Colossae was a major city situated near the Meander River in the Lycus Valley and thus along the main trade route that connected the cities of Phrygia in the east with Ephesus in the west. Historical records indicate that it enjoyed considerable wealth and prestige in ancient times (prior to 400 B.C.). Because of its commercial interests, Colossae had been a significant cosmopolitan city that included diverse religious and cultural elements. The Jewish population was due in part to Antiochus III, who settled about two thousand Jews from Mesopotamia and Babylon in that area around 200 B.C. G. L. Munn observes that “by 62 B.C. the Jews of the Lycus valley were so numerous that the Roman governor forbade the export of currency to pay the temple tax.”[1] According to Cicero, there may have been as many as ten thousand Jews living in that area of Phrygia.[2]
Colossae diminished in importance as a city during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. By the time of the Apostle Paul, it was the least important city in the area. Historians record that it was severely devastated by an earthquake in A.D. 61, and unlike its neighboring cities of Laodicea (about ten miles west) and Hierapolis (about sixteen miles northwest), it was never rebuilt. The site was completely abandoned by the eighth century A.D., and to this day no major archaeological work has been carried out on its ruins.
Very little is known about the founding of the Colossian church. The Book of Acts does not specifically record any visit to Colossae by Paul, although scholars such as Bo Reicke have suggested that Paul may have gone to Colossae and other cities in the Lycus Valley on his third missionary journey, when he passed through the “region of Galatia and Phrygia” (18:23) and “through the interior” on his way to Ephesus (19:1). Reicke takes this to mean the Lycus and Meander valleys, which would have been accessible by the trade route that connected Colossae with Pisidian Antioch.[3]
If this is true, then Paul could be considered the founder of the church. He knows quite a few members of the congregation (4:7–17; Philemon), and those who do not know him personally (2:1) could be recent converts. The internal evidence of the epistle leads one to conclude that the Colossians first heard the Good News from Epaphras (1:7), who was from Colossae (4:12) and who had become one of Paul’s co-workers in the Lycus Valley (4:13). Epaphras may have heard Paul teaching in Ephesus, converted to Christianity, and returned home to start a church. According to this reconstruction, Paul was connected with the beginning of the church, but indirectly. The same would be true of other churches that were started as a result of his ministry in Ephesus (“so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord,” Acts 19:10).
The false teaching that was threatening the Colossian church is best described as a syncretistic religious system, that is, as a mixture of diverse religious and philosophical components coming from Oriental, Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures. Phrygia, the area in which Colossae was located, was the home of Cybele, the great mother goddess of fertility. Some descriptions of the features of the Colossian heresy may refer to beliefs and practices of this popular cult.[4]
Since Paul does not deal with the heresy in any systematic way, we are left to reconstruct it on the basis of the words and ideas he uses, as well as from our understanding of the religious systems current in his day. His readers already knew the basic tenets of this teaching, so it was not necessary for Paul to develop it in any detail. The complexity of the system may have led the Christians at Colossae to believe that it was a better solution for their religious hopes and fears than the simple gospel they had heard from Epaphras.
The false teaching had several major components, all interrelated in various ways:
Astrology. In the epistle, Paul warns his readers about the “basic principles of this world” (stoicheia tou kosmou, 2:8), “powers and authorities” (2:15), and “the worship of angels” (2:18). In ancient thought, the stoicheia were the basic or fundamental principles of knowledge and creation, thus making up the totality of the world. Under the influence of Hellenistic syncretism, including Pythagorean philosophy, these “first principles” were elevated to the status of “spirits,” personified as cosmic rulers, and, along with all the other astral bodies in the universe, divinized.
One of the basic tenets of astrology is that there is a correspondence between the movements of the gods above and the alterations that take place on earth. People believed that their lives were controlled by these stellar divinities and thus sought to placate them through worship or to defuse their power through sorcery, rituals, magical rites, and so on. Some of the beliefs and practices that Paul exposes in the epistle are related to astrology. Even the worship of angels may come from the idea that these are powers that control one’s destiny (fate) and need to be venerated. Lohse suggests that in some strands of Jewish speculation “the stars themselves were thought of as a distinct class of angels.”[5]
Gnosticism. This component of Colossian heresy may explain such references as “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8), “human tradition” (2:8), rules about “what you eat or drink” (2:16, 20–22), “his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions” (2:18), “false humility” (2:23), and “harsh treatment of the body” (2:23).
Gnosticism is the name given to a complex syncretistic religious system in whose teaching knowledge (gnōsis) had a crucial place. Since Gnosticism existed in a variety of forms, there is no one unified movement that can properly be called Gnosticism. Much of the scholarly debate today centers around the dating and the doctrines of this heresy that confronted the church throughout its early history.[6]
Traces of Gnostic cosmology, soteriology (theories concerning salvation), and ethics can be found in Colossians. The Gnostics accepted the Greek idea of a radical dualism between spirit (God) and matter (the world). They taught that mankind was separated from God by a number of cosmic spheres (usually seven) inhabited and ruled by all sorts of spiritual rulers, principalities, and powers. These are the regions that one must penetrate if one wishes to gain access to heaven.
Salvation, which basically consists of the soul’s ascent from earth to heaven, is made possible by gnōsis. This saving knowledge is available through such means as doctrinal instruction, ritual, prophecy, sacramental initiation, and self-discovery; it enables an individual to return to the realm of light where the soul becomes reunited with God.
The ethical life of the Gnostics took two major directions. Some moved toward a rigid asceticism. Because they believed that the world was evil, they separated themselves from “matter” in order to avoid further contamination. All the cravings of the body had to be severely restricted. Other Gnostics, however, practiced libertinism, reasoning that since the body already was evil, further indulgence in immoral practices would not have any serious consequences. Besides, they felt that they had supernatural gnōsis of their “true” nature, so it really did not matter how they lived.
The false teachers in Colossae held to a rigid system of rules and regulations that they felt were necessary to control their behavior. These rules, combined with some forms of Jewish legalism, account for Paul’s “manifesto of Christian liberty” in 2:16–23. Basically, he teaches that such dogmas are transitory (2:17), divisive (2:18), enslaving (2:20), temporary (2:22), and useless (2:23). For Paul, these are “human commands and teachings” (2:22) and have nothing to do with the true gospel that comes from Christ (2:8).
Mystery Religions. The term mystery religion is the name given to a number of beliefs and practices that existed anytime from the eighth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. They are called mysteries because so much of their teaching and ritual activity was carried on in secrecy.[7]
In Colossians, there may be an allusion to the mysteries in the phrases “the fullness of the Deity” (2:9), “false humility,” and “a person goes into great detail about what he has seen” (2:18). Initiates of the mysteries would receive special knowledge and visions of the secrets of the universe. This, in turn, would set them apart from the uninitiated, creating divisions within the society.
Hellenistic Judaism. References to circumcision (2:11), holy days, the new moon festival, the Sabbath (2:16), and the worship of angels (2:18) are definitely Jewish. This is not, however, the orthodox Judaism of Palestine; rather, it is a Judaism that has been thoroughly Hellenized. As such, it forms part of the syncretistic “philosophy” (2:8) that was threatening the Christians at Colossae. Paul does not single out this Jewish element but attacks it along with the entire system.
His solution to the Colossian heresy is found in the application of the Christ hymn (1:15–20), which establishes the pre-eminence of Christ in the universe (cosmically) and in the church (ecclesiastically). Since Christ is superior to every other power in the cosmos (1:15–17; 2:10) and has, in fact, defeated these powers on the cross (2:15), why should believers go on living as if they were still subject to them? They have been set free from these powers by virtue of their union with Christ in baptism (2:20).
Much the same applies to the believers’ spiritual life. The path to growth, maturity, and fullness for members within the body comes from their relationship to Christ, the head (2:19), not a return to the enslaving, legalistic rules and regulations that Christ set aside through his death (2:14). The purpose of the exhortations in 3:1 and the following verses is to remind these believers that they need to live out ethically what is theirs theologically because they are members of the body of Christ.
If the reason for the writing of Colossians is connected with Epaphras’ report to Paul about the false teaching that was threatening the church, then it follows that its purpose is to warn the readers about this heresy and to remind them of the truth of the gospel that they have already received and in which they now live (1:5). Basically, Paul is telling them that Christ has defeated the evil powers by his death on the cross (2:15). This means that the false teaching and enslaving regulations that come from human wisdom and from the ruling spirits of the universe (2:8) have no authority over the believer (2:10); their previous hold over a person’s life in the form of an unpaid debt has been canceled (2:14). Paul wants his readers to realize this truth and so reminds them to walk in the light of the traditions that they have received about Christ and the gospel.
This fact accounts for the many references to the truth of the gospel (1:5, 6, 25–27; 2:8, 9, 12, 13) and the admonitions to understand and to live out their hope accordingly (1:9, 10, 12, 23, 28; 2:2, 3, 5–7). The ethical exhortations (3:1ff.) are a further reminder that the Colossians live in union with Christ and under the authority of the exalted Lord.
In Paul’s understanding of the gospel there is no room for any kind of exclusivism. His concept of the “mystery” that he has been called to proclaim is that Jews and Gentiles, as well as the entire universe, are included in God’s plan of redemption (1:20, 25–29). Thus he rejoices that “all over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing” (1:6, 23). Paul’s wish is that during—and possibly after—his imprisonment, he may able to continue his proclamation of the mystery (4:3, 4).
One of the dangers of false teaching in any congregation is that it thwarts God’s plan of inclusivism. Those following the “traditions of men” would set themselves up as the enlightened or spiritually elite, believing that their wisdom and legalism make them different from other members in the body of Christ. In opposition to this exclusivism, Paul is inspired to write that believers have already been circumcised in union with Christ (2:11, 12), and as a result of that union, “there is no Greek or Jew” (3:11; note GNB “there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews”).[8]
Apparently, the Pauline authorship of Colossians was universally accepted until the German scholar E. Meyerhoff questioned it in 1893, largely because of its close dependence upon Ephesians. He was followed by F. C. Baur, who claimed that the heresy described in Colossians could belong only to the second century. Since that time, a number of scholars either hold Colossians to be Pauline or designate it as one of the deutero-Pauline epistles, that is, an epistle written by an author using Paul’s name.[9]
The questions of authorship center around the usual categories of vocabulary, style, and theology. Colossians has an unusually high number of hapax legomena, that is, it contains thirty-four words that do not appear elsewhere in the NT. In addition, there are twenty-eight words that appear in the NT but not in Paul’s writings. A number of scholars question whether these could appear unless Colossians were the work of another author.[10]
The style in which the epistle is written is somewhat different from letters that are indisputably Paul’s. Scholars have noted that Paul usually deals with theological problems in a vigorous or polemical manner (cf. Galatians, Corinthians, Philippians). In Colossians, the approach is more subdued and less argumentative. The style has a hymnic and liturgical quality about it, and the entire epistle uses a considerable amount of traditional material, that is, Christian teaching that was common in the early church and used by Paul and other writers of the NT.
In spite of the differences in vocabulary and style, however, nearly all scholars agree that these factors alone cannot decide the question of authorship. Some feel that the “special circumstances of the background and purpose of this letter” account for the differences; others claim that because of the high percentage of non-Pauline, that is, traditional, material in the epistle, it is impossible to make any reliable comparisons with Paul’s other letters.[11]
E. Lohse, who firmly believes that Colossians is deutero-Pauline, acknowledges that studies of language and style do not settle the matter. For him, it is its theological teaching that sets Colossians apart from Paul and leads to the conclusion that this epistle is the work of a Pauline school using Paul’s letters to address a new challenge in the church.
In his detailed and helpful excursus entitled “The Letter to the Colossians and Pauline Theology,” Lohse examines the Christology (teaching of Christ), ecclesiology (teaching of the church), eschatology (teaching of the end times), and sacramentalism (teaching related to baptism as a sacrament) of Colossians and concludes that in all these areas there are substantial differences with Paul’s theology as reflected in his genuine epistles. True, the historical situation necessitated some new theological formulations, but the differences are too divergent, according to Lohse, for Pauline authorship to be supported.[12]
Not all scholars, however, are convinced that the theology of Colossians is non-Pauline. Some believe that the threat of the false teaching required that Paul state and apply his gospel in different ways but deny that he changed or contradicted it. G. Cannon faults Lohse for neglecting the interrelatedness of these theological categories and failing to see that many of the ideas that he labels deutero-Pauline can be found in Paul’s chief letters and in the theological affirmations of the traditional material that Colossians uses.[13]
Another argument in favor of Pauline authorship is the close connection between Colossians and Philemon. Since the Pauline authorship of Philemon is rarely questioned, it would follow that Colossians comes from Paul as well. Both epistles contain Timothy’s name (Col. 1:1; Philem. 1) and include greetings from the same people (Col. 4:10–14; Philem. 23, 24). Also, Onesimus, the subject of the letter of Philemon, is mentioned as being a member of the group in Colossae (4:9).
