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(Week four of the clampdown due to the Corona Virus)
Colossians: An introduction to the Epistle
April 12th 2020
iRecorded April 7th
Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
Colosse was a grand city of Phrygia located in Asia Minor in the southern part of that province, and was almost directly east of Ephesus, and north of Laodicea, and west of Antioch.
The Greek historian Herodotus called it “a great city of Phrygia, in that part where the river Lycus descends into a chasm of the earth and disappears, but which, after a distance of five stadia, rises again and flows into the Meander – a city well inhabited, pleasant, and large.”
Later, in the time of the writings of Strabo, it was reduced in size, as it is mentioned by him as among the “smaller towns.”
Not long after this letter was written, and in the latter part of the reign of Nero, Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, were all at the same time overwhelmed by an earthquake, according to the Historian Pliny.
Colosse recovered, however, from this shock, and is mentioned by the Byzantine writers as among the most opulent cities around.
The ancient town is now extinct.
According to Acts 15:40 and 16:1-6, the gospel was first preached in Phrygia by Paul and Silas, who were accompanied also by Timothy.
Because it reads that they “went throughout Phrygia,” it appears to mean that they went through Phrygias towns.
In Acts 18:23, it is said that Paul visited Phrygia again, after he had been to Philippi, Athens, Jerusalem, and Antioch.
That he “went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”
We never read that Paul and Silas expressly went to the city of Colosse, but, because Colosse was one of the principal cities of Phrygia, there is every reason to believe that they preached the gospel there.
However, a number of scholars reject the idea that Paul had ever been to Colosse himself and that he therefore had no real personal insights to the believers there (which would be very different from his relationship with the church at Philippi).
Therefore some maintain that the gospel was first preached there by Epaphras, who heard the apostle at Ephesus, and who returned and preached the gospel to his own countrymen.
The opinion that Paul had not been there, and was personally unacquainted with the church, is founded on his declaration in Colossians 2:1 where Paul writes,
“For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”
And it is from this passage that some believe Paul never personally went to either Colosse or Laodicea.
But that passage can be interpreted in a number of ways and so we really don’t know.
This epistle is believed to have been written at Rome, when Paul was a prisoner there, and at about the same time that the epistle to the Ephesians, and the epistle to Philemon, were written.
Colossians 4:7 and 9 says that it was sent by Tychicus and Onesimus, both of whom are commended by Paul as “faithful and beloved” brethren.
That this epistle and the one to Philemon were written at about the same time is further apparent from the fact that Epaphras is mentioned in both as being with Paul, and is mentioned in both of the salutations, (Colosse 4:12 and Philemon 1:23.)
The epistle to the Colossians bears internal marks of having been written at Rome, when the apostle was a prisoner. For example, in Colossians 1:24, Paul says, “who now rejoice in my sufferings for you.” And in Colossians 4:18, he writes: “Remember my bonds.”
If these clues are viable then it is not difficult to fix the date of the epistle to have been written no later than around 62 AD.
The general drift of this epistle has a strong resemblance to the epistle to the Ephesians, and it bears internal marks of being from the same hand.
It was evidently written in view of errors which extensively prevailed among the churches of that part of Asia Minor, and was designed to prescribe the same general duties to the believers.
Remember that the church at Colosse was one of a circle or group of churches, lying near each other, in Asia Minor; and so it is probable that the same general views of philosophy, and the same errors, prevailed throughout the entire region where they were situated. That group of churches included those at Ephesus, Laodicea, Thyatira, and, in general, those addressed in Revelation as “the seven churches of Asia.” Colosse would have been included in this ring.
What were these general errors floating around those churches in that area at that time?
They include, from the writing given to the other churches in the ring:
To the church at Ephesus, there was the error perpetrated that there were
(Revelation 2:2) “those which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars,”
In Smyrna, those “which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan,” (Revelation 2:9)
In Thyatira, “that woman Jezebel, which called herself a prophetess,” Revelation 2:20)
In Pergamos, “them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans;” those “who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel,” (Revelation 2:14-15).
