus Christ. This, of course, does not mean that once we are in Christ everything is permissible. That would amount to moral and spiritual anarchy, which is contrary to the very nature of the new life in Christ. It does mean that the controls of the Christian life spring from within and that genuine piety grows out of inward conviction generated by a consciousness of union with Christ. Indwelt by the Spirit, we walk by the Spirit and thus avoid carrying out the desires of the lower nature (Gal 5:16).
V. Appeal for Christian Living (3:1–4:6)
The apostle has refuted both the doctrinal and practical errors of the false teachers and, in the course of doing this, has given a profound exposition of the cosmic significance of Jesus Christ. In the present section, which is practical and ethical in its emphasis, he exhorts his readers to give outward expression in daily living to the deep experience that is theirs in Christ. The Christian life is a life “hidden with Christ in God,” but it is still a life lived out on earth. Christians must therefore give attention not only to their inward experience with God but also to their outward relations with their fellow human beings.
A. The Root Principle of the Christian Life (3:1–4)
The opening verses of ch. 3 sustain close connection with the closing verses of ch. 2, where the apostle reminded the Colossians that ascetic regulations are of no real value in restraining the flesh. The only remedy for sinful passions is found in the believers’ experience of union with Christ—a union by virtue of which the Christian dies to sin and to the world’s way of thinking and doing. The opening verses of the third chapter, representing the positive counterpart of those verses, teach that this death with Christ involves also participation in his resurrection life. This releases into the believer’s life a power that is more than adequate to resist the appetites and attitudes of the lower nature. These four verses, then, point to the believer’s union with Christ as the root principle of the whole Christian life.
On the basis of this mystical but real experience with Christ, Paul urges the Colossians to seek heavenly things (v.1) and set their minds on them (v.2). As a further incentive, he reminds them that their lives are now securely hidden with Christ in God and thus belong to the invisible realm; they now live in a totally different sphere of being (v.3). Their lives, however, will not always be hidden in this way. When Christ appears, there will be a glorious manifestation of who they truly are (v.4).
1. Seeking the things above (3:1)
1 To set the heart on (lit., “seek”; GK 2426) things above is to desire and to strive for heavenly things. It is to see to it that one’s interests are constantly centered in Christ, that one’s attitudes, ambitions, and whole outlook on life are molded by Christ’s relationship to the believer, and that one’s allegiance to him takes precedence over all earthly allegiances. The description of Christ as “seated at the right hand of God” is another implied rejoinder to those who were seeking to diminish Christ’s role as mediator, inasmuch as the right hand of God is a metaphor for the place of supreme privilege and divine authority.
2. Setting the mind on things above (3:2)
2 The NIV interprets the commands of vv.1–2 as essentially the same. There may, however, be a slight difference. Setting the heart on things above (v.1) is descriptive of one’s aim for the practical pursuit of the Christian life. Setting the mind (v.2) on things above refers more to one’s inner disposition. There is, of course, an intimate connection between the two.
To set the mind on (lit., “think on”; GK 5858) things above has the connotation of giving heavenly things a large place in one’s thought life—seeing to it that the governing tendency of thought and will is toward God. This, of course, does not mean withdrawal from all the activities of this world to engage only in contemplation of eternity and heaven. The verses that follow make it quite clear that Paul expected Christians to maintain normal relationships in this world. But genuine Christians will see everything against the background of eternity.
“Earthly things” are not all evil, though some of them are. Even things harmless in themselves become harmful if permitted to take the place that should be reserved for the “things above.” Here “earthly things” may be understood to include wealth, worldly honor, power, pleasures, and the like. To make such things the goal of life and the subject of preoccupation is unworthy of those who have been raised with Christ and look forward to sharing in his eternal glory.
3. The motivations for these actions (3:3–4)
3 One motive for seeking and setting the mind on the things above is the believer’s union with Christ in death and in resurrection (2:20; 3:1). Verse 3 repeats and summarizes this theme. Since Christians have died with Christ, all that is alien to him should be alien to us. Death with Christ (2:20) is followed by resurrection with Christ (3:1), and so our lives are indeed “hidden with Christ in God.” This suggests not only that our lives are secure, but also that they belong in a real and profound sense to the invisible spiritual realm. At the present time our connection with God and Christ is a matter of inner experience; one day it will come into full and open manifestation.
4 Another motivation to seeking and setting the mind on the things above is the prospect of the believer’s future manifestation with Christ in glory. Christ is called our “life” because he is, quite literally, the essence of our lives. It is he who gives us life and nurtures it by his own continuing presence (cf. Ro 8:10).
