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Colossians Overview
This morning we will begin our study of Colossians by stepping back and getting a bird’s eye view.
But, rather than just throwing out to you a bunch of introductory information, I am going to work slowly through the first two verses, which in themselves offer to us clues about the letter as a whole.
But I do wish to say this: what we call now the “book” of Colossians was in fact a letter written by someone to someone for a reason, just was when you sit down and write a letter. I was a letter written in the middle of real life, life full of real people, real issues, and real places.
In order for us to understand and derive help and wisdom from this letter we must first understand what it meant when it was written, that is, what the writer meant to convey, and what it was about the recipients that inspired him to write what he wrote.
Only when we discover what it meant can we understand what it means.
We believe that the Bible is the very written word of God, and indeed, that this letter itself is God’s word.
But this letter is also fully human, that is, it is the product of a human mind and heart in the midst of real human life.
We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully human at the same time. It is much the same with the Word of God. It is, at the same time, both God breathed and human produced. And it has been preserved by the Spirit of God over the centuries for us today.
So let us now jump into verse one of the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, and see what we can learn about this letter.
Well, verse one starts out simply with a name- Paul.
Not “Dear friends of Colossae,” just Paul.
In fact, this was the standard way of beginning a letter in the ancient near eastern world—by naming the sender, then the recipient, then giving the greeting itself.
If it were a Covenant Fellowship newsletter, it would start:
Joel
To friends of Covenant Fellowship
Greetings in Christ on a cloudy Sunday morning.
Ok, so this is a letter from Paul. Paul of course is the Greek name of the very Hebrew man Saul of Tarsus.
I say “Greek” name because Greek—or forms of it—was the predominant language in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. It was common for Hebrew people to adopt Greek names that sounded sort of like their Hebrew names—and so Hebrew Saul took on the Greek name Paul.
So Paul here introduces himself to his recipients.
Of course, because we are familiar with our Bibles, we know that he is writing this letter to a young church in the city of Colossae which was located in that land which is now present day Turkey.
But Paul was not known to the congregation personally. Look over at chapter two verse one…
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face.”
In fact, the church in Colossae had been founded not by Paul but by a man from Colossae name Epaphrus—look down to verse seven of chapter one…
“just as you learned it [the gospel] from Epaphrus our beloved fellow servant”
It seems likely hat Epaphrus himself had been converted in Ephesus during Paul’s long stay there—and from there had gone forth to establish the church in Colossae and perhaps in other cities as well. Then he had come up from Colossae to see and speak to Paul about the Colossian church, and perhaps to seek counsel about some problems there.
We know that he is with Paul when Paul writes the letter because Paul sends greetings from him back to the church in 4:12…
“Epaphrus, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you many stand mature and fully assured in Christ.”
Now, while you’re in chapter 4, turn back to verse 3. Paul in that paragraph is asking for prater for the gospel—and notice what he says
“—on account of which I am in prison”
So, Paul, who is writing this letter, is in prison on account of the gospel.
But if he’s in prison how is he going to get the letter to the Colossians?
Well, in fact, he is sending the letter back to Colossae by way of another fellow servant—turn over to verses 7-9 of chapter 4.
“Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.”
So, Paul is sending his representative Tychichus to the Colossians to deliver the letter, and to give a report. He is also sending Onesimus, himself a Colossian, a dear brother and runaway slave of another brother Philemon, also from Colossae, who we know will also be getting a letter—our book of Philemon.
Notice that Epaphrus is not going back with the others. It is generally believed that Epaphrus had indeed been imprisoned with Paul.
But where is it that Paul and Epaphrus are in prison? There is vigorous debate amongst scholars about this.
You may remember that as the book of Acts ends, Paul is in prison in Rome. Many believe Colossians was written from Rome.
Before Paul was sent to Rome he was in prison for two years in Caecarea on the Mediterranean coast near Palestine. Some believe Colossians was written from Caecarea.
Before that, Paul had spent a few years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. He which is not terribly far from Colossae. While there he got into some trouble. Many believe that he was likely imprisoned there, and that Colossians was written from there.
Though it is a close call, this is the view I take.
But why write the letter at all?
It seems likely that Epaphrus had come to Paul from Colossae with a general report about the church there in Colossae. This report would have included, I think, talking to and seeking wisdom from Paul about some people who were destabilizing or threatening the young church there in Colossae.
