Chapter 13
Colossians
The History:
Colossae is one-hundred-miles inland from Ephesus in Turkey, in the valley Lycos. Greek Colossae today is a hill in the middle of a field but treasures of the old city might still surface as you kick the ground while walking. In nineteen-eighty-five, a small pilot shaft had been dug but otherwise it was largely unexplored. Originally it was a Hittite city, called Huwalušija215. Persian King Xerxes I encamped there on his way to war against the Greeks. By the 5th century BC, it was, ‘a populous city, wealthy and of considerable magnitude’. It was famous for its wool trade. In three-ninety-six BC, Persian Satrap Tissaphernes was executed there by Cyrus the Younger. Colossi was on a major route to Arabia which gave it a very mixed population and many religions. Herodotus called Colossae that, ‘great city in Phrygia’, which accommodated the Persian King Xerxes I on his way to wage war against the Greeks
It suffered an earthquake in sixty AD, and Rome rebuilt it. When Ephesus church began to decline, this church took over as the prime mission centre in the area. It is believed that while Paul was teaching in the School of Tyranus in Ephesus, Epaphras came from Colossae and took the gospel back. He started a bible study in his home which grew into the Church. But because of the Judaizers legalism, Gnostics mysticism, and Essene asceticism, were all trying to muscle in and take over, Epaphras, (the first pastor), turned to Paul for help. He went to Rome to visit Paul in prison around sixty-one AD to ask his advice. Later Paul wrote this letter and sent it, with Tychicus, who, as postman, also delivered the letter to Philemon and a general letter to all the Churches in that area. (That was the letter which we call Ephesians).
The Letter:
The letter has four sections and two themes. The first is a personal update, the second, the doctrinal basis for what he is about to say, (we are getting used this format), Third, he addresses the practical outcome he expects to see, based on the doctrines he has just expounded, and finally he recommends some people who can help with their problem of ‘dodgy doctrines’.
Colossae shares a common problem with other rapidly growing churches. Most noticeably, Paul compares it with the similar growing problems within the Church in Laodicea, which Paul is also trying to help216.
Both churches were rapidly growing in numbers and actions without any depth of doctrine to feed upon. Both churches had grown without teachers who could ensure their roots were firm in nutritious ground. As a result these church plants had grown long spindly, desperately looking for anything that looked like food for the soul. Any passing speaker was welcome to the pulpit. But here is a clear lesson for any church not watching over its pulpit. Both churches ended up the same. Laodicea is better known for the warning, ‘Luke warm I will spit you out of my mouth’, but both ended up as wasteland. Leaders were constantly looking for new sermon material. Under the Jewish synagogue system, there would have been a fall back position. If no one was recognized as a teacher, the appropriate commentary on the scriptures would read from the Mishna or the Didache.217 But Jewish Synagogue customs were being modernised and Gentiles wanted to do things differently. So any passing ministerial with a story would do.
In this letter Paul puts out some warning signs, like ‘cats-eyes’ on a road, to keep the Church in the right lane. There was the usual onslaught of Judaism which we have dealt with in most of the letters so far. But the Gnostics, returning from a stint at Laodicea, had their turn in the pulpit too. Greeks had influenced the thinking of some Jews into believing that knowledge is the key to knowing God, and as ‘Know all’s’ themselves, they could tell the ‘hidden mysteries’ of how to please God. These expanded Plato’s separation of the spiritual and the materialism theory. These were preaching, ‘spiritual Good, material Bad’, theology. They argued, ‘God could not have created the material world because it is bad’. This argument also denied the deity of Christ because Jesus was human. So they split into two groups. Some said Deity came upon Jesus at birth and left him at death. Some said he was a phantom and just appeared to be human. (This belief had another surge when John wrote his three letters).
The Essenes were also trying to recruit to their aestheticism. They were doing it as most sects do — bit at a time. They were saying if you deny yourself this or that, God will like you better. Better still, we can adopt you and initiate you into our church so you can be sure.218 While all these were trying to take over completely, only bits of each did so. So the Church was a mishmash of all these beliefs like new-age thinking today. This is directly applicable to today where churches up and down the land are returning to syncretism; absorbing the values of other religions and the world. This letter refocuses on the preeminence of Christ.
The effect of mixing Christ with other religions is to reduce belief. To reduce belief is to reduce relationship with God. When God seems distant, look first at your beliefs. What your belief roots in affects the fruits of your faith.219
So Paul lays out his doctrinal basis. If you are rooted in Christ alone, you will have all the necessary nutrition to produce good fruit. If you add or subtract from Jesus Christ, you will produce spindly weedy fruit.
Chapter-three begins a list of fruit that show evidence of good grounding:
Your old nature will die and a new nature will rise. Sexual sin will go, immorality will cease. You will become less selfish, less angry, more forgiving, kinder, more humble, more gentle, more patient, more thankful. You will become wiser, and it won’t matter if you are circumcised or not. Wives, will love to serve their husbands, because husbands will Ahavah-love220 their wives. Children will obey their parents because parents won’t upset children by being unreasonably hard.221
Finally, says Paul, here are some people you could ask for help to restore the imbalance of spiritual gifts in your assembly. Tychicus is a faithful helper, he is serving me at the moment, but I am sending him to you to encourage you. I am also sending Onesimus who came originally from your group. He can help with your doctrinal base also.
All the team send prayers and blessings, Aristarchus, Justus, and Mark, If Mark comes your way later welcome him. Epaphras constantly struggles for you and for Laodicea in prayer, he is most burdened that you change and receive the blessing of God. Of Course, Dr. Luke and Demas who you know well ask to be remembered.
After you have read this letter in your assembly Please be sure to send it on to Laodicea and swap it with the one I sent them.
215 17th-century BC
216 Colossians 2: 1
217 Paul’s letters would have been read this way, in place of a sermon.
218Jehovah's Witness bears this hallmark
219 In the jargon it is the balance of Transcendence and Imminence. Doctrines the saints of old have fought to preserve for us we are now ignoring.
220 The contrast is between Greek and Hebrew understanding of love. There is no Greek equivalent to Ahavah love. Much of Jesus’ teaching about love was to take Greek thinkers to different concept ofLove.
221 Colossians 3.