“Appears” (GK 5746), one of several terms that refer to the return of Christ, emphasizes the open display of Christ at his coming. When Christ is thus manifested, believers also “will appear with him in glory.” Then the world that persecutes believers will be blinded with the dazzling glory of his return.
B. Guidelines for the Christian Life (3:5–4:6)
Having reminded his readers of their vital union with Christ and the power and encouragement this gives to holy living, Paul now shows in a practical way how this principle of union with Christ is to be applied in daily life. In short, he teaches that the Christian’s experience in Christ calls not simply for regulating the old earthbound life but for digging out its roots and utterly destroying it. In this way the new life in Christ will have full control over the believer. The underlying thought is: Let the life that is in you by virtue of your union with Christ work itself out and express itself in all your thoughts, actions, and relationships.
1. Sins of the old life are to be abandoned (3:5–11)
Paul speaks forthrightly about the demands of the new life and our urgent need to repress all the degrading tendencies of the old nature. The three imperatives of the paragraph (“put to death” in v.5, “rid yourselves” in v.8, and “do not lie” in v.9) are the pegs on which the thought hangs.
a. Sins to be put to death (3:5–7)
5 In principle when we became Christians, we died with Christ (cf. 2:20; 3:3). Now we are charged to “put to death” (GK 3739; lit., “to make dead”) the old life in everyday practice. This verb suggests that we must not simply suppress or control evil acts and attitudes; rather, we are to wipe them out and completely exterminate the old way of life. The verb also suggests that we must do so in a vigorous, possibly painful act of personal determination (cf. the principle taught in Mt 18:8–9).
“Whatever belongs to your earthly nature” is defined by the list of sins placed in apposition with it in this verse. Paul is calling, then, not for the maiming of the physical body, but for the slaying of the evil passions, desires, and practices that root themselves in our bodies, make use of them, and attack us through them.
His catalog of sins is a grim one, and all of the sins, with the possible exception of the last, have to do with sexual vice. “Sexual immorality” translates the most general Greek word for illicit sexual activity (GK 4518). “Impurity” (GK 174), though sometimes used of physical impurity (Mt 23:27), here has a moral connotation. Including uncleanness in thought, word, and act, it has a wider reference than the previous word. “Lust” (GK 4079) means uncontrolled desire and has a negative connotation. “Evil desires” is similar to lust, but is perhaps more general in meaning.
“Greed” (GK 4432) suggests a desire to have more. It has a much wider significance than its English equivalent, denoting a ruthless desire for, and an intense seeking after, material things. Included in it is an entire disregard of the rights of others. This attitude is identified with “idolatry” because it puts self-interest and earthly things in the place of God.
6–7 Paul now mentions two factors that point out how improper it is for the sins listed in v.5 to exist in the lives of the Colossian believers. (1) Those sins incur “the wrath of God” (cf. Ro 1:18), a phrase that almost certainly refers to the eschatological wrath of God. “Is coming” (a present tense) may suggest that God’s judgment on sin is already on the way, but more likely it depicts with vivid certainty that God’s judgment will indeed someday fall on the disobedient. (2) Those sins characterized the pre-Christian experience of the Colossian believers (v.7). This kind of life belongs to the past, and Christians should be done with it. “Walk” (GK 4344) calls attention to outward conduct; “lived” (GK 2409), to the attitudes and feelings from which that conduct flows.
8 Whereas the sins of v.5 had to do with impurity and covetousness, the catalog of v.8 concerns sins of attitude and speech. “But now” marks an emphatic contrast. The imagery in “rid yourselves” (GK 700) is that of putting off clothes—like stripping off from oneself a filthy garment. The believers in Colosse must shed the following sins from their lives.
The first three terms—“anger,” “rage,” “malice”—speak of sins of disposition. The first of these (GK 3973) may be the settled feeling of anger; the second (GK 2596), the sudden and passionate outburst of that feeling. “Malice” (GK 2798), a general term for badness, seems here to denote a vicious disposition, the spirit that prompts one to injure one’s neighbor. “Slander” (GK 1060) denotes insulting and slanderous talk against one’s fellowman. “Filthy language” (GK 155) may denote either filthy or abusive speech.
c. A sin to be discontinued (3:9a)
9a The sin of falsehood may be singled out because in it more frequently than in anything else we manifest ill-will toward our fellow human beings. Its being given separate treatment makes the condemnation of it more emphatic. The Greek construction used here suggests the translation “stop lying.”
d. The reason: the new self (3:9b–11)
9b–10 Grammatically there is a strict connection between these verses and the prohibition against lying, though probably the “since” connects with the entire thought of vv.5–9a. The essence of it is that Christians have had a radical, life-changing experience in which they have put off the old self with its practices (i.e., habits or characteristic actions) and have put on the new self. The metaphor again is one of clothing. The “old self” is like a dirty, worn-out garment that is stripped from the body and thrown away. The “new self” (i.e., the regenerate self) is like a new suit of clothing that one puts on and wears. The picturesque language gives vivid expression to a great truth, but one must be careful not to press the imagery too far, for we are painfully aware that the old nature is ever with us.
