CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Letter to the Colossians
Orientation
Colossians is often overshadowed by its better-known sister, Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Since the letters are similar in various ways, Ephesians tends to get the spotlight because it is more comprehensive, teaches salvation by grace, and addresses the nature of the church. But this is unfair, because Colossians has its own message of great importance for the church: Christ is supreme over all creation, and he is fully sufficient for genuine spirituality. No other letter offers as powerful a rebuttal against false forms of spirituality than the Letter to the Colossians.
The Historical Origins of Colossians
Comparing Colossians and Ephesians
The Structure of Colossians
Exploration—Reading Colossians
The Fruit of the Gospel
READ COLOSSIANS 1:1–14
Paul and his cosignatory, Timothy, greet the Colossians (1:1–2) and describe their thankfulness to God for the Colossians’ faith, hope, and love (1:3–5)—the hallmarks of the Christian life (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13). Their hope comes from the word of truth, the gospel, which has been bearing fruit among them since it came to them (1:5–8).
Figure 18.1. Location of Colossae [© Baker Publishing Group]
Paul and Timothy have been diligent in prayer for the Colossians, asking that they would know God’s will and walk worthily of the Lord—continuing to bear fruit, growing in their knowledge of God, and being strengthened by God’s power (1:9–11). This strength is for patient endurance as they give thanks to the Father for rescuing them from the domain of darkness and for bringing them into the kingdom of the Son. In the Son, believers are redeemed through the forgiveness of their sins (1:12–14).
Colossae
The Supremacy of Christ
READ COLOSSIANS 1:15–20
Paul launches the argument of the letter with a stunning hymn to the supremacy of Christ. The hymn may have been Paul’s own creation or he may have adopted it. Either way, the supremacy of Christ seen in the Christ hymn will play a role in the argument of the letter, as Paul asserts that Christ is superior over any false forms of spirituality or worship.
Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (1:15), meaning that he is the ultimate human in the image of God, he reveals the invisible God to humanity, and he is the Son who will inherit everything.
The Firstborn over Creation
Everything in creation was made through Christ, including seen and unseen powers. He is preeminent over all things and holds everything together (1:16–17). And he has a special relationship with the church as its head and as the firstborn from the dead (1:18). The fullness of God dwells within Christ, and through him God reconciles everything to himself (1:19–20).
The Christ hymn offers a spectacular view of Christ and his supremacy over all creation, which was made through him and for him (1:16).
Reconciliation through Christ
READ COLOSSIANS 1:21–2:3
Though alienated from Christ in mind and action, the Colossians have now been reconciled to him through his death so as to be blameless before him (1:21–22). But they must hold on to the hope of the gospel, of which Paul has become a servant (1:23).
As a servant of the gospel Paul suffers many afflictions, which he describes as “completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” for the church (1:24). This cannot mean that Christ’s death was somehow deficient in reconciling people to God (Paul would be the last person to say such a thing), but the message must be proclaimed in order to take effect in people’s lives. That’s where Paul’s suffering comes in.
Paul makes known “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (1:26), which is Christ among the gentiles (1:27). Paul wants all to understand Christ, since “in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:2–3). This adds to Paul’s unfolding argument that Christ is sufficient for worship and life.
Mystery Revealed
Against the “Colossian Heresy”
READ COLOSSIANS 2:4–23
The main purpose of the letter is seen in this section, as Paul critiques forms of spirituality and worship that are based on philosophy and religious practices. Paul wants no one deceived by clever arguments (2:4) or taken captive by philosophy or human traditions (2:8).
Instead, the Colossians are to continue as they began, by growing in Christ (2:6–7). The fullness of God’s nature is in Christ, and believers are filled by him (2:9–10). This means that no other form of spirituality can compete with Christ—the fullness of God is in him, and he is in you! There is no greater spiritual “fullness” than God himself.
The Colossian Heresy
Believers’ spirituality is determined by their participation with Christ. They have been “circumcised in him,” “buried with him,” and made “alive with him” (2:11–13). These things mean that believers are set apart for God through Christ (spiritual “circumcision”), have spiritually died with Christ and been raised with him. Participation with Christ in these things means that believers have become new people. Other forms of spirituality and worship have nothing to offer in comparison to new life in Christ.
Sins have been forgiven and debt has been erased through the cross of Christ (2:14). And through it Christ has also “disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly” (2:15). This means that Christ’s death not only conquered the problem of human sin but also conquered the competing spiritual powers that stood against him.
As a result, believers should not submit to any regulations that are not based on Christ—food and drink, observance of Sabbath or festival, ascetic practices, worship of angels, or visionary experiences (2:16–18). While some people have an inflated view of their spirituality, they have lost hold of Christ. But those attached to him continue to grow in him with the growth that God gives (2:19).
Having died with Christ (cf. 2:12) to the elements of this world, believers should not listen to rules that are related only to the worldly elements (2:20–22). Some people may think that such rules increase their spirituality, but ultimately these are useless (2:23).
Elements of This World
Look to Things Above
READ COLOSSIANS 3:1–17
Participation with Christ has direct bearing on the Christian life. Having been raised with Christ, believers are to “seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (3:1). The elements of the world (2:8, 20) are not what believers should be preoccupied with, but rather they ought to be higher-minded. Believers have already died, and now their lives are bound up with Christ (3:3–4).
