Colossians,Paul's Epistle To The

Colossae or Colosse (also known as Chonae or Kona; Greek: Κολοσσαί, Χωναί/Χῶναι), was an ancient city of Phrygia, on the Lycus, which is a tributary of the Maeander River. It was situated about 12 miles above Laodicea, and near the great road from Ephesus to the Euphrates. The site, located near the modern town of Honaz in Turkey, has never been excavated.


Courtesy of James Earl Jones(Bible Audio)The Book of Colossians

Background: The Church was founded by Epaphras,one of Paul's converts.The contents of the letter make it clear that wrong teaching was creeping into the church.In the face of this Paul stresses the true gospel:Jesus is absolutely central.He existed before time began and he is the one who brings God and the human race together(1).Rituals,regulations,philosophical reasonings and self-denial are not what is required(2)but right relationships and attitudes in the church,the family,the work place and the world(3,4)


Author: Paul(1:1,23;4:18)see Romans


Date and Location:AD 60-61,about the same time Paul wrote Ephesians

Recipients:Christians in Colosse,who Paul never personally visited(1:4,78;2:1)

Purpose:
-Tell Colossians of Paul's care for them and concern for their spiritual development and to relay ministry related information(1:13-29)and to warn against heresy that would distract from preeminence(2)
-encourage holliness(3-4:6)


Unique Features:
-Most Christological of Paul's letters,containing the Bible's sharpest picture of Christ's preeminence(1:14-22)
-The Bible's strongest warning against the dangers of human philosophy(2:8)
-the shorter form of Paul's benediction,characteristic of his later letters,occurs for the first time here(4:18;1Ti6:21;2Ti4:22Tit3:15)


Comparison:
*Gal.-combats exclusivism;Col.combats intellectual exclusivism

*Eph.-See Ephesians

Eph.,Col.Philem.,2Ti and Phil.-All written when Paul is in prison


1Jn and Col.-both combat the problems of the empty ritualism and of humanistic philosophies,Gnosticism


Abbreviations: Col.

MV: 1Th1:3
Bib1Yr: 1Th2Ye Are Witness