The new self is described as “being renewed in knowledge.” That is, the new self does not decay or grow old but by constant renewal takes on more and more of the image of its Creator. “Being renewed” (GK 363) expresses a continuous process of renewal. “Knowledge,” the sphere of this process, denotes true knowledge (cf. 1:9).
11 The various groups mentioned reflect distinctions of national privilege (“Greek or Jew”), legal or ceremonial standing (“circumcised or uncircumcised”), culture (“barbarian, Scythian”), and social caste (“slave or free”). In the realm of the new self, where the image of God is truly reflected, these distinctions have no real significance (cf. Gal 3:28). Differences, to be sure, remain in the Christian community, but not in such a way as to be barriers to fellowship. To the extent that Christians do permit them to be barriers, they are acting out of character.
“Christ is all, and is in all” suggests that Christ is the great principle of unity. In him all differences merge, all distinctions are done away. Loyalty to Christ takes precedence over all earthly ties.
2. Virtues of the new life are to be cultivated (3:12–17)
a. Expressions of love (3:12–14)
12 Christians have already put on the new self (see comment on v.10). Now they must “clothe [themjselves” (GK 1907) with the garments that befit the new self. This verb should be compared with “put to death” (v.5) and “rid yourselves” (v.8). Those terms express the negative; this verse expresses the positive aspects of the Christian’s reformation of character. The Greek verb suggests that this action should be undertaken with a sense of urgency.
Paul’s appeal is based on this threefold fact: Christians are “chosen” of God, “holy” (set apart by and for God), and “dearly loved” by God. The three terms signify essentially the same great fact, but under different aspects. Used in the OT of Israel, they emphasize the favored position now enjoyed by Christians as the heirs of Israel’s privileges.
Verse 12b contains five great Christian virtues: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” They point to those qualities of life which, if present in the community of believers, will reduce or eliminate, frictions. All of them are manifestations of love, mentioned in v.14 as the crowning virtue. “Compassion” (GK 5073 & 3880) betokens pity and tenderness expressed toward the suffering and miserable. The word for “kindness” (GK 5983) combines the ideas of goodness, kindliness, and graciousness. In Ro 11:22 it is contrasted with “severity,” and in Gal 5:22 it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit. “Humility” (GK 5425) and “gentleness” (GK 4559), which are related terms, were not considered virtues by the pagan world. The NT, however, deepened and enriched their meanings and made them two of the noblest of Christian graces. Humility denotes a humble disposition (cf. Php 2:4–8). Gentleness is the opposite of pride and self-assertiveness and is the special mark of the one who has a delicate consideration for the rights and feelings of others. It is a characteristic of Christ (Mt 11:29), a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23), and a distinctive trait of those who belong to Christ (Mt 5:5). “Patience” (GK 3429) denotes the self-restraint that enables one to bear injury and insult without resorting to retaliation. It is an attribute of God (Ro 2:4) and a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).
13 Paul expands the idea of patience. Christians who are truly patient will willingly “bear with” (GK 462) those whose faults or unpleasant traits are an irritant to them, and they will “forgive” (GK 5919) those they have grievances against. “Forgive” is used in 2:13 of God’s action toward us and has the sense of forgiving freely.
14 The final article in this description of Christian attire is “love” (agape, the distinctive Christian term for caring love; cf. 1Co 13; GK 27). All the virtues listed in vv.12–13 are, on the highest level, manifestations of love; but love is larger than any one of them, indeed, larger than all of them combined. The mention of love as a separate “article of clothing” is therefore not superfluous.
b. The rule of peace (3:15)
15 Those who see this verse as a continuation of the appeal for loving concern (v.14) among Christians are inclined to interpret “peace” to mean peace among the members of the Christian community. Those who understand it as introducing a new idea interpret “peace” as inward “heart” peace in the midst of life’s adversities. Perhaps we should not limit the word but should understand it as denoting peace in the broadest sense. It is the peace “of Christ” because it is the peace he gives—peace that comes by way of obedience to him (cf. Jn 14:27).