We don’t know for sure whether these were folks inside the church or outside the church, though based on Paul’s approach it seems more likely that it was an outside group.
These folks were looking down on the Colossian Christians. It seems they were making the Colossian Christians think that they were not yet complete, that they were not yet mature, that there were various things they still needed to do to become full.
Notice for example chapter 2 verse 16…
“Let no one pass judgment on you…in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or sabbath…”
Look at verse 18…
“Let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions…”
So Paul is going to set to work in the letter combating this teaching. And, positively, he is going to call this young church to maturity, not by pointing it to something it doesn’t have, but by calling it to lay hold more completely of what it already does have—which is Jesus Christ who Himself is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge.
And so we see in chapter 2 verse 6—the central theme or focus of the book…
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
We see this concern about maturity as the focus of Paul’s own ministry—chapter one verse 28:
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
We see this as the focus of Epaphrus’ prayers in chapter 4 verse 12:
“Epaphrus, who is one of you, a servant of Jesus Christ, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in the will of God.”
The Colossian Christians don’t need anything but a stronger connection to what they already have—Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, in whom the fullness of God dwells, Jesus who has reconciled them to God by the blood of His cross.
My brethren at Covenant Fellowship—the same is true of us.
Now, before I move on to the second word of the letter, let me call your attention to one interesting point—look at the very last verse of the letter—verse 18 of chapter 4.
“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.”
Most of the letter was not actually written in Paul’s handwriting. Whether he dictated it word for word, or whether he spelled out the major themes and someone else filled in the fine print, we don’t know.
But just so the Colossians will know that the letter is indeed from him, he signs his name at the end in his own handwriting.
Ok, back to verse one.
“Paul, an apostle.”
Immediately we see Paul setting forth his credentials. This letter really isn’t just a personal letter, and indeed by naming himself as an apostle this way he makes it somewhat more formal and serious.
The word “apostle” is used three different ways in the New Testament.
First, “apostle” is used in a very general non-technical sense of a messenger or emissary—someone who is sent out by someone else.
Second, “apostle” is used in a semi-technical sense of a Christian with a specific commission—so in this sense Barnabas was commissioned and sent out by the church in Antioch along with Paul to proclaim the gospel to the peoples of Asia, and thus Barnabas was referred to as an apostle.
Third, “apostle” is used in a technical sense to refer to the twelve plus Paul.
Indeed, Paul was not simply just one of this select group, but he was uniquely set apart and sent out as an “apostle to the Gentiles.”
And so it was with the full authority of being an apostle in that highest sense, along with his reputation of being the apostle to the Gentiles, that Paul addresses this Gentile church that he had not founded and which had not met him face to face.
He goes on to say that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus.
This means both that he was “sent by” Christ Jesus and that he “belonged to” Christ Jesus. We are reminded of Paul’s dramatic conversion, when the risen Jesus appeared to and commissioned him.
In Colossians the norm is to see Jesus’ name and title written as “Christ Jesus” rather than “Jesus Christ.”
And just so we’ll all know, “Christ” is our English way of writing and saying the Greek christos, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “anointed” or “anointed one.”
So “Christ Jesus” is like saying “Messiah Jesus” or Jesus, who is the anointed one of God.
And so, even though this was a Gentile church, which means a church made up mostly of Gentile believers in Jesus (as opposed to Jewish believers) they were still believers in a Jesus who had been preached to them as the fulfillment of the Jewish hope and expectation.
However, it is possible that “Christ” here in Colossians may be as much a name as a title.
Paul then says that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.
Paul is always anxious to remind the people that he didn’t ordain himself to office of apostle. He knows has no right or basis in himself to be an apostle—after all, he persecuted the church. He is what he is by God’s sovereign grace and choice. He was set on destroying the church when by the will of God the risen Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and called him to Himself, and commissioned him to be a light to the Gentiles.
And so as Paul goes on in the letter to authoritatively deal with issues and problems in the Colossian church, he does so as one called by the will of God to proclaim Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
Paul goes on to say in verse one that the letter comes also from Timothy, our brother.
Interestingly, there is no mention of Timothy in the rest of the letter. It doesn’t appear to be the case that Timothy even knew the Colossian church.
However, of all the people associated with Paul’s ministry no one had more honor and greatness of reputation than Timothy. Indeed, Timothy was Paul’s #1 right hand man.