Although all contrary evidence needs to be evaluated carefully, it seems reasonable to conclude with G. Cannon “that the author of Colossians was Paul the apostle and that he wrote to the churches of the Lycus Valley to warn them about a teaching which advocated practices which would put them in a pre-Christian situation and which contradicted the teachings which they had received about Christ in the gospel and in baptismal instruction.”[14]
If Colossians was not written by Paul, then it must be the product of the Pauline school that probably was connected with Ephesus.[15] However, if Paul is the author, then it belongs to one of the “captivity epistles.” There are three places of origin that normally are proposed—Rome, Caesarea, and Ephesus.
Rome. The traditional view reconstructed from the Book of Acts is that Paul wrote his captivity epistles while in prison in Rome (Acts 28:16–31; see also Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History 11.22.1, which identifies the place of Paul’s imprisonment in Col. 4:10 as Rome). The relative freedom that Paul enjoyed in prison and the fellowship of his co-workers make Rome a likely place. Also, it is quite possible that Onesimus, the runaway slave, would have sought anonymity in a large city like Rome.
There are some factors, however, that mitigate against a hasty acceptance of a Roman origin for Colossians. For one thing, the distance between Colossae and Rome is about twelve hundred miles. Would Onesimus have attempted such a long journey with its increased risk of being caught? Also, according to Philemon 22, Paul expects to be released and to visit Colossae. His request that a room be prepared for him gives the impression that he is close enough for this to happen within a very short time. R. P. Martin also notes that a trip from Rome eastward to Colossae would entail a shift in Paul’s missionary strategy, which, according to Romans 15:28, meant going west to Spain.[16]
Caesarea. After Paul was arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27ff.), he spent two years in prison in Caesarea before he was taken to Rome (Acts 23:33–26:32). Bo Reicke, who is one of the main proponents for this view, argues that Caesarea is the most likely place for Colossians to have been written.[17]
There are a number of supporting arguments: First, a number of the friends who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem and who are with him at prison are from Asia (Acts 20:4; 24:23; cf. Col. 4:7–14 and Philem. 23, 24); second, the missionary activity that Paul envisioned when he wrote Colossians and Philemon and the dispatching of these letters to Colossae with Tychicus make sense if from Caesarea; third, Onesimus would have come to Caesarea because he had friends from that area and would then have returned to Colossae with Tychicus. These, together with other considerations, lead Bo Reicke to conclude that “Philemon and Colossians were sent from Caesarea to Colossae ca. A.D. 59.”[18]
Ephesus. The arguments for an Ephesian imprisonment of Paul that could have made the writing of epistles such as Colossians possible are largely arguments from silence. Acts does not record any imprisonment in Ephesus. All that one can say is that the struggles that Paul had in Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41) may be reflected in his correspondence with the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:9–13; 2 Cor. 1:8–10; 4:4–12; 6:4, 5; 11:23–25). The reference to fighting with “wild beasts” in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32) could be a metaphorical expression to indicate verbal confrontation with his opponents rather than a physical struggle with animals as in the gladiatorial arena. For Bo Reicke, “It is pure imagination to speak of any captivity in Ephesus.”[19]
In spite of the lack of direct evidence, a surprisingly large number of scholars favor an Ephesian imprisonment and origin for Colossians. The proximity of Ephesus to Colossae, the likelihood of Paul’s co-workers mentioned in Colossians and Philemon being with the apostle in Ephesus, and the gravity of the riot occasioned by Paul’s preaching are mentioned as factors that merit consideration. R. P Martin, for one, has examined most of the current theories and concludes that the Epistle to the Colossians “belongs to that tumultuous period of Paul’s life, represented in Acts 19–20, when for a brief space his missionary labours were interrupted by an enforced spell as a détenu [prisoner] near Ephesus.”[20]
Though all these suggestions about the origin of Colossians have strengths and weaknesses, there does not appear to be any decisive evidence for departing from the traditional view, Rome. The inconclusiveness about an Ephesian imprisonment, together with the advanced cosmic Christology of Colossians, makes it most likely that the epistle originated during a later period of Paul’s life (ca. A.D. 60) and from a setting like Rome.[21]
§1 Paul’s Greetings (Col. 1:1–2)
The opening greeting in this epistle is typical of the way in which Paul has addressed other churches to whom he has written (1 Cor. 1:1–3; 2 Cor. 1:1–2; Phil. 1:1–2; 1 Thess. 1:1–2; 2 Thess. 1:1–2; cf. Eph. 1:1–2). Although the form of these salutations is quite similar to contemporary Greek models, the content is distinctly Christian and, in the case of Colossians, sets forth statements that are important to the body of the letter.
1:1 / Paul links Timothy with the writing of this letter (and Timothy our brother). This beloved co-worker had won a respected place in Paul’s heart and had become a vital cog in all that Paul was attempting to do for Christ (1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; 2:19–24; 1 Thess. 1:1; 3:1ff.; Philem. 1). By including Timothy in this greeting, Paul communicates to the Colossians that he is not alone in his imprisonment and that someone whom they know from his ministry in Asia Minor joins him in this epistle.
Paul uses a phrase that helps to convey the authority of his message: He is an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. An apostle is one who is regarded as possessing power and authority. Although there is no indication that the Colossians were questioning Paul’s apostolic authority, the content of the letter reveals that they were in danger of falling away from the truth of the gospel by turning to false teachings (2:1–8). Consequently, they needed to hear a strong and authoritative message from one of God’s messengers.
1:2 / The Colossians are identified in two ways: First, they are holy (lit., “saints,” hagioi). It was not uncommon for Paul to call Christians saints (1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Eph. 1:1), referring to their status in Christ and not to the degree of holiness that they may have attained (cf. 1:4). As saints, they are a distinct class of people who are called out and separated from their former way of life in order to live in and for Christ (1:21ff.).
Second, they are faithful brothers in Christ. Here there is some uncertainty whether Paul’s use of faithful carries the sense of “reliability,” or of “belief,” that is, is the apostle referring to those who are faithful to the gospel, or is he referring to those who have been joined together by their faith in Christ and who now form a believing community? Given that many of Paul’s greetings and thanksgivings foreshadow later pastoral concerns, it is quite possible that he has the readers’ steadfastness or faithfulness in mind (1:10, 23; 2:6, 7).
The greeting ends with an appeal for grace and peace, which have their source in God the Father. This serves to draw attention to the favor that God freely bestows upon his undeserving people and to the healthy or peaceable condition of life that they enjoy because of it.
§2 Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (Col. 1:3–8)
After the greeting, Paul offers a prayer of thanksgiving for his readers. Even though he has not ministered to them personally (1:6–8; 2:1), he feels that they are very much a part of his pastoral care and concern. Although Paul certainly is genuine in what he says, it does become apparent that his thanksgivings anticipate some of the problems he will deal with later. Thus, for example, he commends them for their “faith,” “hope,” and “love,” (1:5) and yet strongly encourages them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and to walk worthy of the Lord (1:9); he praises them for the spread and growth of the gospel in their lives (1:6) but nevertheless prays that they will “bear fruit” and “grow” in the knowledge of God (1:10; 2:6). The entire section 1:3–14 is a beautiful example of how Paul combines praise, thanksgiving, and prayer for his readers.
1:3 / Though the use of the plural we may mean that Timothy is a part of the prayer, it is more likely an example of the style that Paul employs on other occasions when he freely alternates between “I” and “we” (cf. 2 Cor. 13:7ff.; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13; 3:9; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2:13). The prayer is to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this expanded version of his prayer (cf. shorter forms in Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Phil. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:2–3), Paul draws attention not only to God as Father—a distinctly Christian insight—but to the Lord [kyrios] Jesus Christ. This emphasis upon Christ’s exalted status as Lord certainly would reinforce the idea that Christ is not an inferior deity but one in whom God himself is found (1:15–20).
1:4 / The next two verses introduce the familiar triad of faith, love, and hope. The numerous references to these concepts in the NT (Rom. 5:1–5; 1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 5:5, 6; Eph. 1:15–18; 4:2–5; 1 Thess. 1:3; 5:8; Heb. 6:10–12; 10:22–24; 1 Pet. 1:3–8, 21, 22) reveal that they were a significant part of early Christian tradition. Here, Paul is not listing them haphazardly but is intentionally developing and applying them for his readers. He has heard of their faith in Christ Jesus from Epaphras, the most likely founder of the Colossian church (1:7).
Whereas Christ certainly is the content and object of faith, Paul has in mind the realm or the sphere in which their faith operates; that is, they not only believe in Christ but they live in him as well (later, in 2:11, 12, and in other passages, such as Rom. 6:1–11; 1 Cor. 12:13, and Gal. 3:26–27, the apostle shows how believers have been baptized into [eis] Christ and incorporated into his body). The result of a life in Christ is a life for Christ. Consequently, Paul can compliment the Colossians on their love … for all the saints. Their faith in Christ was being demonstrated in a love that had spilled over from their immediate congregation to other churches in the surrounding area, such as Laodicea and Hierapolis.
1:5 / Hope is the third member of the triad and is introduced as the basis of faith and love (the faith and love that spring from the hope). This message of hope, which is such a vital component of the Christian life, came through the preaching of the gospel. Here Paul is emphasizing that the original word of truth that they received included a word of hope. It is a possession that they had from the beginning and not something that only the false teachers could offer (2:4, 8).
In this verse, Paul combines the present and future dimensions of hope. It is normal to think of hope only as something to be realized at the end time when Christ shall appear (3:4). True, hope is a possession given by God and stored up for you in heaven. Scripture does teach that believers will inherit or possess God’s promises at some future time (Rom. 8:24, 25). But here Paul is placing a much-needed emphasis on the present aspect of hope. He wants to show his readers that hope belongs to the preaching that they originally heard and that they already possess by virtue of being in Christ (“this hope … that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you”). Hope is the basis of their love and faith and thus assures them of the adequacy of the gospel they have received. This should preclude any desire to supplement the gospel with additional speculation from the false teachers.
1:6 / Here the emphasis continues to be on the truthfulness of the gospel. In 1:5 it was linked with hope; here the association is with the grace of God. From this, one could conclude that Paul is concerned to show that the message of the gospel is true with respect to hope and grace. But more likely he has the entire message in mind. This gospel, in contrast to the false teachings to which the Colossians have been exposed, is a true message.
The truthfulness and power of the gospel have practical dimensions as well. First of all, the gospel is universal in scope, that is, growing throughout the entire Roman Empire. The gospel of Christ is for everyone (inclusive) and not for a select few (exclusive) as the heretics are teaching (2:8–15). Second, the gospel is bringing blessings (lit., bearing fruit) to the whole world, even as it is to the Christians in Colossae. The true word of God is something that reproduces and grows (cf. the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1–20 and parallels); it does not sprout and then die out quickly (1 Pet. 1:23–25) as the false teaching was prone to do (2:14–15, 19).
Paul is establishing criteria by which the Colossians can counter the claims of the false teachers. With a concern much like the Apostle John, who wrote, “test the spirits to see whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1), Paul wants his readers to test the claims of these heretics against the claims of the gospel. Is it God’s truth? Is it universal? Does it bear fruit in people’s lives? If not, then it cannot be the gospel that they have received. The gospel needs to bear fruit in order for it to be the gospel!
1:7 / Another test is to consider the messenger. Although Paul did not bring the gospel to Colossae himself, he reminds his readers that they learned it from Epaphras, one of their own members whom Paul commends as a faithful minister of Christ (cf. 4:12). This brother, who also shared Paul’s imprisonment (Philem. 23), is singled out in 4:13 for his faithfulness and diligence on behalf of the Colossian church.
1:8 / Epaphras has brought the news of the situation in Colossae back to Paul. True, they had some major problems and were in danger of falling into heresy, but Epaphras also told Paul of their love in the Spirit. In other words, their conduct in the community is marked by a love that has its source in the Spirit (cf. Rom. 15:30; Gal. 5:22).
1:3 / For helpful insights on the Pauline thanksgivings, see P. Schubert, Form and Function of the Pauline Thanksgivings, BZNW 20 (Berlin: Alfred Töpelmann, 1939); J. L. White, Form and Function of the Greek Letter: A Study of the Letter Body in the Non-Literary Papyri and in Paul the Apostle, SBLDS 2 (Missoula, Mont.: Scholars Press, 1972).
1:6 / There is some ambiguity regarding the translation of this verse and the meaning of truth. Does the “it” refer to God’s grace or to this gospel, i.e., did the Colossians come to know the gospel, or God’s grace, in all its truth (en alētheia; cf. RSV, “grace of God in truth”)? From the Greek it appears that truth in 1:6 should keep its identification with this gospel, as in 1:5 (en tō logō tēs alētheias tou euangeliou). The important point, however, is that Paul’s message is based on God’s truth and is, therefore, correct teaching. For the phrase “truth of the gospel,” see Gal. 2:5, 14.