The word for “rule” (GK 1093), an expressive term used only here in the NT, originally meant “to act as umpire.” Scholars are not agreed whether in Paul’s time the word retained the connotation of a contest or simply had the general sense of administering, ruling, or deciding (cf. also 2:18, where Paul used another form of it). Here it means that in all inner conflicts as well as in all disputes and differences among Christians, Christ’s peace must give the final decision. We are to do nothing that would violate that peace.
The idea of being “thankful” (GK 2375) is added not as an afterthought but because gratitude is intimately associated with peace. The main idea here is being grateful for the peace Christ bestows on us. Thankfulness for this peace becomes an incentive for preserving it. Perhaps the injunction should be taken in its broadest sense: Be thankful—both to God and to others. Such gratitude surely promotes peace and harmony within a fellowship.
c. The indwelling of Christ’s word (3:16)
16 All the preceding appeals (with the possible exception of that in v.15) have to do largely with duties Christians owe one another. Verses 16–17 focus attention on matters that have to do more directly with one’s personal life. Even here, however, the thought of our duty to others is not entirely absent.
“The word of Christ” probably refers to the Gospel, i.e., the message about Christ (though it could also refer to Christ’s own teaching as recorded or remembered by his apostles). We must submit to the demands of the Christian message and let it become so deeply implanted within us that it controls all our thinking.
In the remainder of this verse, “with all wisdom” belongs with “teach” and “counsel.” The thought is that under the influence of the word of Christ Christians are to do two things: (1) Making use of every kind of wisdom, they are to teach and admonish one another. (2) Using psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, they are to sing with gratitude in their hearts to God.
No rigid distinctions should be made between “psalms,” “hymns,” and “spiritual songs.” Paul is simply emphasizing the rich variety in Christian song. Essentially the three terms heighten the idea of joyousness called for in the passage. If any differences are made, “psalms” may be taken to refer to the OT psalter, “hymns” and “spiritual songs” to distinctly Christian compositions. The great periods of renewal in Christendom have always been accompanied by an outburst of hymnology. Christian hymns must express real emotion of the heart, adoration, and worship in a way that is worthy of our Savior.
Paul encourages believers to sing “songs, hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). The OT, of course, has an entire book of songs (the Psalms). But the NT also contains songs that God’s creatures sing in praise of their Maker and Redeemer. This chart lists these songs; those about which scholars are uncertain are listed in italics.
| Songs in the Gospels | |
| The song of Mary | Lk 1:4 6–55 |
| The song of Zechariah | Lk 1:6 8–7 9 |
| The song of the angels at the birth of Jesus | Lk 2:14 |
| The song of Simeon | Lk 2:29–31 |
| The song of the crowds on Palm Sunday | Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9–10; Lk 19:31; Jn 12:13 |
| Songs in NT Letters | |
| Doxology to God | Ro 11:33–36 |
| Hymn of love | 1Co 13 |
| Wake-up song | Eph 5:14 |
| Hymn to the human and divine Jesus | Php 2:6–11 |
| Hymn to Jesus as supreme Lord | Col 1:15–20 |
| Hymn on the life of Jesus | 1Ti 3:16 |
| Songs in Revelations | |
| Song of the four living creatures | Rev 4:8 |
| Songs of the twenty-four elders | Rev 4:11; 11:17–18 |
| Song of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders | Rev 5:9–10 |
| Songs of the many angels | Rev 5:12, 13; 7:12 |
| Songs of the great multitude of saints | Rev 7:10; 19:1–3 |
| Songs of the loud voice(s) in heaven | Rev 11:15; 12:10–12; 19:5 |
| Songs of the seven angels (including the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb) | Rev 15:3–4, 6–8 |
d. The name of Christ (3:17)
17 Paul now gives us a kind of summary. There are various ways of interpreting “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Some understand the meaning to be that everything a Christian does is to be undertaken in dependence on the Lord. Others think it means that everything a Christian does is to be done in recognition of the authority of Jesus’ name. Still others take “in the name of the Lord Jesus” to mean “as followers of the Lord Jesus.” This last interpretation reflects the thought that to act in the name of a person is to act as his representative. The last two interpretations are both acceptable, but the third is preferred. Paul is enunciating a general principle of Christian conduct, knowing that rules and regulations belong to a former dispensation and are not appropriate for the Christian life (see Gal 3:23–4:7). “Giving thanks” points to an essential accompaniment of acting in the name of the Lord Jesus—namely, that in everything we do we are to retain a sense of God’s goodness and must thank him.
