Colossians

About this book

Colossians is a letter about the supremacy of Christ. Paul writes to a church he had not personally visited, having heard from a co-worker named Epaphras that they were growing in faith but were being pulled toward teachings that added other requirements and spiritual intermediaries to the gospel. Paul answers by lifting Jesus high: he is the image of the invisible God, the one through whom and for whom everything was made, the head of the church and the reconciler of all things. Believers, therefore, already share in his death and resurrection and do not need rules about food, festivals or visions to complete what he has finished. The second half turns practical. Because they have been raised with Christ, they are to set their minds on things above, put away old habits, put on compassion, humility and forgiveness, and let love bind everything together. Paul then addresses households, urges prayer and wise speech, and closes with greetings from many friends. Scholars debate the exact nature of the false teaching, but the letter's answer is clear.

Author

The apostle Paul, with Timothy named in the greeting; a minority of scholars question this, but the church has long accepted Paul.

Date

Usually placed about AD 60–62, while Paul was imprisoned, traditionally in Rome.

Audience

The church in Colossae, a small town in the Lycus Valley in what is now western Turkey.

Themes

Outline

1. 1:1–1:14Greeting, thanks and prayer
2. 1:15–1:23The supremacy of Christ
3. 1:24–2:5Paul's labor for the church
4. 2:6–2:23Warning against empty teaching
5. 3:1–3:17Raised with Christ: the new self
6. 3:18–4:18Households, prayer and farewell

Key verses