The concept of truth that is employed here is not something that is gained by logical analysis or empirical observation, as in Greek or Western thought. Rather, it conveys the idea of reliability in what it claims (Schweizer, p. 35). Thus the Colossians, in addition to hearing the truth, came to recognize it in all its truth. Paul places emphasis upon hearing and knowing the gospel.
§3 Paul’s Prayer of Intercession (Col. 1:9–14)
Following the words of thanksgiving (1:3–8), Paul turns to intercession (1:9–11) and lays a foundation for the Christ hymn (1:15–20). As we have noted (§2), Paul typically prays specifically for the things that he has mentioned in his thanksgivings (note the for this reason). Both the thanksgiving and the intercession are good examples of Paul’s continued pastoral concern for this congregation (we have not stopped praying for you) even though he does not know most of them personally.
Although 1:9 forms one of the requests, it stands as a heading for the petitions that follow. Paul begins by asking that his readers be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. This is foundational for the apostle because in biblical thought there is a close relationship between the knowledge of and the doing of God’s will. Those who are being filled in this way will (a) have a worthy walk (1:10a), (b) have a fruitful life (1:10b), (c) experience growth in the knowledge of God (1:10c), and (d) be made strong to endure with patience (1:11).
1:9 / The request that God fill (lit., “that you might be filled, plērōthēte), suggests that there is some spiritual vacuum that needs to be corrected. It is the same idea expressed in 4:12 with reference to Epaphras, whose concern for the Colossians was that they stand firm, “mature” (peplērophorēmenoi) and fully convinced, in complete obedience to God’s will.
The filling is to be with the knowledge of God’s will and not some type of speculative or intellectual gnōsis (“knowledge”) so characteristic of the false teachers. Wisdom (sophia) and understanding (synesis) likewise are not some abstract intellectual concepts from the Greek world but attributes that God’s Spirit gives. As spiritual gifts from God, they enable God’s people to live abundant, fruitful, and obedient lives in accordance with his will. Paul’s readers need spiritual wisdom to determine God’s will for their lives; they need spiritual understanding to apply God’s will to specific situations in life.
1:10 / This verse begins with a construction in Greek (an infinitive of purpose) that expresses the result of being filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Hence the NIV’s in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord (cf. NASB “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord”). The first consequence of knowing God’s will is to live as the Lord wants. The main idea is that a Christian’s profession is to correspond with his or her confession.
Second, the believer is to please the Lord fully in all things. Although the Greek word areskia has a negative connotation in secular contexts, here it does not mean seeking favor with someone out of selfish interests or for personal advantage. A life that is lived worthy of the Lord will be a life worthy to the Lord. Thus a constant goal for a Christian is to please the Lord in every way, that is, in all areas of life.
The third result that the apostle envisions is fruitfulness in good works and growth in (by?) the knowledge of God. Although some commentators believe that this sentence expresses two separate petitions (fruitfulness and growth), it is better to keep the two Greek participles (karpophorountes and auxanomenoi) together. In 1:6, the apostle stated that the gospel was “bearing fruit” and “growing” throughout the whole world. Here he is showing that what is true of the gospel in the world should also be true in the lives of the Colossians.
One of the unfortunate distortions in some forms of Christianity is the misunderstanding of the relationship between theology and ethics, that is, between faith and action. Paul has been presenting a concept of wisdom and knowledge that has moral and practical dimensions. The readers need to be preserved from a barren orthodoxy. The faith that they heard and that transformed their lives is to manifest itself in good works that, in turn, will result in fruitfulness and personal growth (for similar concepts, cf. Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 9:8; Gal. 5:6; Eph. 2:10; 4:15; 2 Thess. 2:17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18). A Christian needs to be active in order to grow spiritually; otherwise, stagnation and regression will set in.
The NIV growing in the knowledge of God gives the impression that the growth consists in understanding more and more of God—hence similar to “the knowledge of his will” in 1:9. But the Greek lacks the personal pronoun “your” (cf. GNB), and since the dative case in Greek expresses means or instrumentality as well as reference, it may be better to translate this phrase with the word “by” or “through.” Paul does not mean, therefore, that their growth is in the knowledge of God; rather, it is the result of their knowledge of God. Moral and spiritual growth comes from knowing and doing the will of God. God requires (live a life worthy of the Lord) and enables each believer to live a worthy and fruitful life.
1:11–12 / This new life is made possible by the power of God. The repetition of the synonyms strengthened, power, might, shows how difficult it is to express the fullness of God’s power in words. The expressions that Paul uses here are common in early Christian doxologies that praise God for his glory and power (1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11; Jude 25; Rev. 1:6; 5:13). He knows that his readers are going to need perseverance and steadfastness to continue in the will of God and to accomplish all the things for which he has prayed. Only the divine resources of God’s mighty and glorious power can fortify them for this task.
The verb strengthened is a present participle (dynamoumenoi), indicating that this is a continuous activity of God in the believer and not a once-and-for-all experience. Endurance (hypomonē) is that lasting quality that enables one to continue toward a goal. It describes the athlete in Hebrews 12:1 who runs the race to completion or the Christian who patiently bears fruit (Luke 8:15). The Greek word makrothymia, often translated as “patience” or “long-suffering,” is that quality of self-restraint that enables a person to withstand opposition without retaliation.
Giving thanks to the Father: Commentators have had some difficulty with the placement of the word joyfully. In the Greek text joyfully (meta charas) is part of 1:11. Hence the idea would be for believers to endure joyfully—a thought similar to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:11–12. Endurance, patience, and joy belong to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), and Paul may be calling upon the Colossians to manifest these specific graces in their lives.
The alternative is to connect joyfully with giving thanks (as in GNB; for a similar joining of these two concepts, cf. Phil. 1:4; 4:4–6; 1 Thess. 5:16–18; 1 Pet. 1:8; 4:13). Paul is developing a hymn of thanksgiving (1:12–20) and consequently directs his readers to express thanks joyfully … to the Father.
The concepts Paul mentions in the following verses are especially appropriate to the situation at Colossae. This church was in danger of turning away from the truth of the gospel (1:5) to “human tradition … rather than … Christ” (2:8). Since so much of this teaching falsified and depreciated the person and work of Christ, Paul sets out to correct their Christology and does so in the form of a thanksgiving (1:12–14) and a hymn to Christ (1:15–20).
There are several reasons why Paul’s readers can rejoice with thanksgiving: First of all, they have an inheritance. The imagery behind this verse probably comes from God’s dealing with the people of Israel when he led them out of bondage in Egypt into a portion of their inheritance in the promised land of Canaan (Exod. 6:8). But the new Israel—the church—also has received an inheritance. The reading qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints translates an awkward Greek phrase that literally reads “unto the portion/share which consists in the lot/inheritance” (grammatically, a genitive of apposition that identifies the noun and the word it modifies as the same thing).
Since God has provided the inheritance, he also qualifies or authorizes (hikanōsanti) those who obtain it. And all this has already happened to these believers. God has prepared them for their inheritance; they already are saints in the kingdom of light.
Saints is a translation of hagioi (lit., “the separated ones”). The unusual phrase kingdom of light is somewhat ambiguous and has received a variety of interpretations. Some commentators take light as the means by which a Christian qualifies for the inheritance. Others base their understanding on such NT passages as 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 5:8, and 1 Peter 2:9, where light is used as a metaphor for new life. And a few believe that light is analogous in meaning to the “in heaven” of 1:5 or that the author is making a contrast to the “dominion of darkness” of 1:13 that he anticipates. The saints have been delivered from darkness and live in the domain of light.
E. Lohse draws upon passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls that describe the human “lot” in terms of darkness or light. In this literature, however, the “holy ones” (saints) are the angels and not the people of God. It is possible that in this context Paul may be thinking of some of the heretical teaching that included the worship of angels (2:18) and the veneration of angelic powers (2:8, 20). If so, his message to the Colossians is that they are joint heirs with the angels (saints) in the realm of light. There is no need to strive for something that they already possess.
1:13 / The second reason for thanksgiving is their deliverance from darkness and their transference to the kingdom of Christ. Darkness, in the NT, is a metaphor for evil, and those in darkness are without God and live under the rule of Satan, the evil one (Matt. 6:13). Paul, as a messenger of the gospel, was himself told: “I am sending you to them to open their [the Gentiles’] eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17–18). Christians are described as those who at one time lived in darkness but in Christ have become people of light (Eph. 5:8; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 John 1:5–7). In Colossians, Paul reminds his readers that they have been rescued from the dominion of darkness.
The positive side of God’s action is that he brought us (lit., “transferred”) into the kingdom of the Son he loves. The idea expressed by kingdom is that of a “rule” and is used as a counterpart to dominion. In other words, as the realm of darkness had a certain power, the transference is to the rule (power, authority) of the Son God loves (lit., “Beloved Son,” as used at the baptism and transfiguration, Mark 1:11; 9:7, and parallels; cf. also Eph. 1:6). The Colossians have been rescued from the sphere of darkness dominated by evil powers and transferred into the realm of the victorious Son of God.
The phrase kingdom of the Son he loves or the “kingdom of Christ,” is not common in the NT. Perhaps the apostle uses this expression to emphasize the present reality and sphere of their possession in Christ rather than the more common “kingdom of God,” which has a connotation of the future (1 Cor. 6:9; 15:50; Gal. 5:21; 2 Tim. 4:1, 18). Or, Paul simply may be preparing the way for the Christ hymn that follows. At any rate, it serves to remind the readers that they are no longer subject to evil forces; they have been delivered from these powers and are reminded to live victoriously in the power of Christ (3:1–4).
1:14 / The third reason for rejoicing is the forgiveness of sins. Here the subject of the actions is no longer God, as in 1:12–13, but Christ. He is the agent of redemption and the means by which we have … the forgiveness of sins. The GNB “by whom we are set free” beautifully captures the essential meaning of redemption as liberation, that is, freedom from the bondage of the evil powers of darkness. The forgiveness of sins is an accompanying result of redemption and not a separate act of Christ as may have been taught by the false teachers.
It would be natural for the Colossians to ask Paul when or where all of this took place in their lives. When has God acted so decisively for us by forgiving our sins and making us children of light? The answer, according to the NT, is in baptism (see note on 1:14).
1:9 / Lohse (p. 24) has a detailed listing of the words and phrases in 1:3–8 that recur in 1:9–11. He provides some excellent background material to this passage, particularly from the OT and the Dead Sea Scrolls, where the idea is developed that “the will of God demands an obedience that is visible in one’s actions” (p. 25). Wisdom and knowledge are gifts of God received through the Spirit. The same is true in the NT, which teaches that to know God’s will is to do God’s will (Matt. 7:21; Luke 12:47; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 10:36).
1:10 / On knowledge (epignōsis), see Robinson’s extended note in his commentary St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, pp. 248–54.
1:12 / See H. Foerster, “klēroō,” TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 758–85. For Lohse’s comment on angels, see pp. 35–36 of his commentary. Schweizer thinks that “angels” is unlikely, because hagioi is used to describe members of the community (1:2, 4, 26; 3:12).
1:14 / The baptismal language and teaching of Colossians and Ephesians will be brought out in the course of the commentary. On the baptismal motifs of Col. 1:12–14, consult Cannon, pp. 16–19. Cannon’s conclusion on these verses is that their confessional nature strongly suggests that Paul was using traditional material connected with the sacrament of baptism.
§4 The Hymn to Christ (Col. 1:15–20)
Scholars are virtually unanimous in their opinion that verses 15–20 constitute a hymn. Since the existence of hymns in the early church was common (Phil. 2:5–11; Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19), it is not difficult to believe that this is a carefully written poem intended to convey a specific self-contained message about Christ to the readers at Colossae.
Paul has already alluded to the work of Christ with respect to deliverance and the forgiveness of sins (1:13, 14). In the hymn he continues to draw attention to the person and work of Christ in cosmic and soteriological (pertaining to salvation) terms. Later, in 1:21–23, he shows the readers that they were reconciled to lead a moral and obedient life under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Whereas most scholars agree on the hymnic nature of these verses, there is less unanimity surrounding such issues as the structure, author, source, and meaning and purpose of the passage.
These verses have been arranged poetically in a number of ways. According to some reconstructions of the Greek text, the NIV translation would read as follows:
Strophe I
1:15—He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
1:16—For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth
(visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him).
Strophe II
1:17—He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
1:18a—And he is the head of the body (the church);
1:18b—He is the beginning
and the firstborn from among the dead
(so that in everything he might have the supremacy).
1:19—For God was pleased
to have all his fullness dwell in him,
1:20—and through him to reconcile
to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven
(by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross).