3. Family relationships are to be strengthened (3:18–4:1)
Several observations are in order as we approach this important paragraph. (1) We may see it as applying specifically to the general principle Paul set down in v.17. (2) The emphasis of the whole passage is on duties, not rights. (3) The duties are reciprocal—i.e., not all the rights are on one side and all the duties on the other. (4) The entire passage is remarkably similar to Eph 5:22–33, though it is much briefer. The chief difference is that in Ephesians, where Paul unfolds the Christian philosophy of marriage, he introduces a rather extended and beautiful statement about the church as the bride of Christ.
a. The wife’s duty to the husband (3:18)
18 The one duty Paul enjoins on the wife is to “submit” (GK 5718), an attitude that recognizes the rights of authority. His main thought is that the wife is to defer to (i.e., be willing to take second place to) her husband. Yet we should never interpret this as if it implies that the husband may be a domestic despot, ruling his family with a rod of iron. It does imply, however, that the husband has an authority the wife must forgo exercising. In areas where one must yield—e.g., in the husband’s choice of a profession or of a geographical location for doing his work—the primary submission devolves upon the wife.
Three things may be said about a wife’s subjection to her husband. (1) The context shows that the wife’s attitude is prompted and warranted by her husband’s unselfish love. (2) The way in which Paul expresses this concept shows that the submission is to be voluntary. The wife’s submission is never to be forced on her by a demanding husband; it is the deference that a loving wife, conscious that her home must have a head, gladly shows to a worthy and devoted husband. (3) Such submission is said to be “fitting in the Lord,” i.e., it is becoming and proper not only in the natural order but also in the Christian order. This whole issue, then, is lifted to a new and higher level.
b. The husband’s duties to the wife (3:19)
19 The ancient world was a man’s world, and even among the Jews the wife was often little more than chattel. Paul’s counsel in the present passage is in striking contrast to this. Husbands in that day often wielded an authority that others were bound to obey. While not openly challenging this assumption, Paul transforms it by the Christian principle of mutual love and deference.
Paul speaks of two responsibilities of the husband—one positive and the other negative. Positively, he urges husbands to “love [GK 26] your wives.” This, of course, is their supreme duty. “Love” does not only denote affection or romantic attachment; it especially denotes caring love, a deliberate attitude of mind that concerns itself with the well-being of the one loved. Self-devotion, not self-satisfaction, is its dominant trait. Negatively, Paul urges husbands not to be “harsh” with their wives, using a word that suggests a surly, irritable attitude.
c. The duty of children to parents (3:20)
20 The one obligation Paul places on children is obedience to their parents. “Obey” (GK 5634) implies a readiness to hear and carry out orders; a child’s ongoing responsibility is to listen to and carry out the instructions of his or her parents. Paul says two things about this obedience. (1) It is to be complete: “in everything.” Paul, of course, sets this in a Christian context. He is dealing with the Christian home and presupposes Christian attitudes on the part of parents. (2) The obedience of children to their parents “pleases the Lord.” In the Christian order, just as in the order under the law or in the natural realm, obedience to parents pleases God. The obedience of children is not, therefore, based on accidental factors, nor does it depend essentially on the parents’ character. It is an obligation grounded in the very nature of the relationship between parents and children. It is a thing that is right in itself (see Eph 6:1–3). It is therefore especially pleasing to God when believing children are careful to fulfill this duty.
d. The duty of parents to children (3:21)
21 The specific mention of “fathers” suggests that the father as head of the household has a special responsibility for training the children. No slight toward the mother is intended, for Paul would surely have recognized her rights and the power of her influence in the home. In fact, “fathers” (GK 4252) occasionally has the broad meaning of “parents” (cf. Heb 11:23, where this word is used of the parents of Moses).
Fathers are not to “embitter” (GK 2241) their children. They must not challenge their children’s resistance by an unreasonable exercise of authority. Firm discipline may be necessary, but it must always be administered in the right spirit. Parents should not give in to fault-finding, nor always be nagging their children.
The reason for this counsel is that “they will become discouraged” (GK 126). Parents can be so exacting, so demanding, or so severe that they create within their children the feeling that it is impossible for them to please. The Greek word used here has in it the idea of “losing heart” and suggests going about in a listless or sullen attitude. Paul may have had in mind the regimen of “don’ts” that loomed so large in the Colossian heresy.
e. The duty of slaves to masters (3:22–25)
22 Slavery, with all its attendant evils, was not only universally accepted in ancient times but also considered a fundamental institution, indispensable to civilized society. More than half the people seen on the streets of the great cities of the Roman world were slaves. And this was the status of the majority of “professional” people, such as teachers and doctors as well as menials and craftsmen. Slaves were people with few rights, mere property existing only for the comfort, convenience, and pleasure of their owners. Paul deals with their duty in the context of the family because slaves were considered a part of the household.