Because of the Colosse’s proximity to these churches it seems likely that the infection of these errors might have reached them too.
Also, in Paul’s parting speech to the elders of the church at Ephesus, he alludes to dangerous teachers to which the church there might be exposed, saying:
“For I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,”
(Acts 20:29-30)
He does not specify the exact perversity of the things that these wolves would be teaching but it appears that those teaching them would enter into the church and steal disciples away.
Another thing to consider – which we rarely talk about, and that is that John the Baptists had a large following before he chose to decrease so that the ministry of the Lord could increase.
John’s followers would have been extremely devout to the Law as John was the consummate representative of both the Law and the Prophets.
It is believed that some in that vicinity could have been disciples of John, who had not taken John’s lead and followed Christ.
These would have retained many Jewish prejudices and would be tenacious of the observances of the Mosaic law.
And perhaps they would have also insisted on observance to the law by others. Because they were oblivious to the power of the Holy Spirit they would have remained in this state until regenerated from above.
Paul (in Acts 19) found a number of these disciples of John at Ephesus, who professed not to have received the Holy Ghost, and who said that they had only been baptized unto John’s baptism.
Among the most distinguished and influential of these disciples of John in that region was Apollos, (According to Act 18:24,25) who is represented as an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures.
Acts 18:26, describing Apollos , says that “the way of God was expounded more perfectly to him,” and it seems that Apollos was a great tool in the hand of God in explaining to former disciples of John the Baptist the fullness of what John actually came to do.
However, it is likely that many of John’s disciples were never reached by Apollos or the apostles and therefore the strident demands from them on keeping the law could have overrun the churches in that area, thwarting the beliefs of the Christian converts and drawing them back in to the touch not taste not of Judaism.
So that was another possible danger. And if we look into the epistle itself to the believers at Colosse we are also able to directly see some of the errors that could have crept into the church there.
According to Colossians 2:4-8 the first danger arose from the influence of philosophy which causes Paul to warn them to beware “lest any one should “beguile them with enticing words;” and he cautions them against “philosophy and vain deceit ” referring to a philosophy that was based on the “tradition of men,” “after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
Such philosophy would certainly rise up to a church so near to Greece, and so much imbued with the Spirit of the Greeks.
As mentioned in relation to John’s disciples presence a second source of danger referred was the insistence on the observance of the rites and customs of the Jewish religion.
Paul refers to this in Colossians 2:16, saying: “Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days.”
Then there is some internal evidence that there was some Eastern influenced philosophy present in that area too – which formed the basis of what is called Gnosticism.
Colossians 2:9 reads,
“For in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ”
Which is a direct confrontation of the Gnostic ideas that denied the fact that God could or would dwell bodily in a human form and also included that the assumption of human nature by Jesus was in appearance only, not reality.
Therefore what he did on the cross was also in appearance only but not actual.
These ideas are strictly renounced by Paul and especially John the Beloved.
In Colossians 2:18, there is also a reference to
“a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which are not seen, and which tend vainly to puff up a fleshly mind”
Which could be another reference to the Gnostics who paid homage to the AEons, beings not seen, and more like products of a fleshly mind.
Because of all of this it seems that Paul’s epistle to Colosse didn’t have much to do with the morality of the believers or leaders at Colosse but more to their intellectual meanderings and to the doctrines that false teachers would introduce to them as Paul does not mention any improper conduct, either in individuals or in the church at large – which is a very different letter than what he wrote to the church at Corinth.
There is reference to sins that were common among the Greeks in Colossians 3:5-9, including the words
“Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications, and lying,”
But those things are common to fleshly men and could ubiquitously be warned against in any communication by the apostle.
From all of this it is pretty easy to see that the primary purpose of this letter to the believers at Colosse was to help them to guard the church against:
the prevalence of false philosophy,
and from the influence of false teachers in religion
to assert the superior claims of Christianity over the rites and customs of the Jewish religion.
Since Laodicea was the capital of Phyrgia some wonder why Paul didn’t write to the church there but instead chose to write to the church at Colosse?