If Paul is considered to be the author of the epistle, then why are there so many questions about the authorship of this specific hymn? The reasons for this are varied and complex, but they center around the fact that (a) the passage contains many words and phrases not found elsewhere in Paul’s writings, and (b) it was not uncommon for Paul to incorporate previously existing traditional material into his letters. Normally, this included hymns, confessions, creeds, and liturgical materials used by the early church. Where this occurs, Paul could be regarded more as an editor than as the original author.
Most of the Christ hymn in Colossians has come to be regarded as a pre-Pauline composition. Though scholars may disagree on its precise origin, they are quite certain that Paul, in adopting the hymn, modified it in order to apply it to the specific situation at Colossae. (The phrases in parentheses in the reconstruction just given reflect the additions, i.e., interpolations, that Paul may have made from the original hymn. The meaning and purpose of these interpolations will be dealt with later.)
A number of sources for the hymn have been suggested. Some scholars have analyzed the content of the hymn in light of the OT and think that it has its origin in some type of rabbinical Judaism. Others have come to appreciate its Gnostic background and thus reconstruct its meaning based upon ideas and language familiar to the teachings of Gnosticism at the time of Paul. Another group of interpreters sees the hymn originating from the circles of Hellenistic Judaism, which, by the first century, had become very syncretistic in its beliefs and practices. Thus it is not uncommon for these authors to draw from Stoic, Gnostic, Hellenistic, and Jewish sources.
The hymn may have had several stages of development: first, as a non-Christian hymn created in the milieu of Greek philosophy and used by groups such as the Stoics and Gnostics; second, as a Christian hymn celebrating the cosmic role of Christ in Hellenistic-Jewish terminology; third, as a Pauline hymn that contains specific additions to correct the erroneous ideas of the false teachers in Colossae.
The Purpose and Meaning of the Hymn
It has been mentioned earlier that Paul’s motives for adopting and applying this hymn center around his concern that the Colossians maintain a correct understanding of the person and work of Christ against the false teachings that they have been receiving. They were in danger of falling away from the truth of the gospel to man-made traditions. Paul wants them to remember to follow the gospel as they learned it from Epaphras: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught” (2:6, 7).
The primary purpose of the hymn is to establish the superiority or the preeminence of Christ in all things (1:18).
Outline of the Hymn: The preeminence of Christ
A. Christ’s preeminence in the cosmos (1:15–17)
1. The image of the Creator (1:15a)
2. The agent of creation
a. Of the visible world (1:15b)
b. Of the invisible world (1:16)
3. The means of cohesion (1:17)
B. Christ’s preeminence in the church (1:18–20)
1. As its Head (1:18a)
2. As its Lord (1:18b, 19)
3. As its Reconciler (1:20)
1:15 / He is the image of the invisible God. By image, Paul does not mean mere resemblance or similarity, because the Greek word used is eikōn. This communicates the idea that Christ participates in and with the nature of God, not merely copying, but visibly manifesting and perfectly revealing God in human form (in 2 Cor. 4:4 Paul talks about “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”).
The result of the Incarnation is that the invisible God has become visible in the God-man, Jesus Christ. The Apostle John, in a different context, records statements that Christ made: “I and the Father are one” (10:30), and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (14:9). Such a claim could not be made for any angel or spiritual power. Christ’s sovereignty is attested to by his personal and unique relationship to God.
By bearing the image of God in this way, Christ stands apart from the created order as the firstborn over all creation. The phrase firstborn (prōtotokos) has often been taken in a temporal sense implying that Christ is the first one to be created and thus belongs to the created order. Apparently the false teachers at Colossae had relegated Christ to the status of a created being. This heresy has a long history, for it was championed by the Arians in the fourth century A.D. and continues to be perpetuated by the Jehovah’s Witnesses today.
Paul does not mean that Christ belongs to creation in a temporal way. The issue here is primacy of function, not priority in time. Since Christ participates in the act of creation, he stands over and beyond the created world as the agent by which everything came into existence.
1:16 / After establishing Christ’s superiority in the created order, Paul moves on to the invisible world of heavenly and earthly beings. The “all creation” (1:15) is expanded by the phrase that by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth. The Greek uses two prepositions that aid in the understanding of the action intended: God created the whole universe by (dia) and for (eis) him. In other words, Christ is both the agent and the goal of creation. He must not be relegated to the same inferior position as other spiritual powers. All of creation finds its goal in Christ alone. The use of the perfect tense of “created” (ektisthē) shows that what has taken place in God’s creative activity continues to be effective into the present.
One gets the impression that Paul is taking great pains to avoid any misunderstanding on this matter. He already has emphasized that all things (used twice in this verse) were created by Christ. Now he amplifies this by the terms heaven and earth and visible and invisible. This includes all spiritual forces, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.
These terms represent a view and classification of spiritual powers that were current in the first century. People believed that the world was inhabited by all sorts of alien powers that were a threat to human beings (Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 6:12; 1 Pet. 3:22). The fact that the reference to these powers is a probable interpolation by Paul into the hymn suggests that these powers were given undue prominence by the false teachers. Paul’s point is that these powers are subject to Christ’s superiority since they were created by and for him. He is Lord over all these powers (2:10, 15).
1:17 / The phrase he is before all things reaffirms some of the things that Paul has already said about Christ. But the new thought is that, in him all things hold together. The Greek word synestēken here connotes preservation or coherence. Thus the Lord who creates the universe also sustains it.
1:18 / From cosmic sovereignty, Paul turns to discuss Christ’s preeminence in the church by using the head-body imagery. He has convincingly established Christ’s lordship over the world; now he establishes Christ’s lordship in the church.
If the church can be regarded as a Pauline interpolation, then an earlier version of the hymn must have proclaimed Christ as head of the body only. There is much speculation as to the source of the head-body metaphor in Paul’s writings. Some scholars are attracted to the idea of “corporate personality” in which all of humanity is considered to be “in Adam.” The counterpart in the NT is that, since all Christians are “in Christ”—that is, the church—they can be regarded as the body of Christ. Most scholars, however, believe that the idea comes from Hellenistic conceptions of the cosmic body.
In several Greek sources, including the writings of Plato, the Stoics, and the Alexandrian Jew Philo, there are numerous mythological conceptions of the universe as a body that is governed by a “head.” Here, the cosmos is filled by the deity and consequently viewed as the body of the deity over which there is “Wisdom” or “Logos” as its head. The common belief was that, just as a person’s physical body needs direction and guidance from the head, so the body of the cosmos needs a head such as Logos or Wisdom as a unifying principle.
What the Greeks attributed to Wisdom or Logos for headship, the early church attributed to Christ. He, in other words, is the divine Logos (cf. John’s prologue in 1:1–3) who governs the body (sōma) of the cosmos. It is quite possible that a Christian version of this hymn initially celebrated Christ’s headship over the cosmos. The new development in Colossians is that Paul interprets body not as cosmos but as church. In other words, although Christ is head of the whole world, only the church is his body.
The identification of the church as the body of Christ over which Christ is the head in Colossians (1:18, 24) and Ephesians (1:22, 23; 4:15, 16) is not the same as the description of the “body” in Romans and 1 Corinthians. In those two epistles (Rom. 12:1–8; 1 Cor. 12:4–31), Paul uses the concept of the church as the body of Christ and emphasizes the mutual relationships and obligations that exist among its members by virtue of their spiritual gifts. There the “head” is simply mentioned along with the other members of the body (1 Cor. 12:14–26). Only in Colossians and Ephesians is Christ designated as head over the church. The reason for this surely lies in Paul’s intention to proclaim the lordship of Christ over all things. He wants the Colossians to know that the church is the place where Christ exercises his sovereignty over the cosmos.
This Lord is the beginning of the body’s life, vitalizing and energizing it by virtue of his resurrection. Paul utilizes the phrase firstborn for the second time (cf. 1:15) in order to re-emphasize the priority of Christ. The final result of this is Christ’s absolute preeminence (so that in everything he might have the supremacy).
1:19 / Paul goes on to say that God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. There are two significant problems connected with the translation and interpretation of this verse.
The first problem is with the meaning of fullness (plērōma). In 2:9, plērōma is equated with all of God’s nature as it dwells in Christ (“for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”). On this basis one is justified in giving it the same meaning as in 1:19 rather than seeing it in some Gnostic way in which plērōma is regarded as the totality or fullness of aeons emanating from God and filling the space between heaven and earth. Nevertheless, one aspect of the false teaching in Colossae was that it gave undue prominence to those supernatural powers that filled the universe by regarding them as intermediaries between God and the world. Paul corrects this by affirming that the full nature of God dwells in Christ exclusively.
The second issue centers around the subject of pleased. The Greek literally reads “because in him (Christ) was pleased all the fullness to dwell.” At least three possibilities have been suggested: (a) to make Christ the subject, thus giving the meaning that he (Christ) was pleased that all the fullness of God should dwell in him; (b) to make plērōma the subject, resulting in a translation adopted by the RSV (“for in him all the fulness was pleased to dwell”); and (c) to regard God as the subject. Hence the NIV: For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him).
The main argument against this third view is the introduction of God as the subject in a hymn that concentrates on Christ (God has not been mentioned since 1:15). But the Greek text does permit it, and the meaning has support elsewhere in Scripture (cf. Christ’s baptism and transfiguration). These technicalities, however, should not detract from the essential truth that Paul wishes to stress, namely, that Christ is the dwelling place (katoikēsai, “to take up residence”) of God. As such, another factor of Christ’s sovereignty is established.
1:20 / A final tribute is given to Christ as the agent of reconciliation. God was pleased that his fullness should dwell in his Son (1:19). Now, God was also pleased through him [the Son] to reconcile to himself all things. Reconciliation implies an existing estrangement or hostility that needed to be corrected (1:12, 22; Eph. 2:16). The all things that are reconciled are clarified by the phrase whether things on earth or things in heaven. In other words, it is not just the church (humanity) that has been reconciled; the reconciliation wrought by Christ extends to the entire cosmic order. By doing this, Paul shows the Colossians that every part of the universe is included in the reconciling work of Christ. His love has no limits!
One needs to be careful not to push this language to the extreme. Some have understood it very broadly and believe that humanity and all spiritual powers—including the evil angels—are at peace with God. But such a teaching needs to be interpreted in the light of everything Paul, and indeed the entire NT, say about such doctrines as reconciliation and salvation. The main point Paul makes is that everything has been brought into harmony through Christ.
The third Pauline interpolation in this hymn includes the phrase by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (cf. Rom. 5:1ff.). This locates reconciliation in a historical act, accomplished by the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. Paul will have no part of some cosmic drama that may have been perpetuated by the false teachers.
There is a question regarding himself. The RSV and NIV are ambiguous enough that one may take it to mean either God or Christ. The same construction (eis auton) is used in 1:16, where Christ is the object. The GNB is probably correct in interpreting the verse to mean that reconciliation is to God (“God … brought back to himself all things”). Thus reconciliation is through Christ but to God!
1:15 / See H. Kleinknecht, “eikōn,” TDNT, vol. 2, pp. 389–90.
1:16 / See W. Michaelis, “prōtos,” TDNT, vol. 6, pp. 865–82; Schweizer, Colossians, has a good section on the history of interpretation of this problem, pp. 250–52.
1:18 / “The [Greeks] all thought that the universe was something like a giant body ruled by the gods or, as more and more pagan Greeks would express it in the time of the New Testament, by a god or a supreme power or a universal spirit. There are some who had already used the figure of God as the head of the body, the universe. A Jewish philosopher and contemporary of Jesus, Philo of Alexandria, had already spoken of the logos (which means word and/or mind and/or spirit of God) being the head of the universe. Thus, everybody understood that Christ could be the head of the world” (Schweizer, “Christ in the Letter to the Colossians,” p. 460).
On “body,” see Schweizer, “sōma,” TDNT, vol. 7, pp. 1024–94; Barth, “Head, Body, Fulness,” Eph. 1–3, pp. 183–210; Bruce discounts a Greek influence on Paul’s theology with respect to these concepts (pp. 200–205).
1:19 / On “fullness,” G. Delling, “plērēs, plēroō,” TDNT, vol. 6, pp. 283–311; Lohse, pp. 52–59; P. D. Overfield, “ ‘Pleroma’: A Study in Content and Context,” NTS 25 (1979), pp. 384–96; Robinson, Ephesians, pp. 87–89.
1:20 / Barclay lists four different theories on the interpretation of “reconciliation” in this verse: (1) the angels needed reconciliation and redemption because they were under sin; (2) according to Origen, even the devil and his angels would be reconciled in the end; (3) the phrase just emphasizes completeness; and (4) the angels were reconciled to God but not to humanity (The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, pp. 148–49).
§5 The Application of the Hymn to the Colossians (Col. 1:21–23)
1:21 / In the verses following the Christ hymn (1:21–23), Paul resumes the same kind of pastoral concern so evident in his thanksgiving and prayer (1:3–19). He reminds his readers that the cosmic and ecclesiastical reconciliation that he has just described in the hymn is true for them as well (once you … but now he has reconciled you). They have been made acceptable to God and now are challenged to continue in the truth that they have been taught.