It is a matter of concern to some that neither Paul nor the other apostles denounced slavery and demanded its immediate overthrow. The apostles, however, were not social reformers; they were first and foremost heralds of the good news of salvation in Christ. Then again, the church was a very small minority in the Roman world, and there was no hope that its stance on the matter of slavery would influence Roman policies. We should be careful to understand, though, that they did not condone slavery. Indeed, they announced the very principles (such as that of the complete spiritual equality of slaves and masters) that ultimately destroyed the institution of slavery.
The one duty Paul presses on slaves is complete obedience—i.e., “in everything.” He was obviously thinking of the Christian household and thus did not have in mind carrying out orders contrary to the principles of the Gospel. Christian slaves were not, of course, to obey such orders; no matter what their position in life, the Christians’ highest duty is to God, and all lesser duties must give way to this (cf. Ac 5:29). The latter part of the verse insists that obedience of slaves is to be sincere, ungrudging, and rooted in “reverence for the Lord.”
23–24 Slaves must see their service as a service rendered not to human beings but to the Lord. This would transform the most menial responsibilities and give dignity to all of their work. They would thereby be reminded of the reward that would be theirs for serving faithfully in Christ’s name. On “inheritance,” see comment on 1:12.
25 This verse, set in contrast to the preceding ones, shows that wrong will be punished, because “there is no favoritism” with God. Doubtless Paul meant this as a warning to Christian slaves not to presume on their position before God and to think that he would overlook their misdeeds, even if they were acting unscrupulously because of being treated unfairly. In the parallel passage in Ephesians it is the master who is reminded that there is no partiality with God (Eph 6:9).
The entire passage about the duty of slaves (vv.22–25) may seem completely irrelevant to our day. It contains, however, this enduring principle: Christians, in whatever work they do, must see it as a service rendered to the Lord. This is what motivates them to give honest, faithful, ungrudging work in return for the pay they receive. Moreover, passages such as this impart a sense of dignity in work, regardless of how unimportant that work may seem to be.
f. The duty of masters to slaves (4:1)
1 Now Paul turns to the duty of masters toward their slaves in terms of dealing justly and equitably with them. Though in the Roman world slaves had few rights, Paul does not hesitate to teach that duty is not all on the side of slaves. Masters too have obligations. Paul’s reason for their being completely fair with their slaves is a compelling one: “because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” It is to God that Christian masters are accountable for how they treat their slaves. Both master and slave alike bow before one Master, with whom there is no “favoritism.”
4. Christian duties are to be faithfully performed (4:2–6)
The immediately preceding paragraph (3:18–4:1) consisted of a series of special appeals based on the several relationships in the Christian household. Now Paul returns to advice that applies to the entire church. Most of what he says relates to the personal devotional life (vv.2–5), but the section closes with an appeal for wise behavior toward non-Christians (vv.5–6). The injunctions given in this paragraph touch the two extremes of life—the hidden life of prayer, and the outward, busy life of the marketplace and the street.
a. The duty of prayer (4:2–4)
2 Here is a general appeal for prayerfulness. The word for “devote yourselves” (GK 4674) is built on a root meaning “to be strong.” It always connotes earnest adherence to a person or thing; here it implies persistence and fervor (cf. Ac 1:14; 2:46; 6:5; Ro 12:12). “Being watchful” (lit., “keeping awake”; GK 1213) suggests constant spiritual alertness. So Christians must be watchful and active in prayer, alive in the fullest sense, never careless, mechanical, or dull and heavy (cf. Mt 26:41; Mk 14:38; 1Th 5:6; 1Pe 5:8). “Being thankful” refers to the spirit in which prayers should be offered (cf. Php 4:6).
3–4 Paul requests prayer for himself while being imprisoned in Rome. His concern was that he and his associates might have clear opportunities for witnessing and that Paul might make clear the great secret (“mystery”; cf. 1:26; 2:2 with Eph 1:9; 3:1) of redemption in Christ in a worthy manner. There was no selfish motive behind this prayer; Paul’s consuming interest was for the advancement of the Gospel, not for his own blessing.
b. The duty of witnessing (4:5–6)
These verses, with their call for discreet behavior in an unbelieving society, may reflect the fact that charges of misconduct on the part of Christians were being circulated. Therefore the Colossian Christians should be all the more cautious, living in so exemplary a way as to give the lie to such slander. In reality, Paul makes two appeals—one having to do with how Christians are to live (v.5), the other relating how they are to speak (v.6). Careful attention to these matters will not only remove unfounded suspicions about Christians but also further the acceptance of the Gospel.
