Colossians
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, usually referred to
simply as Colossians, is the 12th book of the New Testament.
It was written, (according to the text), by Paul the Apostle
to the Church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea
and approximately 100 miles from Ephesus in Asia Minor.[1].
During the first generation after Jesus, Paul's epistles to
various churches helped establish early Christian theology.
Written in the 50s while Paul was in prison, Colossians is
similar to Ephesians, also written at this time.[2]
Increasingly, critical scholars ascribe the epistle to an
early follower writing as Paul. The epistle's description of
Christ as pre-eminent over creation marks it, for some
scholars, as representing an advanced christology not present
during Paul's lifetime.[3] Defenders of Pauline authorship
cite the work's similarities to Philemon, which is broadly
accepted as authentic...
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Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossians...
EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS: written by Paul during his first
captivity at Rome (Acts 28:16), in that part of it when as
yet it had not become so severe as it did when the epistle
to the Philippians (Philemon 1:20-21; Philemon 1:30) was
written (probably after the death of Burrhus, A.D. 62, to
whom Tigellinus succeeded as praetorian prefect). Its
genuineness is attested by Justin Martyr (contra Tryphon, p.
311 b.), Theophilus of Antioch (Autol., 2:10), Irenaeus
(3:14, section 1), Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, 1:325),
Tertullian (Praescr. Haeret., 7), Origen (c. Celsus, 5:8).
Object: to counteract the Jewish false teaching there, of
which Paul had heard from Epaphras (Colossians 4:12), by
setting before them their standing in CHRIST ALONE,
exclusive of angels. the majesty of His person (Colossians
1:15), and the completeness of redemption by Him.
Hence, they ought to be conformed to their risen
Lord (Colossians 3:1-5), and exhibit that conformity in all
relations of life. The false teaching opposed in this
epistle (Colossians 2:16; Colossians 2:18, "new moon ...
sabbath days") is that of Judaizing Christians, mixed up
with eastern theosophy, angel worship, and the asceticism of
the Essenes (Colossians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:16-23). The
theosophists professed a deeper insight into the world of
spirits and a greater subjugation of the flesh than the
simple gospel affords. Some Alexandrian Jews may have
visited Colosse and taught Philo's Greek philosophy,
combined with the rabbinical angelology and mysticism,
afterward embodied in the Cabbala. Alexander the Great had
garrisoned Phrygia with Babylonian Jews.
The Phrygians' original tendency had been to a
mystic worship, namely, that of Cybele; so, when
Christianized, they readily gave heed to the incipient
gnosticism of Judaizers. Later, when the pastoral epistles
were written, the evil had reached a more deadly phase,
openly immoral teachings (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 1 Timothy 6:5).
The place of writing was Rome. The three epistles,
Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, were sent at the same
time. The epistle to Colossians, though carried by the same
bearer, Tychicus, who bore that to the Ephesians, was
written earlier, for the similar phrases in Ephesians appear
more expanded than those in Colossians. The "ye also" (as
well as the Colossians) may imply the same fact (Ephesians
6:21).
The similarity between the three epistles written
about the same date to two neighboring cities (whereas those
written at distant dates and under different circumstances
have little mutual resemblance) is an undesigned coincidence
and proof of genuineness. Compare Ephesians 1:7 with
Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:10 with Colossians 1:20;
Ephesians 3:2 with Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 5:19 with
Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 6:22 with Colossians 4:8;
Ephesians 1:19; Ephesians 2:5 with Colossians 2:12-13;
Ephesians 4:2-4 with Colossians 3:12-15; Ephesians 4:16 with
Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 4:32 with Colossians 3:13;
Ephesians 4:22-24 with Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 5:6-8
with Colossians 3:6-8; Ephesians 5:15-16 with Colossians
4:5; Ephesians 6:19-20 with Colossians 4:3-4; Ephesians
5:22-23; Ephesians 6:1-9 with Colossians 3:18; Ephesians
4:24-25 with Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 5:20-22 with
Colossians 3:17-18.
Onesimus traveled with Tychicus, bearing the letter
to Philemon. The persons sending salutations are the same as
in epistle to Philemon, except Jesus Justus (Colossians
4:11). Archippus is addressed in both. Paul and Timothy head
both. Paul appears in both a prisoner. The style has a lofty
elaboration corresponding to the theme, Christ's majestic
person and office, in contrast to the Judaizers' beggarly
system. In the epistle to the Ephesians, which did not
require to be so controversial, he dilates on these truths
so congenial to him, with a fuller outpouring of spirit and
less antithetical phraseology.
Link: https://bible-history.com/faussets/C/Col...
was written by the apostle St. Paul during his first captivity
at Rome. Ac 28:16 (A.D. 62.) The epistle was addressed to
Christians of the city of Colosse, and was delivered to them
by Tychicus, whom the apostle had sent both to them, Col 4:7,8
and to the church of Ephesus, Eph 6:21 to inquire into their
state and to administer exhortation and comfort. The main
object of the epistle is to warn the Colossians against the
spirit of semi-Judaistic and semi-Oriental philosophy which
was corrupting the simplicity of their belief, and was
noticeably tending to obscure the eternal glory and dignity of
Christ. The similarity between this epistle and that to the
Ephesians is striking. The latter was probably written at a
later date.