One way to appreciate what God has done is to remember what one was before God’s grace was experienced personally (cf. 1:26; 3:7; Rom. 6:22; 11:30; 1 Cor. 6:11). Hence Paul reminds them that in their pre-Christian state they were alienated from God, and as such, they were God’s enemies. This enmity manifested itself in an evil manner of life and thought. This stands as quite a contrast to their Christian walk (described in 1:10).
1:22 / But a great change has taken place in their lives because God has acted decisively in Christ. Paul picks up the key word reconciliation from the hymn (1:20) and reminds them that God reconciled them by Christ’s physical body through death. Both the hymn and this verse emphasize the personal and historical act of Christ. Perhaps the false teachers had either denied or minimized the reality of Christ’s incarnation and death. The emphasis on Christ’s physical death may also be a polemic against those teachers who included the angels in the work of reconciliation but who, in contrast to Christ, do not have a body.
Reconciliation has a moral aspect as well. The GNB captures the Greek parastēsai, which expresses purpose (to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation). Some commentators believe that the terminology used here has a sacrificial or cultic meaning (cf. Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19). However, the main idea appears to be judicial, that is, those who have been reconciled to God are acquitted of all charges; they are holy, pure, and faultless when they stand before him (Eph. 5:27; Jude 24).
The message for the Colossians is that all of this is true for them now. This is their standing before God because it is his gift to them through Christ. Nevertheless, there is a future aspect in all of this because the “already” and the “not yet” are so characteristic of Paul’s writings. What Christians possess now they will have in full at the final Parousia of Christ.
1:23 / Lest his readers entertain any idea that their status in Christ can be treated with indifference, Paul emphatically reminds them of an important condition that needs to be kept in mind: if you continue in your faith, established and firm. Salvation, although a free gift from God, must be kept. Thus those who have received Christ are admonished to abide or to persevere in Christ (John 8:31; 15:4–7; Acts 14:22; Rom. 11:22; 2 John 9).
To counter the threat of their eroding faith and shifting hope, Paul draws upon building metaphors that, as elsewhere in Scripture, portray strength, endurance, and security (Matt. 7:24–27; 1 Cor. 3:10–15; Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Pet. 2:4–10). The recipients can only have such a foundation, established and firm, by following in the faith and hope of the gospel that initially was proclaimed to them as well as to the whole world.
With these themes of faith, hope, and the universality of the gospel, Paul returns full circle to ideas expressed in his opening thanksgiving (1:3–8). There, his concern was that the Colossians see this as evidence for the truth of the gospel; here, he admonishes them to apply this truth to their lives continually.
Paul closes this section by stating that he is related personally to this gospel as a servant (diakonos). By doing this, he shows his commitment to the message that the Colossians have heard as well as his identity with his co-workers Epaphras and Tychicus, who likewise are servants of the gospel (1:7; 4:7). The statement also serves as a transition to the following verses where Paul outlines his ministry to the church.
Schweizer summarizes the hymnic nature of this passage rather well when he writes: “It is no longer a matter for dispute that we have in these verses a hymn which has been taken over by the author. The prerequisites for this are present, as far as form is concerned; there is a certain rhythm in the construction both as a whole and in detail. There is also a portrayal of Christ, self-contained and surpassing anything that might be expected in the context; and again, there is the customary opening by means of the relative pronoun. More importantly, the distinctive characteristics of the style of the author of the Epistle are not found here, although they otherwise appear throughout the letter, while a plethora of unusual concepts also appear. Above all, however, one cannot help but notice the theological difference between the hymn itself and the commentary which the author of the Epistle provides” (pp. 55–56).
On the reconstruction of the strophic divisions of the hymn as presented by E. Norden, J. M. Robinson, and Schweizer, see Cannon, pp. 19–23. Martin divides the passage into three parts: Strophe I (1:15–16); Strophe II (1:17–18a); Strophe III (1:18b–20), pp. 55–56. See also Martin’s Reconciliation, pp. 111–26.
For a recent presentation of the hymnic material in the NT, see Cannon, pp. 6–9, esp. n. 17, for bibliographical sources. For Cannon’s discussion of 1:15–20, see pp. 19–37. Lohse lists twenty-three significant studies on the hymn (pp. 41–46). Other helpful sources include W. McCown, “The Hymnic Structure of Colossians 1:15–20,” EQ 51 (1979), pp. 156–62; Schweizer, pp. 55–88; idem, “The Church as the Missionary Body of Christ,” NTS 8 (1961), pp. 1–11; idem, “Christ in the Letter to the Colossians,” pp. 455–62. On the baptismal nature of the hymn, E. Käsemann, “A Primitive Christian Baptismal Liturgy,” in Essays on New Testament Themes, SBT 41 (London: SCM, 1964), pp. 154–59.
1:21 / The Greek word apallotrioō (alienated, “estranged”) occurs only here and in Eph. 2:12; 4:18. The use of the perfect tense (apēllotriōmenous) emphasizes that their alienation (you were alienated) was a continuous state of being.
1:22 / Anyone using the Greek text will discover a number of variant readings on the idea of reconciliation, showing the struggle that translators have had with this verse. The NIV, along with other English translations, accepts the active “he reconciled” rather than the passive “you (plural) were reconciled.”
1:23 / The phrase proclaimed to every creature under heaven (cf. 1:6) is not to be taken literally unless it refers to the Roman Empire. Rather, this is a polemical statement to show the inclusiveness of the gospel as opposed to the exclusivism of the false teaching.
§6 Paul’s Personal Suffering (Col. 1:24)
1:24 / Paul begins his discussion by referring to his physical sufferings (in my flesh) on behalf of the Colossian church. The fact that he is in prison may be uppermost in his mind (4:18), although there may be a general reference to other afflictions that he has experienced throughout his ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:4, 6, 8; 2:4; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2; Phil. 1:17). The “rejoicing” does not come because Paul is undergoing trial or persecution. Paul is happy because his sufferings are for the believers at Colossae. In this, as well as in passages such as Romans 5:3, 8:38ff., the apostle captures the spirit of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:10–12, where happiness and persecution are linked together (cf. 1 Pet. 4:13).
In other passages, Paul indicates that his afflictions can be understood in a number of ways: They are a consequence of the Christian life and further the gospel (2 Cor. 6:4; Phil. 1:17, 18, 24; 3:10); they enable one to comfort others who are experiencing distress (2 Cor. 1:4, 5), they keep one humble (2 Cor. 12:10), and they are a preparation for future glory (2 Cor. 4:17). The apostle Peter indicates that trials act as a refining process for faith (1 Pet. 1:6, 7), and James mentions that they produce steadfastness (1:3, 4).
The major difficulty in this verse is interpreting Paul’s statement that I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. This is different from suffering for Christ (Phil. 1:29) or even sharing in Christ’s suffering (Phil. 3:10). Paul understands that his suffering somehow completes what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the church.
A number of interpretations have been suggested for this verse: One view sees a certain deficiency in Christ’s suffering for the redemption of the church and believes that Paul’s sufferings, as well as the suffering of saints and martyrs, can supplement or complete what was lacking in Christ.
But this view has come under attack for several reasons. Scripture simply does not support the idea that Christ’s suffering on behalf of the church, that is, his reconciling work through the atonement, is incomplete in any way. He is the perfect sacrifice for sins, and no one can add to his finished work. Indeed, it would be foolish and contradictory for Paul to imply such an interpretation in a context in which he has just finished emphasizing the sovereignty of Christ in all things. Besides, the Greek word used here for suffering (thlipsis) is not used in the NT with reference to Christ’s atoning death.
A second interpretation acknowledges the perfection and completion of Christ’s death and concedes that no amount of human suffering can add anything to that. Emphasis, therefore, is given to the edificatory nature of the sufferings that Christians endure for the building up of the church, the body of Christ. In other words, the church is built up by the sacrifices, afflictions, or sufferings of Christians everywhere. Certainly there is some truth to this, and it may imply what Paul means by suffering for Christ’s sake (Phil. 1:29). However, this hardly does justice to the idea of completing what still remains of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body.
A third and rather detailed interpretation looks for a solution in Jewish and early Christian apocalyptic literature. E. Lohse, for example, believes that the phrase “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” is equivalent to the concept of “a definite measure for the last days.” Here it was believed (cf. also Matt. 24; Mark 13:5–27) that the return of God’s anointed, the Messiah, would be preceded by a period of time when God’s people would be called upon to suffer the “woes of the Messiah.” Some commentators suggest that Paul sees himself as a martyr whose sufferings contribute to completing this period that awaits the return of the Messiah. Paul, therefore, suffers as a servant of the gospel and on behalf of Christ’s body, the church.
It is quite possible that Jewish apocalyptic thought serves as a background for Paul’s ideas on suffering. But whereas the Jews continued to wait for the messianic kingdom, the early Christians believed that the eschatological kingdom was inaugurated in the life and ministry of Jesus who suffered vicariously for his people.
A fourth view places Paul’s statement within the context of the mystical union that the apostle has with Christ. Here reference is made to Paul’s communion (fellowship) in Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–11; 2 Cor. 4:10–14; Phil. 3:10) or to Acts 9:4, where Paul’s persecution of the church is equivalent to persecuting Christ himself (“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”). Paul’s sufferings for the church, therefore, could be viewed as the sufferings of Christ himself, but through a member of his mystical body.
Some writers employ the term the corporate Christ, by which they mean that the sufferings of the church, or individual members of it, are one with the sufferings of Christ. In other words, the afflictions of the church are also Christ’s afflictions. Paul’s suffering for the church completes Christ’s personal suffering.
After the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus, members of the Christian community believed that they were called upon to suffer just like their Lord, although their suffering had no redemptive efficacy. Scripture is full of references that show that they were to expect various trials, tribulations, and persecutions (Matt. 5:10–12; 20:23; John 15:20; Acts 9:16; Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 6:4; Phil. 1:29; 2 Tim. 1:12; 4:5; James 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:6; 2:21; 3:14; 4:1, 13, 16; 5:10; Rev. 2:10).
With the development of Paul’s mysticism, that is, his teaching of incorporation into Christ through baptism (Rom. 6:1–10; Col. 2:11, 12; Gal. 3:26–28), the followers of Christ came to believe that their sufferings and the sufferings of Christ were one. It could be that by the statement in 1:24 Paul sees the afflictions that he is suffering in his flesh as the afflictions of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 1:5; 4:10; Phil. 3:10; 1 Pet. 4:13, for helpful parallels). Paul believes that he is helping to complete what the Messiah began for the church but will not be completed until his return.
One other interpretation understands the phrase “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (RSV) to refer to a deficiency in Paul and not in Christ. Paul realizes that his desire to share in Christ’s sufferings and to become like his Lord in death is a continuing process (Phil. 3:10). He sees his suffering as a means by which he personally is enabled to reproduce more and more of Christ’s Passion in his life. The suffering that the church endures is, therefore, for its completion and not toward anything lacking in Christ (see note).
1:24 / For additional material on some of these interpretations, see R. Yates, “Notes on Colossians 1:24,” EQ 42 (1970), pp. 88–102; on suffering, H. Schlier, “thlibō,” TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 139–48. Schweizer, p. 98, lists a number of German sources on the suffering of Paul. Also helpful is F. Hauck’s article “koinos” (“fellowship”), TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 789–809, esp. pp. 806–7, where he discusses the fellowship that the believer enjoys with Christ.
Lohse’s view on the “woes of the Messiah” is discussed in his commentary, pp. 69–72. Martin adopts this interpretation of 1:24 when he states: “Paul takes over this notion and bends it to his purpose. In his life of service to the Gentile churches he is called upon to represent his people as a martyr figure and to perform a vicarious ministry (2 Cor. 1:6); and in this way he completes the still deficient tally of sufferings which God’s new Israel had to endure before the end of the age” (p. 70).
The last interpretation suggested has the support of a number of authors. As early as 1958, E. Hoskyns and N. Davey stated: “This does not mean that there was something lacking in Christ’s suffering, but that there was something lacking in St. Paul’s. He desires that his body may be, as it were, the arena where the obedience to God may be as wholly displayed as it had been in the passion of Jesus Christ” (The Riddle of the New Testament [London: Faber & Faber, [1958], p. 158).
Similar statements are made by L. P. Trudinger, “Further Brief Note on Colossians 1:24,” EQ 45 (1973), pp. 36–38; and W. F. Flemington, “On the Interpretation of Colossians 1:24,” in Suffering and Martyrdom in the New Testament (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981), pp. 84–90. Flemington’s ideas are clearly summarized in this quotation: “The defect that St. Paul is contemplating lies not in the afflictions of Christ as such, but rather in the afflictions of Christ as they are reflected and reproduced in the life and behavior of Paul his apostle. St. Paul strives continually to live en Christō, but he knows that in his life there is, as it were, an unpaid balance that needs to be made up before the reproduction of Christ’s sufferings in Paul’s person is complete. Paul rejoices because in all that he is suffering on behalf of the Colossians he is reducing his unpaid balance, he is making the reproduction a little more like the perfect original” (pp. 87–88).