5 To “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders” is to show practical Christian wisdom in dealing with secular society. Paul’s words imply that believers are to be cautious and tactful so as to avoid needlessly antagonizing or alienating their pagan neighbors. In a positive sense, these words also imply that believers should conduct themselves so that the way they live will attract, impress, and convict non-Christians and give the pagan community a favorable impression of the Gospel (see also 1Co 5:12–13; 1Th 4:12; 1Ti 3:7 for other passages where unbelievers are designated as “outsiders”).
The verb in the statement “make the most [GK 1973] of every opportunity” is a market word that means “to buy out” or "purchase completely.” So Christians, as an expression of practical wisdom, must buy up and make the most of every opportunity for witnessing to the faith. “Opportunity” (GK 2789) denotes either a specific point of time or a significant time, God’s time. This latter meaning appears to be the preferred sense in the present passage.
6 Like his Lord and also like James the brother of the Lord, Paul knew how important the way Christians speak is (cf. Mt 12:36; Eph 4:24; Tit 2:8; Jas 3:1–12). Here he may well have had in mind the relation of the right kind of speech to witnessing. So their speech, he reminds the Colossians, must be always full of “grace” and “seasoned with salt.” “Grace” (GK 5921), a word that usually denotes divine favor, seems here to be used in the broader sense of “pleasantness,” “attractiveness,” “charm,” and “winsomeness.” These ideas are all implicit in the word.
“Seasoned with salt” may mean that Christian conversation is to be marked by purity and wholesomeness. Some, however, understand “salt” in the sense of that which gives taste or flavor. Among the ancient Greeks “salt” could designate the wit that gives zest and liveliness to conversation. The remainder of v.6 tells why we should cultivate this kind of speech: “so that you will know how to answer everyone.” Conversation must be appropriate for each person to whom we speak.
VI. Conclusion (4:7–18)
The body of the letter, in which Paul has met head-on the false teachers threatening the church at Colosse, is complete. By a powerful exposition of the sovereign lordship and complete sufficiency of Jesus Christ, Paul has refuted their so-called “philosophy” with all its attendant errors (1:15–2:23); he has set forth the nature of the Christian life, calling attention to its springs of power, its heavenly aspirations, and its distinguishing characteristics (3:1–17); he has shown how the lofty principles of the Gospel must affect relationships within Christian households (3:18–4:2); and he has earnestly exhorted his readers to pray (4:2–4) and given them practical advice for living in the pagan world (4:5–6). Now all that remains are some personal matters.
A. Commendations (4:7–9)
7 These commendations, given to ensure their welcome by the Colossian church, concern two men: Tychicus (vv.7–8) and Onesimus (v.9). The former, described by Paul as “a dear brother” and “a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord,” was probably the bearer of both this letter and the one we know as Ephesians (cf. Eph 6:21–22). He was a native of the province of Asia and was earlier selected to be one of the two delegates of the churches who were to accompany Paul on his last visit to Jerusalem, probably as a custodian of the offering that was given by the churches for the needy in Jerusalem (Ac 20:4; 24:17; Ro 15:25–26; 1Co 16:1; 2Co 8–9).
“Dear brother” shows that Tychicus was a much-loved fellow Christian. “Faithful minister [GK 1356]” may identify him as a loyal servant of Christ, but more likely the expression marks his relation to Paul (i.e., “trusted assistant”). Earlier Paul had used the same noun of Epaphras (1:7) and of himself (1:23). “Fellow servant” (GK 5281) speaks of Tychicus both as a slave of Christ and as a comrade with Paul (cf. 1:7, where Paul used this word to designate Epaphras).
8–9 Paul explains a twofold purpose he had in sending Tychicus to the Colossians: (1) “that you may know about our circumstances,” and (2) “that he may encourage your hearts.” Accompanying Tychicus was Onesimus, the runaway slave who in the providence of God had met Paul in Rome and had apparently been led to Christ by him (see introduction to Philemon). Paul is now sending Onesimus back to Colosse—with no mention of his past, but with the heartwarming phrase that he is now “one of you.”