It has been asked why an epistle was addressed to that church so strikingly resembling the Epistle to the Ephesians, especially as it has been supposed that the Epistle to the Ephesians was designed to be a circular letter, to be read by the churches in the vicinity?
Perhaps . . .
It was because Onesimus (who was with Paul at Rome and was about to return to his master, Philemon, at Colosse) was going there in the first place, Paul sought it as an opportunity to include a letter to them.
Perhaps also, Epaphras, who was a kep teacher of the church at Colosse and who was also with Paul at Rome asked that Paul write them a letter to warn them.
See, we know from the first chapter that Paul had learned from Epaphras the condition of the church at Colosse and so it is very natural to assume that he asked Paul to speak to these issues.
Hand in hand with this, since Epaphrus was the one who taught the believers there, perhaps his views were being challenged by the infiltrating forces and he sought Paul out to sanction his teachings among the people by letter.
What are the similarities between the letter to the Ephesians and this Epistle?
There are several, and all I can say is that if I was to write a letter to two places that are geographically related, containing people who were to believe the same things, and they were a people that were confronted by similar problems and temptations, the letters I would write would be very similar.
So let’s go to the board and let me illustrate for you quickly how similar the two epistles are:
TOPIC
Ephesians
Colossians
Paul in prison
3:1; 4:1; 6:20
4:3
Tychicus as the bearer of the epistle to the designated churches, who would ‘tell of Paul’s state of affairs upon arrival’
6:21-22;
4:7
the audience was commended for their faith and love
1:15
1:4.8
Colossians commended for their hope,
Ephesians were exhorted to lay hold of hope
1:8; 2:12; 4:4
1:5
Paul prayed for or wished that the two churches would grow in the knowledge of the Lord, and receive spiritual wisdom and understanding
1:17
1:9-10
He also desired that they know the will of the Lord.
5:17;
1:9
Paul mentioned the redemption Christ provided, emphasizing that it was wrought for them through Jesus’ blood
1:7
1:4
Christ is pictured as the Head of the church, which is His body
1:22-23;
1:18;24
These members actually function like a human body in that each member is needed for the body to operate properly
4:15-16
2:19
Jesus is also above all principalities, dominions, authorities, powers, might, and thrones
1:21
1:16-17
The deliverance from darkness into the kingdom of God
2:2-6
1:13
The process by which God took us from being God’s enemies to being God’s children
2:1-10
1:21-22
the Law had been terminated
2:14-15
2:14-16
the call to holiness, commanding the saints to cast off the works of darkness
4:17-5:13
3:1-17
put off the old man and put on the new man, being renewed in their mind in true righteousness and holiness according to Christ, and being strengthened by God’s Spirit in their inner man
3:16; 4:23-24
3:9-10
Part of this holiness involved the forgiving of others, following the example of Christ’s forgiveness toward them.
4:32
3:13
This type of forgiveness would flow from their love for one another
5:2
3:14
Paul spent some length of time speaking on submission The relationship between husband and wife, father and child, and master and slave were expounded upon.
5:21-6:9
3:18-4:1
Finally, at the conclusion of both epistles Paul requested prayer that he might be able to preach the gospel of Christ
6:19
4:3
Also, in Colossians 4:16 Paul says:
“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
The first part of this is reasonably clear isn’t it? Take this epistle and share is with the church at Laodicea, which is close by.
But what is the meaning by the instructions that say, “likewise you read the “epistle from Laodicea.”
Obviously, there was a letter given to the church there – but . . . we have no epistle to the church at Laodicea . . . or do we?
From the language Paul uses it seems that the instructions were that the Colossians were to procure a letter that was in the possession of the Laodiceans in exchange for the one which they had now received from Paul.
There is an epistle out there that is called “St. Paul’s Epistle to the Laodiceans,” but it has no well-founded claims of being authentic or genuine in the least and has been almost universally claimed to be a forgery.
Since we are by nature curious I found this epistle and will read the whole of it to you which is pretty short.