§7 Paul’s Proclamation of the Mystery (Col. 1:25–29)
1:25 / In this verse Paul continues to affirm his personal role in the events that he is describing: first, “I” became a servant of the gospel (1:23); then “I” am happy about my suffering for you (1:24); now I have become its [the church’s] servant on your behalf (1:25). Commission is a translation of the Greek word oikonomia, which has the meaning of “management, stewardship, or commission to an office” (1 Cor. 9:17). Paul reminds his readers that his commission is by divine appointment and that they are included in his ministry, which is the task of fully proclaiming the gospel.
In its fullness should not be taken to imply that the previous proclamation of the gospel from Epaphras was somehow deficient or incomplete. Paul probably has the scope of the gospel in mind (Rom. 15:19). He already has alluded to the universality and the growth of the gospel (1:6); now he claims that God has appointed him to share in that task as well. The word of God will be fulfilled when it has been preached “to every creature under heaven” (1:23). However, given the situation at Colossae, it is not impossible that Paul is thinking of the content of the gospel. Both the NIV (to present you the word of God in its fullness) and the NEB (“to deliver [God’s] message in full”) understand it this way.
1:26 / The word of God that Paul has been called to proclaim is identified as the mystery that God has kept hidden for ages and generations. The word mystery is a translation of mystērion, which is used in Greek literature to convey the idea of something secret, mysterious, and unknown. The Greek “mystery religions,” for example, were given their name because they performed secret rites on those who were initiates (the mystēs).
This term mystery is used rather extensively in the NT (twenty-seven times in all, twenty of which occur in Paul), and so its meaning must be determined by the context. Here, as in 2:2, Ephesians 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 6:19, and Romans 16:25–26, it refers to an aspect of the gospel that had previously been hidden but now, according to the good pleasure of God, has been disclosed to the saints.
1:27 / Paul leaves his readers in some suspense before disclosing the content of this mystery. God has chosen, he begins, to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery. And that mystery, he goes on to clarify, is that by virtue of their incorporation into Christ his readers will share in the glory of God. The gospel, in other words, initiates a process that moves toward a goal that is yet to be fully realized. The content of the mystery is expanded in Ephesians, where the author shows that God’s plan was to include the Gentiles in his plan of salvation so that they, along with the Jews, are members of his body (Eph. 2:11–22; 3:2–12).
It is possible to translate the Greek en to read Christ among you rather than Christ in you. If so, the emphasis is upon the preaching of Christ in their midst rather than Christ dwelling within their hearts. But though this may fit the context, it is also true that the Colossians personally share in this mystery by virtue of the indwelling Christ. The mystery is that Christ is both in and among them. They are members of Christ’s body here and now; nevertheless, there is an eschatological ring to this concept because their hope is directed toward the glorious future.
1:28 / Now that the nature of the mystery is revealed, Paul adds some specifics to his own commission. By changing the “I” (1:23, 24, 25) to we, he accomplishes two things: First, he includes his co-workers, particularly Epaphras and Tychicus, who served the Colossian church; second, he sets the true messengers of the mystery apart from the false ones who have been invading the church with a different gospel.
Paul’s task included the proclamation of Christ to everyone. Since this follows so closely after the clarification of the mystery, Paul must mean that his message is the content of the mystery, that is, Christ is in you, the hope of glory. To proclaim Christ is equivalent to proclaiming the gospel (1 Cor. 9:14) or the word of God (Acts 13:5; 17:13).
Besides proclamation, there is instruction: admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom. Nouthetountes is a pedagogical term used for training, disciplining, and warning (Rom. 15:14; 1 Thess. 5:12, 14). Paul must have found it necessary to protect the community from drifting away from the truth. The teaching is with all possible wisdom, implying, as in 1:9, a practical application to his instruction and not some speculative or esoteric knowledge.
The wisdom that Paul shares with his readers has a definite practical and ethical direction (cf. 1:6, 9); its goal is to present everyone perfect in Christ (cf. 4:12). Two important truths stand out in contrast to the teaching of the false teachers. First, the gospel is for everyone; it is a universal message available to all, not only to a special group of initiates. Second, the goal is maturity in Christ (perfect [i.e., mature] in Christ). The Gnostics stressed the perfection (teleios) of those who claimed to be filled with some special wisdom or power. Paul’s goal, however, in preaching, admonishing, and teaching was to lead his readers into a mature spiritual life in Christ (cf. Eph. 4:13, 14).
1:29 / Even though Paul was not personally responsible for bringing the gospel to Colossae, he stresses that he labors for this Christian community. This end, that is, proclaiming the mystery, demands intense desire and hard work (I labor, [kopiaō] struggling [agōnizomenos]). Devoting such intensity to his task would be impossible without the enabling strength that Christ provides.
1:26, 27 / Some helpful information on mystery can be found in G. Bornkamm, “mystērion,” TDNT, vol. 4, pp. 802–28; W. P. Bowers, “A Note on Colossians 1:27a,” in G. Hawthorne, ed., Current Issues in Biblical Patristic Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), pp. 110–14; Lohse, pp. 74–75. For additional discussion, see §§ 12–15 on Ephesians.
§8 Paul’s Concern for the Churches (Col. 2:1–5)
2:1 / In the following verses (2:1–5) Paul elaborates upon his ministry as a servant of Christ. With the exception of 1:24, the previous section (1:24–29) describes a more general or universal situation: Paul suffers on behalf of the entire church; he is a servant of God who proclaims the “mystery” to all peoples; and he teaches in order that everyone may become a mature person in Jesus Christ. But the toil and agony that characterized his ministry to all the Gentiles is particularly evident in his relationship to the Colossians and the other congregations in the Lycus Valley.
Paul has worked as hard—literally, agonized (1:29)—for those whom he has never seen as for those to whom he has personally ministered. But he does not develop an inflated ego; nor does he sink into self-pity. He simply ties his labor in with the specific goals that he has sought to accomplish.
2:2 / Paul’s ultimate goal is to encourage his readers (that they may be encouraged in heart). Encouraged in heart is a good translation of the Greek paraklēsis because Paul desires that they be strengthened or fortified inwardly in order to face the threat of false teaching. This encouragement comes, according to Paul, from that fact that they are united in love (symbibasthentes en agapē). The RSV makes this even more specific in its translation “that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love …”). In other words, love is the principle that unites this congregation as the people of God and encourages them to oppose the false teachers. The result will be the conviction of truth (the full riches—plērophoria—of complete understanding) as it relates to the mystery of God, namely Christ. The thoughts that Paul develops here are very similar to Ephesians 3:16–21, which mention inner strengthening, love, understanding, and maturity.
2:3 / This verse is the bottom line to the thoughts that Paul has been developing about the mystery. The mystery (“secret”) is Christ (2:2), in whom (ultimately) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Paul already has established the preeminence of Christ by showing that he is the supreme and complete revelation of God (1:15–20). It is not surprising, therefore, that Christ embodies all God’s wisdom and knowledge as well. There is no need for the Colossians to look beyond Christ; there is no purpose in pursuing other systems of thought; there is no value in secret initiations. Christ is all and in him are all things!
2:4 / Up to this point it has been suggested that most of Paul’s language and thoughts need to be interpreted within the context of the heresy that is threatening the church. Here, however, there is the first direct reference to the activity of these false teachers, who, apparently, were quite skilled with words. The Greek uses two colorful words to describe their devious methods: first, they use persuasive language (pithanologia, lit., “pithy speech”); second, they have the ability to deceive, delude, or seductively charm (paralogizomai) their victims. This necessitates Paul’s strong warning to the Colossians: I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
2:5 / Paul, although personally unknown by and physically separated from the church, is with them in spirit. By spirit he probably means more than his nonphysical parts such as thoughts, heart, or mind. He is with them because of their common faith in Christ; to be in Christ is to be in the Spirit—the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9ff.).
The spiritual presence of Paul with this congregation is so real that he actually speaks of seeing them. And what Paul sees causes him to rejoice, for they have not yet succumbed to the false teaching. His prayers and his labor have not been in vain; the Colossians stand firmly together in their faith in Christ.
2:2 / An alternate interpretation, with considerable merit, is suggested by O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon. O’Brien takes symbibazō in a didactic sense to mean “instruct,” “make known,” or “teach.” The meaning then would be that Paul has instructed the readers in love in order that they become “enlightened in their faith over against heretical teachings and practices …” (p. 93).
2:3 / Schweizer points out that knowing Christ is never finished once and for all: “Revelation can only occur when one hears again and again afresh. Indeed, the point thus articulated is that Christ is sufficient, and that there are no other mysteries important for salvation besides or in addition to him. On the one hand, it is the case, then, that the whole revelation of God takes place once and for all in Christ, and one need no longer seek knowledge anywhere else, as some of those in Colossae were obviously trying to do. On the other hand, however, one can never appropriate such knowledge once and for all; rather, one must discover it again and again afresh, by allowing it to be given by Christ” (p. 118).
§9 A Summons to Steadfastness (Col. 2:6–7)
2:6 / The Greek text begins with “therefore,” indicating that what the apostle is about to say is linked with his preceding discussion on the content of the mystery which is Christ himself. As someone has said, “Whenever you see a therefore in Scripture, go back to see what it is there for!”
To stand firm does not mean to stand still. Paul is aware that the best defense is a good offense. Consequently, he admonishes his readers to continue in their faith. By receiving the gospel they have received Christ Jesus as Lord. But that past event has an abiding significance upon their lives because they are to live in union with him—literally, to “walk with Christ.” By stating this, Paul reinforces a theme common in his writings, namely, the relation between theology and ethics (3:1ff.; Eph. 4–5). Those who have received Christ are to live in Christ; or, those who are in Christ (the indicative of the Christian life) are to become what they are (the imperative of the Christian life).
2:7 / Paul amplifies what it means to live in union with Christ by utilizing the images of planting and building. The NIV rooted … in him—or any English translation for that matter—does not quite capture the significance of the Greek tenses that are employed. For rooted, Paul uses the perfect tense, which, in Greek, describes a present state that is the result of some past action. Here the meaning that the perfect passive conveys is equivalent to “having been rooted.”
For the building metaphor, Paul uses the present tense, which describes continuous action. The building up of their life in Christ (epoikodomoumenoi) and the establishing (bebaioumenoi) of their faith are ongoing processes that are possible only because they are already rooted in the Lord. Hence the imperative tone in the NIV: Continue to … [be] built up in him, strengthened in the faith.
Some commentators suggest that the reference to the faith should be understood as “by your faith” (an instrumental dative) or “with respect to your faith” (a dative of reference). If the former, then the idea is that they are being built up by means of their faith—faith is the instrument of their growth. If the latter, then Paul desires that the Colossians grow in their faith (so NIV, RSV, GNB). Perhaps it may be wrong to make such a fine distinction, because as one grows in Christ one is established both in and by faith.
As you were taught is a specific reference to the gospel that the Colossians heard and had come to know as the truth of God (1:6). Paul is on the verge of exposing the heresy, and he wants his readers to know that their growth in Christ depends upon following the gospel as originally delivered to them (1:5–8; 2:6), not some secondary traditions of the false teachers (2:8).
And overflowing with thankfulness: Paul has already mentioned thanksgiving (1:3, 12) and will do so again in 3:15 and 4:2. This phrase surely ties in with his previous admonition to walk in the Lord (2:6). In other words, the Christian life is to be characterized by gratitude to God.
§10 Christian Versus Human Tradition (Col. 2:8–10)
2:8 / Earlier, the readers were cautioned about some of the methods employed by the false teachers (2:4). Now, in a stern warning (see to it), he exposes this heresy even further. First, its effect is to enslave its victims. The word sylagōgeō describes the action of one kidnapping or plundering and then making off with the catch as a prize. It is an appropriate way of portraying the malicious and seductive nature of the heresy.
Second, it is hollow and deceptive philosophy (RSV: “philosophy and empty deceit”; GNB: “worthless deceit of human wisdom”). This is the only time that the word philosophia occurs in the NT, so it must have been a special feature of this heresy. Paul is not objecting to the study of philosophy (lit., “one who loves wisdom”), because in the Hellenistic world religious communities offered their teaching as philosophy. His concern is with those who have turned the pursuit of wisdom into a “philosophistry” characterized by empty and deceitful practices. This teaching is hollow because it does not contain the truth; it is deceptive because it captivates people and prevents them from seeing the truth.