Figure 18.2. Christ Ascension, icon from Michurin, Bulgaria [Burgas Art Gallery / Wikimedia Commons]
Since believers have died to the elements of the world (2:20), and all that goes with that, they are to “put to death what belongs to [their] earthly nature” (3:5). They once lived according to sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and idolatrous greed, but it is no longer appropriate to live that way (3:5–7). Nor is it right to engage in anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying (3:8–9). Those things belong to the old self, but believers have “put on the new self,” which is being shaped in the image of God (3:9–10). This flows from participation with Christ; having died and risen with him changes everything in this life. And in him the old divisions between people are gone (3:11).
Instead of being characterized by their former way of life, God’s chosen ones will be characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, and peace (3:12–15). Their community will be permeated by the word of Christ as they encourage one another through singing and gratitude, doing everything in the name of Christ (3:16–17). Dying and rising with Christ completely transforms lives.
Christ in the Home
READ COLOSSIANS 3:18–4:1
This is a brief household code compared to that of Colossians’ sister letter, Ephesians (cf. Eph. 5:22–6:9). As in Ephesians, here we observe a set of asymmetrical relationships in which wives submit to husbands, children obey parents, and slaves obey masters, while husbands love their wives, fathers do not exasperate their children, and masters treat their slaves justly (3:18–4:1). There is no theological justification offered for this arrangement (again in contrast to Ephesians), but perhaps Paul did not consider it necessary to give one—though modern readers would have appreciated it!
The focus on slaves is also interesting. They are given more attention than others in the household code. Though we might prefer Paul to condemn slavery, instead he instructs slaves to obey their human masters in everything, and with integrity (3:22–23). But since slaves were not paid for their labors, Paul reminds them that they will “receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord,” since they “serve the Lord Christ” (3:24). This is an extraordinary statement, because slaves were not entitled to inheritances in the Roman world; it means that believing slaves are, in fact, regarded as the legal sons and daughters of God.
Making Known the Mystery of Christ
READ COLOSSIANS 4:2–6
The last section of the letter (before the final greetings) encourages prayer and mindfulness toward outsiders (4:2–6). Being devoted to prayer, the Colossians are to remember Paul and his coworkers in their work of proclaiming the mystery of Christ (cf. 1:25–27). It is striking that Paul wants God to “open a door” for this proclamation, even though he is “in chains” at the time of writing (4:3). He does not ask the Colossians to pray for his prison door to be opened but asks only that the message would have an open door.
While Paul has a special responsibility to proclaim the mystery of Christ, all believers have a duty to make the most of their time with outsiders, paying attention to their speech and being ready to answer their questions or objections about the faith (4:5–6).
Final Greetings
READ COLOSSIANS 4:7–18
While Colossians’ household code is minimal compared to its parallel in Ephesians, the reverse is the case for the final greetings. Ephesians mentions none of Paul’s readers or coworkers by name except for Tychicus, who carried the letter, while Colossians is full of personal references.
Tychicus is once again the carrier of the letter (4:7), but this time he is accompanied by Onesimus (4:9), who is the subject of Paul’s letter to Philemon. In fact, there are several people common to both Colossians and Philemon: Tychicus, Onesimus, Epaphras, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, which suggests that the letters were written at the same time and sent together (Philemon lived in Colossae).
We also see Paul’s expectation that his letter to the Colossians will be shared with the church at Laodicea, which possibly met in the home of a woman named Nympha (4:15). And the letter he wrote to Laodicea (now lost) is to be shared with the Colossians (4:16).
Implementation—Reading Colossians as Christian Scripture Today
Colossians presents the highest Christology (along with John’s Gospel) in the New Testament: not only is Christ head over all powers and authorities, but also everything was created through him and for him. Christ is the means of creation and its purpose. The fullness of God dwells in Christ, along with all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Believers have died and risen with Christ, meaning that they are no longer bound to the standards of earthly life. They now belong to a higher reality, hidden with Christ until they are revealed with him in glory.
This means that the Colossian heresy is completely robbed of its appeal. Its powers and authorities are no match for Christ, and its offer of wisdom and spiritual fulfillment is misleading because such things are found only in Christ. While the heresy is occupied with the elements of the world, believers look to things above.
Instead of just saying that the Colossian heresy is wrong and should be avoided, Paul mounts an argument that is both positive and negative, demonstrating that Christ is supreme and sufficient, which is why the Colossian heresy is folly and ultimately unhelpful. This message has much to say to the church today, as we are surrounded by many forms of spirituality that offer fulfillment and wisdom. These may not look like the Colossian heresy, but they are based on similar ideals—spiritual practices and rules that claim to lead their practitioners into divine fullness. But as Paul reminded the Colossians, Christ is still supreme and sufficient. He is all we need, and any other path will turn out to be a false one.
- Read Colossians 1:15–20 and reflect on the significance of this passage for your understanding and appreciation of who Christ is.
- Articulate in your own words what Paul means by the “mystery of Christ.”
- Read Colossians 2:20–3:4 and think about how dying and rising with Christ might affect life today.
- How can the whole Letter to the Colossians help to prepare someone to know how to answer each person (4:6)?