Timothy had been converted when Paul and Barnabas had spent time in his home town of Lystra on their first journey into Asia Minor. On this his second missionary journey, when Paul went back to strengthen the churches, he was very impressed by Timothy and decided to take him along. Timothy had had a devout Jewish grandmother Lois and Jewish mother Eunice. He was exposed to and acquainted with the Jewish Scriptures but his father was a Greek, and Timothy had not been circumcised as a Jew.
But Paul had him circumcised, and took him along. Timothy was a crucial member of the rest of that journey. And over time Timothy built quite a reputation as a godly, caring, wise believer.
Some believe that Timothy may have actually penned the letter being sent to the Colossian church.
Perhaps when Epaphrus came from Colossae with his report he talked to Paul and Timothy, who discussed the situation amongst themselves, and decided how to address it. Perhaps Paul dictated the letter and Timothy wrote it out, or perhaps after talking it over with Paul Timothy simply wrote it and Paul signed off on it.
At any rate, adding Timothy’s name would have given the added impression that what was in the letter was not just from Paul himself.
Paul goes on to mention the recipients…
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae…
In this phrase first of all, we notice that he is writing to “the saints.”
The Greek noun can be translated as “saint,” as “holy one,” as “sanctified one.” To be “holy,” or to be a “saint,” is to be set apart for God. All the Colossian believers in Jesus Christ have been set apart by God as His very own. They have a special status with relation to God. This is true of all Christians. All Christians are saints. Every Christian has been set apart for a special restored relationship with God and for a special purpose in his world.
These Colossian believers are also called “faithful brothers.”
Here Paul is affirming their steadfast commitment. He is going to be calling them to even greater faithfulness and steadfastness—but he’ll only be pushing them farther in the same direction that they are already going.
These Colossian believers are saints and faithful brothers in Christ.
We are going to learn a lot about this phrase “in Christ” as we go through Colossians. It is Paul’s shorthand way of talking about our connection to, and life in, the risen Jesus.
And these Colossians, the believers in Jesus that Paul has never met—these saints and faithful brothers, well, they are brothers because they, like Paul, are in Christ. See, if your life is “in Christ” and my life is “in Christ” then we are brothers, even if we have never met—so this letter from Paul goes forth to brothers.
Where are these particular brothers?
They are in Colossae. They are, positionally before God, in Christ, in geographically, in this physical world in Colossae – both at the same time. Colossae was a town, once quite significant and prosperous, along the LycusRiver, a tributary of the Meander, in Asia Minor. If you have a map in your Bible this would be a good time to look at it. What we call “Asia Minor” the Greeks used to call simply “Asia.” Later it began to be called Asia Minor. It is the Asian part of present day Turkey. A great deal of south central and western Asia Minor was evangelized by Paul in his various missionary journeys.
This area of the world had a very long and complicated history, having known rule and occupation by the Hittites, by Phrygia, by Lydia, by Persia, by Alexander the Great, and by the Selucids. During the Selucid period about the 3rd century BC. many Jews were brought into Asia Minor from Babylon. They were given a great deal of honor and freedom by Romans. There were some 11,000 Jews in Laodicea.
So there were synagogues in most of the good size cities in Asia Minor.
As you went from place to place, from city to city, there was a strange amalgam of Greek and Roman gods—and various mystery religions—and combinations thereof—and local town deities. It was a crazy mixed up time religiously speaking.
Paul, along with Barnabus or Timothy, evangelized these kinds of towns and cities east and south of Colossae on first and second missionary journeys.
On his third missionary journey he spent a long time in Ephesus which was just up from the coast on the west of Colossae.
While Paul ministered there in Ephesus, the area of “Asia” as it was called was significantly evangelized—people would come up to Ephesus, hear Paul preach, receive Christ, stay a while, and go back to their towns. This is probably what happened with Epaphrus, himself from Colossae.
The second verse goes on…
Grace to you and peace from God our father.
Here Paul brings together a Greek word, given Christian meaning of course—charis—grace, which means God’s unmerited favor, and the Hebrew idea of “shalom” translated into Greek—a word which means more than a peaceful easy feeling but “wholeness, restoration to god and community, rest and blessing”
And these are the two great gifts God brings to us in Jesus Christ – grace, His unmerited favor, and peace, His wholehearted embrace.
And, notice, finally, that these gifts are wished for these Gentile Christians from God who is now our Father – Father of both Jew and Greek through the Lord Jesus Christ.
We will continue next time…
Amen
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