Third, these teachings are human and not divine in origin. The teaching according to Christ is Paul’s reference to the word of truth, the gospel, which came to the Colossians directly through Epaphras (1:5–7) and indirectly through Paul as God’s appointed servant (1:23, 25). The false teachers cannot make such a claim, because their doctrines come from human sources and from the basic principles of this world (stoicheia tou kosmou, lit., “elements of the universe”). Most English translations add the word “spirits” or principles to the phrase and come out with “elemental spirits of the universe” (RSV), “elementary principles of the world” (NASB), or “ruling spirits of the universe” (GNB). In Heb. 5:12, the NEB translates the phrase as “the ABC of God’s oracles.”
As the additional notes will show, there is a wide variety of scholarly opinion as to the meaning of these concepts in the NT (Col. 2:8, 20; Gal. 4:3). The term stoicheion indicates something basic or rudimentary, such as the fundamental principles of learning (the ABCs), or the elements from which the world was created (earth, air, fire, and water). These principles may have been elevated to the level of spirits or angels in the Hellenistic world.
Stoicheion also designates the heavenly bodies that in some cases were personified and worshiped. The control that these elemental spirits had over human beings (fate) could only be broken by correct knowledge (gnōsis) and/or ritual, usually in the form of magic or ascetic practices (cf. 2:20–23). But these stoicheia could also be the source of wisdom or knowledge and in this way provided the substance of the false message that Paul deals with in the subsequent verses (2:16–19) and exposes as being contrary to the gospel of Christ.
2:9 / In this verse Paul returns to a theme already developed in the Christ hymn (1:15–20) and reemphasizes that the Colossians do not need any additional source of revelation or authority for their spiritual life. Christ is not simply another of the spiritual forces that make up the fullness (plērōma) of the universe (cf. 1:19). He is superior to all others because he alone is God incarnate and the whole fullness of deity is found in him.
2:10 / But there is more to this wonderful message: The one who is the fullness of the Godhead is likewise the fullness of each believer. The community is fulfilled in him. The Colossians do not need to look beyond Christ for their understanding of the universe; nor do they need to supplement him in their personal lives, because those who are “in Christ” participate in his fullness now (the Greek present tense este, “you are”). In other words, there is nothing lacking in their relationship to God. Paul ends by reasserting (cf. 1:15–20) Christ’s preeminence over all alien powers (who is the head over every power and authority). There is no need, therefore, to pay homage to them!
2:8 / For some comments on the false teaching at Colossae see the Introduction. Nearly every major commentary has a discussion on the heresy as well as on the meaning of stoicheia tou kosmou: for example, Lohse, “The Elements of the Universe” (pp. 96–99), and “The Teaching of the Philosophy” (pp. 127–31); Martin, pp. 80–100; Schweizer, “Excursus: The Colossian Philosophy (2:8),” in his commentary, pp. 125–70.
Additional and more technical studies include “stoicheia,” in W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2d ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), pp. 768–69; A. J. Bandstra, The Law and the Elements of the World: An Exegetical Study in Aspects of Paul’s Teaching (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1964); G. R. Beasley-Murray, “The Second Chapter of Colossians,” RevExp 70 (1973), pp. 469–79; E. Burton, “The Elements of the Universe,” in his Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1921), pp. 510–18; G. Delling, “stoicheō,” TDNT vol. 7, pp. 666–87; C. A. Evans, “The Colossian Mystics,” Biblica 63 (1982), pp. 188–205. A volume listed in For Further Reading, F. Francis and W. Meeks, eds., Conflict at Colossae, contains the following articles: “The Colossian Heresy,” by J. B. Light-foot; “The Isis Initiation in Apuleius and Related Initiatory Rites,” by M. Dibelius; “The Heresy of Colossians,” by G. Bornkamm; “Paul’s Adversaries in Colossae,” by S. Lyonnet; “Humility and Angelic Worship in Col. 2:18,” by F. O. Francis; and “The Background of EMBATEUEIN (Col. 2:18) in Legal Papyri and Oracle Inscriptions,” by F. O. Francis. Cf. also M. D. Hooker, “Were There False Teachers in Colossae?” in Christ and the Spirit in the New Testament, ed. B. Lindars and S. S. Smalley (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973), pp. 315–31; Schweizer, “Christ in the Letter to the Colossians,” esp. pp. 451–55; for other contributions by Schweizer, as well as additional foreign sources, see his Colossians, pp. 121, 311. A unique but helpful interpretation of the stoicheia is provided by W. Wink in “The Elements of the Universe in Biblical and Scientific Perspective,” Zygon 13 (1978), pp. 225–48.
There continues to be debate whether stoicheia tou kosmou should be translated as “elements of the universe” or “elemental spirits of the universe.” According to Schweizer, the designation “elements” does not include the stars and astrological spirits “until the second century A.D. Further, these elements are never adduced in the New Testament lists of powers and authorities, not even in Colossians (1:16; 2:10). Our starting point must be the fact that there is no contemporary evidence for the meaning of ‘elemental spirits’ or ‘stars.’ The power which they wield, by binding men to the “world” through ascetic “regulations” (vv. 20f.), is, then, probably comparable to the power belonging to the commandments of the law, which are certainly not demons either” (p. 128).
W. Wink goes through the history of research on the stoicheia but concludes that prior to the third century A.D. there is no evidence that they were regarded as personal beings or fallen angels or that they were divinized in any form. The meaning of the term can only be determined from the context, which varies in the NT, for example, the constituent elements of the physical universe (2 Pet. 3:10, 12), philosophical presuppositions (Col. 2:8), religious laws and practices (Col. 2:20; Gal. 4:3, 9), or the rudimentary or first principles (Heb. 5:12).
§11 The True Circumcision and Its Effects (Col. 2:11–15)
2:11 / It already has been noted that the doctrine of baptism has a significant place in this epistle (see note on 1:14). In this section (2:11–15), Paul turns to baptism as a way of explaining the means and the results of the believers’ union with Christ. With the exception of the language of circumcision, the thoughts are similar to those developed in Romans 6:1–11 and Galatians 3:27–28. It is quite possible that the peculiar beliefs and practices of the Colossian false teachers necessitated this clarification on circumcision and its relation to new life in Christ through baptism.
By insisting that the Colossians already have been circumcised, Paul diffuses any claim for the continuation of this rite in the community. But their circumcision, he clarifies, is not with a circumcision done by the hands of men, literally, “not from human hands.” As Gentiles, they have no need to undergo a cultic rite that was practiced by the Jewish people as a sign of membership in the covenant. Nor should they subject themselves to any initiation rites of the false teachers that degrade the body and the flesh.
Believers are circumcised with the circumcision done by Christ. This had nothing to do with the circumcision of Jesus as a Jewish boy (Luke 2:21). Rather, Paul is referring to a circumcision that belongs to Christ and that Christ performs when believers are united to him in baptism. Paul’s main point is to contrast physical (outer) and spiritual (inner) circumcision. To experience the circumcision of Christ is nothing other than being buried and raised with him in baptism through faith.
The essence of this spiritual circumcision consists of the putting off of the sinful nature (lit., “the body of flesh”). Christ, in other words, liberates individuals from their unregenerate nature (“body of sin,” Rom. 6:6; “body of death,” Rom. 7:24). Paul develops similar ideas when he talks about the “old man” that is “put off” in baptism (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9, 10) or the crucifixion of fleshly passions and desires (Gal. 2:19; 5:24).
What a tremendous message of liberation and victory this is for a congregation being seduced by a group of false teachers still enslaved to cosmic powers and authorities and seeking to free themselves through useless rituals and ascetic practices (2:16–23)! The Colossians needed to remember that Christ defeated (apekdysis, “putting off,” “stripping,” “disarming”) these spiritual rulers in his death and triumphed over them in his resurrection (2:15). This victory, Paul reminds his readers, is theirs because they have been circumcised with the circumcision done by Christ, for by union with him in baptism by faith he frees humanity from the powers of evil.
2:12 / Since the “circumcision of Christ” is baptism, then this verse should be viewed as an elaboration of that truth rather than as an introduction of some new ideas. The Greek text begins with the passive participle syntaphentes, which is translated having been buried. The NIV correctly implies this continuity of thought in its translation. The RSV “and you were buried” may give the wrong impression that burial with Christ in baptism is a different experience.
The similarity of ideas in Colossians 2:11–15, Romans 6:1–11, Galatians 3:26–27, and Ephesians 2:1–10 suggests that these passages were part of standard baptismal instruction in the early church. There are, to be sure, some different nuances and applications necessitated by the context of each epistle. But basically, they teach (a) that baptism is a faith-baptism, that is, it is for believers who put their faith in Christ, (b) that it is a participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, and (c) that it has ethical implications because in it the believer receives new life from Christ.
The imagery of burial (death) and resurrection (new life) comes from the NT practice of immersion—the believer was literally lowered into the water. Burial symbolized death to the old life, and the emergence from the water symbolized the new or resurrected life in Christ. Thus, in a very profound way, baptism outwardly symbolizes or dramatizes the inner experience of the forgiveness of sins.
All this should not lead to the conclusion that baptism is only a symbol of some prior experience such as repentance or conversion. Since the baptism of the NT is a faith-baptism, it is not uncommon to find forgiveness, regeneration, and justification linked with this rite (John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:18–21). In other words, baptism, when accompanied by faith, has a sacramental as well as a symbolical function. God, by his Spirit, has chosen to make something happen in baptism. Baptism is both the expression (symbol) and the vehicle (means, conveyance) of God’s grace. It declares as well as effects one’s union with Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:1–10); it is an initiation into Christ’s body, the church (1 Cor. 12:13); it is God’s way of stamping the believer with his seal of ownership (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
The believers in Colossae who were buried with him in baptism were also raised with him. The most logical inference is that this “raising” is part of the baptismal event (from the Greek text en hō = in whom/which. Thus the RSV “in which [i.e., baptism] you were also raised with him through faith” and the GNB “in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith …”). Paul also presents Christ’s resurrection as the supreme manifestation of God’s power. This final thought is not unlike Eph. 1:19 where God’s power is demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
It is significant that the action described in verses 11–12 is in the past tense (the Greek aorist): “you were circumcised” perietmēthēte); “having been buried” (syntaphentes); “having been … raised” (synēgerthēte). In other words, these are realities that these believers already possess by virtue of their union with Christ in baptism. There is no need to look for any additional spiritual experience to supplement their faith. The false teaching has nothing to offer that is not already theirs in Christ.
2:13 / The new life that these believers now possess in Christ is contrasted to what they were before their baptism. Basically, they were spiritually dead (cf. Eph. 2:1). This spiritual death manifested itself morally by their sins (paraptōma—or “trespass”). Thus, by way of a contrast, there is a connection with verse 11, where Paul talked about their “spiritual circumcision” (cf. Eph. 2:11, 12). The continuity with verse 13 is shown in the fact that God made you alive with Christ. As Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, the believer, who is in Christ through baptism, has been raised (2:12) and brought to life (2:13).
The Greek text also illustrates how carefully Paul wishes to emphasize their union with Christ. The word for life (zōē) is prefixed with the preposition syn (synezōopoiēsen). This preposition is repeated with the pronoun “him” (syn autō), leaving no doubt that their resurrection and quickening to new life is God’s action in Christ alone.
This new life in Christ has resulted in a radical change in their moral life. Before, they were dead in their sins; now, they are spiritually alive (God forgave us all our sins). The change from you to us probably indicates that Paul is using traditional material familiar to the early church (note Matt. 6:12 in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts”). This “forgiveness” also has taken place in the past (the Greek aorist tense). Hence, there is no need to look beyond their experience with Christ to other alternatives.
2:14–15 / Here Paul begins his elaboration upon the meaning of forgiveness in terms that are particularly applicable to the situation. His main point is that forgiveness of sins means victory over alien powers and freedom from legalistic practices. Again, all the action is described in the aorist (past) tense: He “forgave” (charisamenos), “canceled” (exaleipsas), “nailed” (prosēlōsas), “freed” (apekdysamenos), and he “triumphed” (thriambeusas) over these powers and authorities.
In discussing the nature of forgiveness, Paul refers to a hand-written certificate of indebtedness, similar to a bond or I.O.U. (Greek, cheirographon). Scholars are divided on the meaning of this term and the proper interpretation of the entire phrase, the written code, with its regulations, that was against us. Some of the suggestions include (a) the law of Moses, (b) the covenant between Adam and the devil, (c) a certificate of debt, such as an I.O.U., from mankind to God, (d) a heavenly book on which God recorded human sins, or (e) Christ himself.
A significant number of interpreters understand this either to be a reference to the Jewish law—thus God’s regulations—or to the man-made traditions of the false teachers that resulted in transgressions. In either case, human beings were unable to keep to these precepts, so these stood as a written code against humanity until Christ canceled it by his death.
Either interpretation makes good sense for a number of reasons: first, there are examples in contemporary Judaism in which the law was applied this way; second, it fits the context of this passage in which Paul is dealing with specific legalistic practices that worked against individuals unless they were kept; third, it helps to explain the occurrence of other terms in the verse, such as having canceled and the regulations (tois dogmasin). Although the exact meaning of Paul’s phrases cannot be traced with certainty, it is clear that his main point is to emphasize the decisive and complete way Christ’s death on the cross took care of humankind’s indebtedness to God.