B. Greetings (4:10–15)
10–11 In vv.10–15 six persons join in sending greetings to the Colossian church. Three of them—Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus—were Jewish Christians. Aristarchus, a native of Thessalonica who had been arrested at the time of the riot in Ephesus (Ac 19:29), accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Ac 20:4) and later on was with him on the journey from Caesarea to Rome (Ac 27:2). Here Paul calls him his “fellow prisoner.” This term may be interpreted either literally or spiritually (i.e., literally in prison with Paul or one who, along with Paul, had been taken captive by Christ). Mark, called here “the cousin of Barnabas,” wrote the gospel that bears his name. He appears in the NT with some frequency, and we know more about him than about any of the others mentioned in this passage (cf. Ac 12:12, 25; 13:13; 15:37–39; 1Pe 5:13). Of Jesus Justus we know nothing beyond the mention of his name here.
There is a note of pathos in Paul’s remark about these three: “These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” Paul felt keenly his alienation from his countrymen (cf. Ro 9:3; Php 1:15–17). But these three, he adds, “have proved a comfort to me,” perhaps in a particular time of crisis when they stood by Paul.
12 Epaphras, mentioned in 1:7 as the founder of the Colossian church and as Paul’s representative, is here described as “one of you” (cf. v.9) and as “a servant of Christ Jesus.” Paul reminds the Colossians that Epaphras was continually “wrestling” (GK 76; cf. 1:29 for the same word) for them in his prayers. He was concerned that they stand firm, mature, and fully convinced in relation to everything God wills. Undoubtedly he had in mind the possibility of their wavering under the influence of the heretical teaching at Colosse.
13 Paul confirms Epaphras’s anxiety for the Colossians and assures them that “he is working hard for [them] and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.” The expression used here suggests heavy toil to the extent of pain. Epaphras undoubtedly had experienced much emotional distress in reference to the people at Colosse.
Laodicea and Hierapolis were cities near Colosse. The former, which lay ten miles downstream to the west of Colosse, was situated on a plateau to the south of the River Lycus. On the other side of the river, six miles north of Laodicea, was Hierapolis. Laodicea was a city of great wealth and boasted a medical school. The church there received the sternest denunciation of all the seven churches of Asia in the book of Revelation (Rev 3:14–22). The name Hierapolis (the name literally means “holy city”) suggests the city owed its initial importance to religion. In 133 B.C., this entire district became the Roman province of Asia.
14 Luke and Demas are mentioned next; no descriptive phrase is used of Demas (cf. Phm 24; 2Ti 4:10). Of Luke, Paul says very little. Interestingly enough, however, much of what we know about him is derived from this casual reference. It is here that we learn that Luke was a physician, and the context (cf. v.11) suggests that he was a Gentile. The adjective “dear” confirms what is implied in Acts; namely, that Luke—assuming that he was author of Acts—was a trusted friend of Paul.
15 Greetings are given to the Christian “brothers” of Laodicea, to “Nympha,” and to “the church in her house.” The reference to the church in Nympha’s “house” is significant. There were, of course, no church buildings in apostolic times, and in the NT, “church” always designates an assembly of believers, never the place where they met. The location of Nympha’s “house-church” is uncertain, though the context implies that it was in the vicinity of Laodicea.
C. Instructions (4:16–17)
These final instructions relate to three matters: the Colossian letter (v.16a), the letter from Laodicea (v.16b), and advice to Archippus (v.17).
16 After reading this letter, the Colossian Christians were to see to it that it was read also in the Laodicean church. Perhaps they first made a copy of it to keep for themselves and then sent the original to the Laodiceans. In return, the Colossians were to read “the letter from Laodicea.” Most likely Paul wrote to the Laodicean church a letter that has not been preserved (cf. also 1Co 5:9 and comment on that verse).
17 Archippus, to whom Paul sends a special message, appears again in Phm 2. From the context there some think he was a member of Philemon’s household, perhaps even Philemon’s son. The present verse implies that he had some ministerial responsibility in the Colossian church, though Paul gives no definite information about it. Perhaps he was serving as pastor in the absence of Epaphras. Paul tells the Colossian church to instruct Archippus to “complete” the work assigned him. Whether this implies a degree of failure on the part of Archippus or is written only to indicate Paul’s full support of this man, we do not know.
D. Benediction (4:18)
18 When a stenographer’s services were used to write a letter (as perhaps was Paul’s custom; cf. Ro 16:22), it was normally the stenographer’s task to compose the final greeting. Apparently, however, Paul regularly wrote the benediction in his own hand (cf. 2Th 3:11). So here at the end of this letter, he took the stylus and signed the letter in his own hand. The letter ends as it began, with the simple but profound prayer: “Grace be with you.”