Colossians
Christ is all, and in all: the preeminence and sufficiency of Christ against philosophy, legalism, and mysticism.
Colosse was a small city in the Lycus valley of Asia Minor, near Laodicea and Hierapolis. Paul had not visited it; the church was founded by Epaphras, probably during Paul’s Ephesian ministry. Epaphras came to Paul in Rome with news of the church’s faith and love—and of a dangerous teaching that threatened it.
The Colossian error mixed Jewish legalism (sabbaths, new moons, food laws), Oriental mysticism (worship of angels, visions), and early Gnosticism (a claim to superior knowledge), all with an ascetic discipline: “Touch not; taste not; handle not” (2:21). In one way or another it denied that believers are complete in Christ.
Paul answers by exalting Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, the head of the body, the Church, and the one in whom “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (1:15–19; 2:9). Believers are complete in Him, circumcised in Him, buried and risen with Him. Therefore they are to seek things above, put off the old man, put on the new, and let the word of Christ dwell in them richly.
Writer: Paul
Written: AD 62–64
Name: Addressed to the believers at Colosse.
Title and authorship
The epistle to the saints and faithful brethren at Colosse. The name may be related to “colossal”; the city had once been great but by Paul’s day was overshadowed by its neighbors.
Paul wrote the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18) with Timothy, from his first Roman imprisonment. It was carried by Tychicus with Onesimus (4:7–9), together with the letter to Philemon.
Historical background
Rome, about AD 62–64. Colosse lay about a hundred miles east of Ephesus in the region of Phrygia, a wealthy area with many Jews and Gentiles.
The church at Colosse, largely Gentile (1:21, 27), threatened by a syncretistic false teaching.
The Lycus valley
Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis stood within sight of each other in the Lycus valley. Laodicea was wealthy, a banking center famous for black wool and eye salve; Hierapolis had hot springs. All three churches were connected with Epaphras (4:13).
Earthquake
A major earthquake struck the Lycus valley about AD 60–61. Laodicea rebuilt itself without Roman aid—“I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). Colosse declined and eventually disappeared.
The Colossian heresy
The false teaching combined legalism (2:16), mysticism and angel worship (2:18), and asceticism (2:20–23) with a claim to superior knowledge. Later Gnosticism taught that matter is evil and that salvation comes through secret knowledge. Paul answers each element with Christ.
Key passages
Colossians 1:18
He is the head of the body, the church, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Colossians 2:8–10
Beware of philosophy and vain deceit; in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him.
Colossians 3:1–3
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.
Outline
1 · Christ’s preeminence declared
Prayer leads into the person, work, and supremacy of the Son.
2 · Christ’s sufficiency defended
Empty philosophy, legalism, and imposed religious practices are answered by fullness in Christ.
3–4 · Christ’s life displayed
Heavenly affections lead to renewed conduct in every relationship.
Original language
πλήρωμα (pleroma, G4138) — “fulness”
Fullness, completeness. The false teachers probably used the word for a hierarchy of spiritual beings between God and man. Paul declares that all the fulness dwells in Christ bodily (2:9), and believers are “complete” (pepleromenoi) in Him (2:10).
εἰκών (eikon, G1504) — “image”
An exact representation. Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (1:15); to see Him is to see the Father (John 14:9).
πρωτότοκος (prototokos, G4416) — “firstborn”
Firstborn in rank and inheritance, not first created: the next verse says all things were created by Him. He is also “the firstborn from the dead” (1:18).
φιλοσοφία (philosophia, G5385) — “philosophy”
The love of wisdom; the only use of the word in the New Testament. Paul warns against philosophy “after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (2:8).
πρωτεύω (proteuo, G4409) — “have the preeminence”
To be first. Found only in Colossians 1:18. Christ is first in creation, first in the Church, and first in resurrection; Diotrephes “loveth to have the preeminence” (philoproteuo, 3 John 9).
Doctrinal study
Christ the Creator
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (1:16–17). Christ is not the highest creature; He is the Creator and Sustainer.
Complete in Christ
The believer lacks nothing that any philosophy, ritual, or experience could add. He is circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, buried with Christ in baptism, risen with Him, forgiven all trespasses, and freed from the handwriting of ordinances nailed to the cross (2:10–14).
Christ in you
The mystery hid from ages and generations is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27). Ephesians emphasizes the Church in Christ; Colossians emphasizes Christ in the believer. Both are true of every saved person.
Commentary notes
Colossians and Judges
The Old Testament book that corresponds to Colossians is Judges: “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The same spirit of self-directed religion was at work in Colosse and is at work today.
Doctrine, danger, duty
Chapter 1 declares Christ’s preeminence (doctrine). Chapter 2 defends it against empty philosophy, religious legalism, and man-made disciplines (danger). Chapters 3–4 display it in the believer’s relationship with the Lord, in the home, in work, and in the body (duty).
The word of Christ
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (3:16). Compare Ephesians 5:18–19, where being filled with the Spirit produces the same result.
Christ in the book
- The image of the invisible God (1:15)
- The Creator and Sustainer of all things (1:16–17)
- The Head of the body, the Church (1:18)
- The one in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (2:9)
- Christ in you, the hope of glory (1:27)
Applications
Historical
- Paul writes to encourage the believers at Colosse in their completeness in Christ and to confront the false doctrine of human self-sufficiency that denied Christ was all sufficient.
- Epaphras connects Paul with the congregation and its spiritual condition. Colosse belongs to a network of nearby churches in the same region.
- The shared names at the end connect this letter with Philemon.
Doctrinal
- Colossians is directed especially to the last period of church history before the Lord’s return. Five times the Laodiceans are mentioned, and the apostle commands that the letter be read to them. Understanding it can silence nearly every false doctrine of the present day.
- Christ is the Creator and sustainer of all things, and the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.
- Christ is the Head of the body; adding religious intermediaries or human systems undermines his sufficiency.
Devotional
- True believers, indwelt by Christ, cannot substitute man’s philosophy or tradition for the word and work of Jesus Christ. We must guard against the trend to be directed by the wisdom and rudiments of the world.
- Paul’s warnings require religious practices and claims to be examined in relation to Christ’s authority and sufficiency.
- Setting affection on things above is expressed through mercy, forgiveness, thanksgiving, faithful work, and gracious speech.
Answering the critics
Some critics dispute Paul’s authorship because about thirty-four words in Colossians do not appear in his other letters.
The audience, purpose, and subject are different; a writer confronting a new error naturally uses new vocabulary, sometimes the error’s own terms. God used the character and personality of His writers. The early church received the letter as Paul’s, and it is closely tied to Philemon, whose authenticity is almost universally admitted.