The negative aspect of Christ’s work on the cross is the cancellation of the bond of indebtedness; the positive side is Christ’s triumph over the evil powers. Here, on the cross, Christ disarmed the powers and authorities.
Paul enlarges this conquest in imagery of a victorious general leading his captives home in a victory procession in which their defeat would be proclaimed publicly. Christ’s defeat of these evil powers has meant that they have been made a public spectacle by triumphing over them by the cross. The crucifixion and resurrection (verse 12) are the supreme historical (public) events of Christ’s victory over evil.
Verse 15 also repeats an emphasis that has been seen throughout the epistle, namely, that in Christ alone, by virtue of his work on the cross, the evil rulers no longer have control over the believer. The readers would remember 1:13, where Paul said that they have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought safely into the kingdom of his dear Son. All those who have been baptized into Christ and made alive with him (2:12) participate in his victory over evil.
2:11 / Beasley-Murray carried this imagery of circumcision even further: “In this context ‘putting (or stripping) off the body of flesh’ is most plausibly contrasted with the minor operation in circumcision: bluntly it appears to say that instead of stripping off a little piece of flesh, as in circumcision, the Christian has stripped off his whole body of flesh, and this happened because Christ was ‘circumcised,’ that is, killed on the cross, the Christian shares so completely in that event, it is as if he himself had suffered that appalling bloody death” (“The Second Chapter of Colossians,” RevExp 70 [1973], p. 474).
2:12 / Beasley-Murray’s comment on the symbolic sacramental nature of baptism in the early church speaks to this point: “In such a setting baptism is less a testimony to a faith previously received than a declaration of a faith here and now embraced, an embodiment of conversion to Christ, and a submission to him who is able to save. In such a milieu it is not surprising that the spiritual realities of conversion and baptism are merged together, for in that context they do fall together” (“The Second Chapter of Colossians,” p. 476).
On Paul’s emphasis on resurrection in baptism, it should be noted that, in Romans, the resurrection is spoken of as future (“we shall be one with him by being raised to life as he was,” 6:5). This (cf. also 2 Cor. 4:14; 2 Tim. 2:11) could be a correction to a certain element in the Gentile church that thought that the resurrection was completed in baptism (2 Tim. 2:18). In Colossians, Paul’s emphasis is upon the present reality of the resurrected life in Christ because the false teachers were claiming that the soul was still in the process of ascending to heaven (Schweizer, pp. 144–45).
2:14 / A good description of some of these views is provided by W. Carr in his article, “Two Notes on Colossians (1. Col. 2:14; 2. Col. 2:18),” JTS 24 (1973), pp. 492–500. Carr’s conclusion is that the dogmas (regulations) are not God’s rules but “those decisions of men which issue in transgressions” or “the autograph of our self-condemnation in all its detail” (p. 496).
For reference with respect to Jewish and Hellenistic literature, see Lohse, pp. 108–9; Martin, Colossians and Philemon, pp. 83–85. Martin is attracted to a view that takes the cheirographon as a book of works kept by God in which all of humanity’s sins are recorded. Although the record is used by the evil spirits to accuse men and women of their fleshly and unspiritual condition, it ceases to be binding, because Christ has destroyed its effectiveness by his death on the cross. It appears, however, that such a view may concede too much. Would Paul not fall into the heretic’s trap by acknowledging the existence of something so preposterous as such a list? For another view, cf. O. A. Blanchette, “Does the Cheirographon of Col. 2:14 Represent Christ Himself?” CBQ 23 (1961), pp. 306–12.
2:15 / The verb apekdysamenos is an aorist middle participle. As a deponent verb, however (apekdyomai), it is active in meaning and makes God the subject. Thus, “God stripped the evil powers of their dignity and authority” (see Lohse, pp. 111–12; Martin, pp. 86–88; Bruce, pp. 239–40; Abbott, pp. 258–61).
§12 A Manifesto of Christian Liberty (Col. 2:16–23)
2:16 / Christ’s defeat of these evil powers forms the basis for Paul’s polemic in this section. Therefore refers back to the work of Christ and his victory over those spiritual rulers and authorities that were thought to exercise power over the Christian. Christ has freed these believers, and they must guard that freedom by resisting all attempts from the false teachers to subject them to another set of legalistic rules and regulations.
This entire passage is somewhat difficult to interpret. First, Paul uses slogans and phrases that were employed by the false teachers. Though these would have been familiar to the Colossians, they are difficult for the modern reader to understand. Second, in spite of such specific references to the beliefs and practices of the false teachers, it is impossible to identify the heresy with any precision. Some of the things that Paul says look Jewish; others appear more pagan and Hellenistic. A third alternative, and one that attracts the most attention, is that the heresy represents a form of syncretism that combined elements from a number of religious sources (see discussion in the introduction).
Identifying the heresy is not essential for understanding Paul’s basic message. He wants to reassure his readers that, by virtue of the person and work of Christ, they have no need to surrender their freedom to legalism (do not let anyone judge you). The anyone refers to the person(s) attempting to set up as a judge over members of the congregation who do not follow certain laws with respect to food and the observance of religious festivals.
These regulations go far beyond the requirements of the OT, since the food laws that governed the people of the old covenant were set aside by Christ (Mark 7:19) and declared nonbinding upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:9–16; 15:19–29). One gets the distinct impression that the regulations threatening the Colossians were all man-made traditions. People in the ancient world would abstain from certain foods for a variety of reasons (cf. Rom. 14:17, 21; 1 Tim. 4:3).
The Colossians are not to be bound by rules with respect to food (what you eat or drink) or the religious calendar (a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day). It is quite possible that these “special days” governed what a person might or might not eat as well. At any rate, Paul declares freedom from all regulations imposed by the false teachers. By submitting to such regulations, the Colossians would be acknowledging the continuing authority of the evil powers over them. They need to remember that in Christ they have been set free from such tyranny (2:20).
2:17 / All these dogmas are a shadow of the things that were to come. At one time such rules may have served as a transitory “type” or shadow of something more permanent in the future. But since the age of fulfillment has come in Christ, these rules have no further intrinsic value. Their function in foreshadowing has been surpassed by Christ: He is the reality (cf. RSV: “the substance belongs to Christ”; GNB: “the reality is Christ”; NIV: the reality, however, is found in Christ).
The word used to express reality is sōma. On the one hand, it may simply distinguish true reality (substance) from appearance (shadow). But sōma is the same word that Paul uses for the church as the body (sōma) of Christ (1:18; 2:19). This fact, along with the corporate identity that exists between Christ and the believer, makes one wonder whether Paul actually has the church as Christ’s body in mind. If so, he would be saying that the reality that exists in Christ is likewise shared by members of his body, the church.
2:18 / One of the devastating effects of all false teaching is the division that it creates within the Christian community (cf. 1 Cor. 1–3; 1 John 2:7–11). When certain individuals, for example, set themselves up as the spiritual elite by claiming special access to visions, revelations, tongues, prophecies, and so forth (1 Cor. 14), they ignore others who cannot make such claims. At Colossae, this took the form of judgment or condemnation: Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Quite possibly this heresy had some affinity to the mystery religions, in which such visions were received when the initiate performed certain rites or entered (embateuō) into the innermost part of the pagan sanctuary.
The reference to the worship of angels goes far beyond anything found in Scripture. True, angels were regarded as celestial beings, intercessors, messengers, agents of God, and so forth, but they were never worshiped as a class of spiritual beings. The elevation of them to cosmic powers and the veneration of them as objects of worship must, therefore, belong to this syncretistic heresy. The angels may, in fact, be the principalities, powers, and authorities that Paul mentions throughout the epistle. If so, they would be worshiped for their power as well as for their control over human beings.
The Greek word used for humility is tapeinophrosynē, which, on other occasions, is a positive and commendable disposition of character (3:12; Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 5:5). Here the context shows that the heretics were guilty of a false humility in connection with their worship of angels. The RSV translates it as “self-abasement,” indicating the inward and selfish nature of their cultic conduct.
Paul continues his scathing indictment of these perpetrators of deceit: They claim to be spiritually superior because of their visions and cultic practices, but there is no substance to their claim (such a person … his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions). It is all vanity and without purpose.
The source of this vanity lies in an unspiritual mind. The false teachers may have thought that they were in communion with God; they may have believed that they were inspired by the Spirit. But their thoughts and actions were of human rather than divine origin. Thus they remain under the control of the flesh (sarx). Paul does not mean to imply that the flesh, in itself, is evil; verses 18 and 19 together show that the problem is in putting one’s trust or self-confidence in the flesh rather than in Christ.
2:19 / The false teachers have fallen into error because they have stopped holding on to the Head, from whom the whole body … grows. Paul already has discussed the headship of Christ as it relates to the cosmos and the church (1:15–20; 2:10). Here he applies that concept to the problems facing the church by using the analogy of the human body (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12–31; Eph. 4:15–16). Because these false teachers have detached themselves from Christ, they have deprived themselves of the true source of nourishment and unity.
Christ himself is the only true source of life for the church, for under his control the entire body is supported (epichorēgoumenon). This is a present participle, indicating that the process of support or nourishment is a continuing one. The same continuing action applies to the unity of the body as well (symbibazomenon): Under Christ’s control the whole body is held together by its ligaments and sinews (cf. Eph. 4:16). These anatomical features provide the necessary cohesion for the body. But they can do so only if they remain joined to the head.
Under the headship of Christ, the body grows according to God’s plan. Literally, the Greek translates into an awkward phrase “it (the church) grows (unto?) the growth of God.” The basic meaning, however, is that God provides the pattern for the church’s growth; he also is the source of that growth, which is mediated through Christ, the head.
All of what Paul has been saying adds to his indictment of the false teachers for being vain and carnal (2:18). Since they have cut themselves off from the source of nourishment, unity, and growth, it follows that they are undernourished, fragmented, and stagnant. In fact, the imagery can be carried even further, for it leads to this inescapable truth: The one who separates himself from Christ, the head of the church, is cut off from the church, the body of Christ; the one who separates himself from the church is cut off from Christ, the head.
2:20 / One cannot help but notice the repetition of Paul’s earlier thoughts in 2:6–23. First, he applies the truths of the Christ hymn to the situation at Colossae (2:6–10); then he explains the effect of the believer’s union with Christ in baptism, culminating in victory over all spiritual rulers and authorities (2:11–15). The heretics, however, did not claim that victory in Christ, because they continued to live in bondage to these spiritual powers—a bondage that manifested itself in cultic practices and angel worship.
Now, in verses 20–23, Paul resumes his indictment of the heresy by exposing its nature even further. Anyone practicing this false religion, he claims, is still enslaved to the cosmic powers. They do not live out the fact that at the time of their baptism (2:11, 12) they died with Christ and were set free from the power of the ruling spirits of the universe.
The tragedy is that the false teachers are not living in the victory and freedom that is theirs in Christ. Since you died to the powers of this world, why, asks Paul, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules? The Greek word (dogmatizesthe) was used in 2:14 and translated as “regulations.” Here, it occurs in the verbal middle form, which carries the idea “why do you subject yourselves to dogmas …?” why … do you submit to its rules?
2:21 / The first characteristic of such rules and regulations is that they are enslaving (“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”). Such prohibitions can make people paranoid and paralyze them in their conduct for fear of sinning. Apparently this heresy had a long list of foods that were religiously unacceptable, that is, unclean (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1; 1 Tim. 4:3). There does not appear to be any deliberate gradation in this list, although “to handle” (haptō) can imply taking hold for the purpose of possessing.
2:22 / Second, these rules and taboos are temporary (these are all destined to perish with use). Literally translated, the Greek reads: “which things are all for corruption in the using.” Without exception these taboos are subject to dissolution (decay). Why, then, stake so much of your life on things that have no enduring consequence, no eternal reality, no lasting effect?
Third, they are human precepts (human commands and teachings). No doubt this is an allusion back to such passages as 2:8 and 2:17–18, where Paul already has discussed human traditions and regulations. The idea here is similar to a reference Jesus makes to the Pharisees: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’ ” (Matt. 15:7–9; cf. Mark 7:7). A similar concern occurs in Titus 1:13–14, where Paul appeals to them to be “sound in the faith” and to “pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” The church of Jesus Christ continually needs to be on guard lest human traditions rob its members of their freedom in Christ.
2:23 / Fourth, they are deceptive and useless: The thoughts in this verse are quite similar to those in 2:18, where Paul talked about visions, false humility, and worship of angels. Here, he adds that the rules and regulations have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body. At best, however, all of these requirements are counterfeit, for they can deliver only appearances and impressions. The wisdom, worship, and humility do not bring them closer to God; the ascetic practices have no effect in preventing sins of the flesh. Basically, all such human attempts at religion are worthless—they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.