It will be an interesting exercise for you to see if your ear discerns forgery or if you think those who put the New Testament letters together should have included it. It reads:
“Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ, to the brethren in Laodicea. Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God in Christ always in my prayers, that you are mindful of and are persevering in good works, waiting for the promise in the day of judgment. And let not the vain speeches of some who would conceal the truth disturb you, to turn you away from the truth of the gospel which has been preached unto you. Now God grant that all they who are of me may be borne forward to the perfection of the truth of the gospel, to perform those excellent good works which become the salvation of eternal life. And now are my bonds manifest, in which bonds I am in Christ, and at the present time; but I rejoice, for I know that this shall be for the furtherance of my salvation, which is through your prayer and the supply of the Holy Ghost, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is joy. But our Lord himself shall grant you his mercy with us, that possessing love you may be of the same mind, and think the same thing. On this account, brethren, as ye have heard of the appearing of the Lord, so think and do in the fear of God, and it shall be eternal life to you for it is God who worketh in you. Do all things without murmurings and disputings. And for the remainder, brethren, rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and see that ye keep yourselves from all base gain of covetousness. Let all your requests be made known with boldness unto God, and be firm in the mind of Christ. And finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, these things do. And what you have heard and received, keep in your hearts, and it shall give you peace. Salute all the brethren with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Cause that this epistle be read in the church of the Colossians, and do you also read the epistle from Colosse.”
So, what are we to say about this exchanging of epistles? We have a few options.
First, there was an epistle to the Laodiceans, and it IS what I just read to you, which for all sorts of reasons was rejected from being accepted into canon.
OR that letter was lost . . .
OR that letter, or epistle, was synonymous with the circular letter originally written to the Ephesians, which was supposed to be read by the Ephesians and then was to be set to other churches in the ring, who would adopt the letter to themselves, calling it the epistle to the Church at Laodicea, or Pergamos, or what whatever.
But we will revisit this question when we get to chapter 4.
Okay, so there is some of the essentials about the letter to the Colossians.
So, lets read our first verses and get into our verse by verse study beginning with verse 1:
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
So back to verse 1:
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
We know that the word apostle means, “one sent.”
And Paul here says he was one sent BY THE WILL of God.
Sent by God himself, I have received my commission from the Almighty.
And he adds, “and Timotheus,”
Interestingly, though Timothy is mentioned here in the salutation, it is not believed that he had anything to say or add in its composition. As a result he is believed to have been a scribe or what is called an amanuensis in recording Paul’s words here and putting them to paper.
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who was this letter written to – the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ. If you are a biblical literalist you must agree that Paul only wrote these words to them then, and nobody has the right to take them and assign them to themselves.
“Grace be unto you and peace, FROM God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”
Just to let you know, the phrase, “the Lord Jesus Christ,” is absent in many manuscripts and in some of the writings of the early church fathers.
Also interesting, every version includes this line – probably because it is included in the introduction of other epistles.
And he adds
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
In verse two, Paul says:
From God our father (and perhaps) and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then here in verse 3 he again says:
“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” . . . praying always for you.
Always, from Paul, GOD THE FATHER, and ALWAYS our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Never God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Always God the Father
That is what scripture says, folks – that is what I say along with Paul who wrote in
1st Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1st Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2nd Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
WHAT PETER SAID ALWAYS IN 1st Peter 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
2nd Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
WHAT JOHN WROTE IN
2nd John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
What JUDE wrote in
Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
What does Paul say, again what does Paul plainly say?
1st Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
I want to leave off with the same thought as Paul, and Peter, and John and Jude clearly presented to us via the Spirit without the interference of Man
That there is ONE God the Father, and One Lord, Jesus Christ.
That God Himself, through the Man Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord, master, Savior and King, reconciled the world to Himself – not to them, but to Himself – and that God with us, gets the glory and honor.
Certainly, Jesus was God with us. Certainly when the Holy Spirit moves upon us this is the only true and living God, the One God, who loves us.
PRAYER for ALL
