3/17
Colossians: What the what?
Colossae was a prominent city
Located on the Lycus River
“Apparently the most important city in its vicinity in the fourth and third centuries before Christ.”
Produced a high-quality dark red wool known as “Colossian wool”
It was at the crossroads of two important highways:
One running from east to west, connecting coastal cities of Ephesus and Sardis; and the other from north to south.
This second road was moved west through Laodicea, and Colossae’s prominence and importance began to decline.
Laodicea and Hierapolis were more important and prominent around this area than Colossae
An earthquake destroyed the area in the early 60s, and Laodicea was rebuilt right away, while Colossae lay in ruins longer.
The culture and city itself was probably very diverse.
Gentiles and Jews
Antiochus III (The Great) apparently settled 2,000 Jewish families there, according to Josephus, in 213 B.C.
Thus, the diversity of the culture and the location of the city itself helps to explain the apparent syncretism that is going on there.
Epaphras- the leader of the Christian community in Colossae, rather than Paul.
Paul had not been to Colossae before this, but Epaphras had heard from Paul, (presumably in Ephesus), and had traveled back to his home city, (Colossae), and spread the message there.
Paul wanted to send his letter to this church with Epaphras, but instead had to sent it with Tychicus.
Through many of the hints in the text, (specifically 1:12, 1:21, 1:27, and 3:5), point to the fact that the audience, (the church in Colossae), was predominantly Gentile and not Jewish.
There is also no quotation from the Old Testament, and no reference to the law.
Did Paul write Colossians?
-It is different in language
Uses 87 different words than in the seven “critical canon”
BUT Paul is writing to a specific issue, to a specific church
-It is different in style
Strings of genititves- (1:5; 2:2; 1:12; 1:13; 1:27; 2:2; 2:12)
BUT Colossians was written 3-10 years after most of Paul’s critically accepted letters (A.D. 60-61).
Paul’s use of an amanuensis, (or scribe), could be a reason for the stylistic differences
Some amanuenses had freedom in their writing or recording of their patron’s ideas or thoughts.
It includes a household code, (3:18-4:1), it does not rely or refer to the Spirit as much as other Pauline letters, it uses the body imagery of Christ in different ways than other Pauline letters,
-It is different in theology
The theology is WAY more developed than any of Paul’s other letters
-The concepts of authority of Paul, Christ, the church, and eschatology have all seemingly been further developed in the letter to the Colossians.
-It is similar to Ephesians in theology, general content, and exact wording in some places
-It is also similar to Philemon in terms or names used
It was either written by Paul, written by an amanuensis of Paul, (and with Paul), or was produced as a pseudepigraphy under the name of Paul
It is said to be written by Paul from prison
(As is Ephesians and Philemon, which Colossians is closely related to)
-It is written to Christians in the same general area-
Ephesus is 120 miles from Colossae and Philemon lived in Colossae
-Ephesians and Colossians were given to the same messenger, Tychicus, to deliver the message to the Christians
-Ephesians is very similar in vocabulary to Colossians
-Philemon mentions many of the same people in it
These were probably written from Paul’s Roman imprisonment- Acts 28:30-31
Paul was able to have visitors and interact with many, and it would seem unnecessary for Paul to send Tychicus to Ephesus if he is already imprisoned in Ephesus.
The Colossian Controversy- What was it?
Gnosticism
Gnosticism didn’t develop until the second century
An incipient form of Gnosticism?
Some believe that it was simply false teaching in general- not a specific false teaching or belief that Paul is trying to combat.
Morna Hooker
But, Paul refers to it as “a philosophy,” implying a coherent or certain false teaching
1. It is a “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8)
2. It “depends on human tradition” (2:8; 2:22)
3. It “depends on…the elemental spiritual forces of this world (2:8)
4. It does not “depend on…Christ” (2:8)
5. The false teachers were advocating the Jewish customs and restrictions and observance of “holy days” (2:16)
6. These teachers practiced ascetic disciplines (2:18; 2:25)
7. These teachers focused attention on angels (2:18)
8. They made a great deal about the visions they had seen (2:18)
9. They are proud: “their unspiritual minds puff them up with idle notions (2:18)
10. They are losing connection with the “the head” of the body, Christ (2:19)
11. These teachers are propagating various rules, regarded by Paul as “worldly” (2:20-23)
Also possible are:
1. They were using language of “fullness” (1:19)
2. They were advocating circumcision (1:11; 1:13; 3:11)
3. They denigrated Christ (Paul seems to combat this idea- 2:8-23)
It is probably not Gnostic in thought
It probably has Jewish components
It could very plausibly a mixture of many different beliefs and ideas
Three ideas has been put forth, then:
Jewish Mysticism
Judaism- James Dunn
A syncretistic understanding and practice of religion
Clinton Arnold- this “philosophy” is a combination of Phygrian folk belief, local folk Judaism, and Christianity.
Venerating angels?
Colossians is teaching:
1. The centrality and supremacy of Jesus
a. The Christ hymn of Colossians 1:15-20
b. The close relationship between Christ and God
c. Christ is the fullness of God and has significance for the world
2. Cosmology and the Power
a. The cosmological Christ
b. The “powers” of the world
3. The church
a. The universal church- the Body of Christ
4. The Gospel
a. The Gospel has power
5. Eschatology
a. Paul has a tension in his other letters between the “realized” (already) and future (not yet) eschatology
b. Colossians, however, focuses on the already mostly (1:13; 1:23; 2:13; 3:1; 2:15)
c. But there is also a presence of the “not yet” (3:4; 1:22; 1:28; 1:3-23)
6. The Christian Life
a. Paul writes as to how we should live as Christians
i. Focus on Christ
ii. Behave in certain ways (3:5-4:1)
iii. Old-self and new-self (3:9-11)