Link: https://bible-history.com/smiths/C/Colos...
was written by Paul at Rome during his first imprisonment
there
(Acts 28:16, 30), probably in the spring of A.D. 57,
or, as some
think, 62, and soon after he had written his Epistle
to the
Ephesians. Like some of his other epistles (e.g.,
those to
Corinth), this seems to have been written in
consequence of
information which had somehow been conveyed to him
of the
internal state of the church there (Col. 1:4-8). Its
object was
to counteract false teaching. A large part of it is
directed
against certain speculatists who attempted to
combine the
doctrines of Oriental mysticism and asceticism with
Christianity, thereby promising the disciples the
enjoyment of a
higher spiritual life and a deeper insight into the
world of
spirits. Paul argues against such teaching, showing
that in
Christ Jesus they had all things. He sets forth the
majesty of
his redemption. The mention of the "new moon" and
"sabbath days"
(2:16) shows also that there were here Judaizing
teachers who
sought to draw away the disciples from the
simplicity of the
gospel.
Like most of Paul's epistles, this consists of two
parts, a
doctrinal and a practical.
(1.) The doctrinal part comprises the first two
chapters. His
main theme is developed in chapter 2. He warns them
against
being drawn away from Him in whom dwelt all the
fulness of the
Godhead, and who was the head of all spiritual
powers. Christ
was the head of the body of which they were members;
and if they
were truly united to him, what needed they more?
(2.) The practical part of the epistle (3-4)
enforces various
duties naturally flowing from the doctrines
expounded. They are
exhorted to mind things that are above (3:1-4), to
mortify every
evil principle of their nature, and to put on the
new man
(3:5-14). Many special duties of the Christian life
are also
insisted upon as the fitting evidence of the
Christian
character. Tychicus was the bearer of the letter, as
he was also
of that to the Ephesians and to Philemon, and he
would tell them
of the state of the apostle (4:7-9). After friendly
greetings
(10-14), he bids them interchange this letter with
that he had
sent to the neighbouring church of Laodicea. He then
closes this
brief but striking epistle with his usual autograph
salutation.
There is a remarkable resemblance between this
epistle and that
to the Ephesians (q.v.). The genuineness of this
epistle has not
been called in question.
Link: https://bible-history.com/eastons/C/Colo...
ko-losh'-ans, ko-los'-i-anz: This is one of the group of
Paul's epistles known as the Captivity Epistles (see
PHILEMON, EPISTLE TO, for a discussion of these as a group).
I. Authenticity.
1. External Evidence:
The external evidence for the Epistle to the Colossians,
prior to the middle of the 2nd century, is rather
indeterminate. In Ignatius and in Polycarp we have here and
there phrases and terminology that suggest an acquaintance
with Colossians but not much more (Ignat., Ephes., x.3, and
Polyc. x.1; compare with Col 1:23). The phrase in Ep
Barnabas, xii, "in him are all things and unto him are all
things," may be due to Col 1:16, but it is quite as possibly
a liturgical formula. The references in Justin Martyr's
Dialogue to Christ as the firstborn (prototokos) are very
probably suggested by Col 1:15, "the firstborn of all
creation" (Dial., 84, 85, 138). The first definite witness
is Marcion, who included this epistle in his collection of
those written by Paul (Tert., Adv. Marc., v. 19). A little
later the Muratorian Fragment mentions Colossians among the
Epistles of Paul (10b, l. 21, Colosensis). Irenaeus quotes
it frequently and by name (Adv. haer., iii.14, 1). It is
familiar to the writers of the following centuries (e.g.
Tert., De praescrip., 7; Clement of Alexandria, Strom., I,
1; Orig., Contra Celsum, v. 8).
2. Internal Evidence:
The authenticity was not questioned until the second quarter
of the 19th century when Mayerhoff claimed on the ground of
style, vocabulary, and thought that it was not by the
apostle. The Tubingen school claimed, on the basis of a
supposed Gnosticism, that the epistle was the work of the
2nd century and so not Pauline. This position has been
thoroughly answered by showing that the teaching is
essentially different from the Gnosticism of the 2nd
century, especially in the conception of Christ as prior to
and greater than all things created (see V below). The
attack in later years has been chiefly on the ground of
vocabulary and style, the doctrinal position, especially the
Christology and the teaching about angels, and the relation
to the Ephesian epistle. The objection on the ground of
vocabulary and style is based, as is so often the case, on
the assumption that a man, no matter what he writes about,
must use the same words and style...
Link: https://bible-history.com/isbe/C/COLOSSI...
