Colossians

Composition

Colossians is a book in the New Testament of the Bible. It is a letter, or an epistle, traditionally attributed to Saint Paul the apostle. The author addressed the letter to a church at Colossae, a city in Asia Minor. He indicates that he wrote the letter to correct some inappropriate teaching that was happening in Colossae.

Many of Paul’s epistles were written to churches that he had started himself during his ministry to the Gentiles. He did not start the church at Colossae, though the letter indicates that Paul knew one of the congregation’s leaders, and that was why he was writing to them. Colossae was located roughly 150 miles (241 km) east of Ephesus, home to a church that Paul established.

Although Colossians has traditionally been attributed to Saint Paul, scholars disagree about whether Paul was the author of the letter. Thirteen New Testament letters have been attributed to Paul. However, historical research and research comparing all the so-called Pauline letters has led some scholars to doubt the authenticity of some of Paul’s letters. Nevertheless, most scholars agree that Paul was the original author of seven Pauline letters.

The disputed letters are broken into two groups. Some scholars call the first disputed group the deutero-Pauline letters, as they believe Paul’s followers wrote the letters. They believe that people who knew Paul and understood his ministry wrote the letters. This group is more controversial because scholars are deeply divided about the letters’ authenticity. The second group of disputed letters is less controversial as many scholars doubt that Paul wrote them. Many believe they were written by people who studied Paul’s work and theology.

Scholars who credit Paul as author of Colossians believe it was written between 54 and 64 CE. In the letter, Paul indicates that he is imprisoned while writing the letter, and he may have been imprisoned in Ephesus between 54 and 57 CE or he may have been imprisoned in Rome between 61 and 64 CE. Scholars who doubt the authenticity of Colossians believe it could have been written after 64 CE, after Paul’s death.

Summary

Paul, or another author, begins Colossians with a greeting, as he does in nearly all his letters. He begins his greeting by introducing himself as “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” He also introduces Timothy, who may have been a scribe or even a coauthor of the letter. (Some scholars have suggested that Timothy being a coauthor of Colossians could explain why Colossians has a different vocabulary and tone than other Pauline letters.) He then addresses the letter to “the holy ones and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae” (New American Bible, Col. 1:1–2).

Paul continues the letter by presenting a prayer of thanksgiving for the faithful people in Colossae. After Paul’s prayer, he begins to discuss the nature of Jesus Christ and his relationship to humanity. He begins his meditation by calling Jesus “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). The lines in this part of the letter are poetic, and some scholars believe that these lines could have been an early Christian hymn or prayer that would have been known to the Colossians.

Paul continues his letter by talking about Jesus Christ. Paul indicates that people accomplish all things through Jesus Christ, and he reminds the audience that they have been redeemed through Christ. Paul also talks about the nature of Jesus and his relationship to people. Paul compares Christ to the head that makes a body function. He also compares the Church to the rest of the body. Paul then talks about his personal experiences as a Christian, indicating that he suffered because of his faith and that his suffering has helped him spread the gospel to more people.

At the end of chapter 2, Paul warns the letter’s audience that they should not be led astray by people who are teaching false ideas. He reminds his audience that Christ has redeemed them. He encourages them not to worship angels or participate in any religious or spiritual practices that are unrelated to Jesus. He also reminds the Gentiles that they do not need to follow the old Jewish laws. He reminds them that Christ died for all people, and the old laws no longer apply because of his sacrifice. He indicates that they should not focus on worldly laws and traditions, but they should focus on Jesus Christ. He says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Col. 3:1–2).

In chapter 3, Paul urges the audience to give up their sins and vices, such as anger and malice. He encourages them to show compassion, humility, and patience. He also reminds them that God forgave them, so they should also forgive each other. He states that they should remember their faith and should “[l]et the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly” (Col. 3:16).

At the end of chapter 3, the letter repeats ideas stated in Ephesians about the roles of family members and community members. He tells wives to be subordinate to their husbands, and he tells husbands to love their wives. He tells children to obey their parents and tells fathers not to provoke their children. He also indicates servants should obey their masters, and the masters should treat servants fairly. Paul encourages the people of Colossae to continue to act with faith and to spread their faith to other people.

In the second half of chapter 4, Paul tells the people of Colossae that Tychicus and Onesimus are the two men who will deliver the letter to them and tell them news about Paul. Paul also sends greetings from other believers who are helping him.

Themes

Colossians reiterates many themes present in other Pauline letters. For example, Colossians and Ephesians, another letter that some scholars believe is deutero-Pauline, have many overlapping topics and themes. Some sections of the two books, such as the sections about household roles, give almost the same information.

One common Pauline theme covered in Colossians is the idea that suffering is inevitable for Christ’s followers. Paul describes his own suffering in the first and second chapters. Biblical scholars have closely studied one line about suffering from Colossians. Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Col. 1.24). Most biblical scholars agree that Paul is not implying that Christ’s sacrifice was lacking, but different scholars hold different interpretations of this line. Some scholars suggest that Paul had a mystical unity with Christ that allowed him to identify his own suffering with Christ’s suffering. Other scholars have interpreted this line as meaning that Paul rejoices in his suffering because his suffering is part of spreading the gospel. Still other scholars have suggested that the line may refer to suffering that Paul believed would occur before the end of time.

Another theme in Colossians also found in other Pauline letters is the idea of Christ’s relationship to the Church. In Colossians, Paul uses a metaphor that compares Christ to the head and the Church to the body. This metaphor indicates that Christ is the head of the Church, and the Church could not function without Christ. Paul uses a different but similar metaphor in books written before Colossians. For example, in 1 Corinthians, Paul indicates that the entire body is Christ and the members of the Church are the parts that make up the body.

Colossians also focuses on Christ’s redemption for all people. Paul reiterates in multiple places in Colossians that Christ has redeemed humans. Furthermore, in chapter 2, he says, “when you were dead [in] transgressions . . . he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Col. 2:13). The mention of being “dead” before Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is also an idea that Paul repeats in other works, notably in Ephesians. In Colossians, Paul also focuses on Christ’s coming to redeem all people, including both Jews and Gentiles. Paul, who is known as the apostle of the Gentiles, focused on spreading the gospel among the Gentiles during his ministry. He reminds the Colossians—Gentiles who became Christians—that Christ redeemed them and that they are not expected to follow the old Jewish laws because Jesus Christ fulfilled the law through his sacrifice.

Bibliography

Baur, Ferdinand Christian. Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ. Edited by Peter C. Hodgson, translated by Robert F. Brown and Peter C. Hodgson, Cascade Books, 2021.

The Bible. New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE). Oxford UP, 2011.

“Colossians.” Insight for Living Ministries, insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/colossians. Accessed 25 Apr. 2022.

“Colossians.” US Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2022, bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/0. Accessed 25 Apr. 2022.

Jeremiah, David. Colossians and Philemon: The Lordship of Jesus. Thomas Nelson, 2021.

Pao, David W., and Clinton E. Arnold. Colossians and Philemon. Zondervan, 2012.

Sumney, Jerry L. “The Making of Colossians: A Study on the Formation and Purpose of a Deutero-Pauline Letter.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly. vol. 67, no. 4, 2005, pp. 717–19. EBSCO, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=19764712&site=eds-live. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.

Thiselton, Anthony C. Colossians: A Short Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary. Wipf & Stock, 2020.