From Paul with Love (Colossians 1:1-2)

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” (Colossians 1:1-2, ESV)

I love new things, and today we’re embarking on a new study of the book of Colossians. Before we get into the Scriptures, we need to get a little background information and develop the context of the book. In order to so this, I’m going to answer a few questions to give us the context of Colossians.

Who? The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Colossians. His authorship is confirmed internally in the very first word of the very first verse of the book. It is also confirmed by the early church fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Rome, Tertulian, Origen, and Eusebius (if you don’t know who these guys are, don’t worry; they were the prominent church leaders in the years after the original apostles). No one seriously disputes the Apostle Paul’s authorship of Colossians.

Where? The book of Colossians was written to the church in the city of Colosse. Colosse was a city in central Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). It was 100 miles east of Ephesus (the most prominent city in Asia at that time). Colosse used to be an important stop along a trade route from the East to Ephesus until that trade route was re-routed to go through nearby Laodicea. Colosse consisted of a mainly Gentile population, but also had a large Jewish settlement from the days of Antiochus the Great (223 – 187 BC). It is believed that the church of Colosse was an outgrowth of Paul’s three-year Ephesian ministry (Acts 19 – 20). From what can be gathered from the letter itself, a man named Epaphras founded the church of Colosse (1:7); Paul had never himself been to Colosse.

When? Based on internal evidence and evidence from other NT epistles, there is general agreement that Paul wrote Colossians while imprisoned in Rome during the period of 60 – 62 AD. During this time, while under house arrest, Paul wrote Ephesians, Philemon and Colossians (this is supported by reading the final comments in all three letters; many of the same names appear there).

Why? This is the most important question. Why did Paul undertake to write Colossians? What can we learn from it almost 2,000 years later? What is this letter all about? Paul presents the thesis of the book in v. 1:18 (“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent”). Christ is preeminent—he is before all things, he created all things, all things belong to him and are for his pleasure, and in him all things hold together. Because of this, we can find our fullness in him; we don’t need to add anything else to what he supplies. Paul is writing about such things because false teachers were leading the Colossians astray with heretical teaching (those pesky false teachers). The situation was so serious that Epaphras himself journeyed to Rome to seek Paul’s advice. What were those heretical teachings? What is commonly referred to as the Colossian Heresy, contained three major elements:

· It was an early form of Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis which means, “to know”) that taught God (i.e., spirit) is good and matter is evil. It also taught that Jesus wasn’t the unique Son of God, but was one of a series of emanations from God, and therefore less than God. Finally it taught that you had to have access to a secret, higher knowledge (above and beyond Scripture) in order to receive salvation and enlightenment.

· It contained elements of Jewish legalism and its adherence to the Jewish ceremonial law (recall our previous study in Galatians).

· Finally it contained elements of Eastern pagan religions and their advocacy of angel worship and mystical experiences.

OK, that’s enough of the background. In the space remaining, I want to briefly look at Paul’s greeting.

1. Paul’s Credentials (v. 1a). Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word “apostle” simply means “messenger,” and refers to one who is sent on a mission. In that sense, all believers are apostles (with a small “a”) because the Great Commission applies to all believers. However, in the sense Paul is using it here, “apostle” carries a special meaning. In this case, “Apostle” (with a capital “A”) refers to one of the specially selected men who were charged to begin the early church. The twelve original disciples were the first apostles. In Acts 1, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas, and Paul was added by a special calling of Jesus Christ himself (cf. Acts 9). In Ephesians 2, we learn that the apostles and their doctrine were foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20). Because of this, I believe there are no more Apostles (with a capital “A”); that office was closed by the end of the first century. Paul adds the phrase, “by the will of God.” He does this because throughout his ministry, his apostolic authority was constantly under attack. The main reason being he wasn’t one of the original twelve. Yet Paul did witness the risen Christ (one of the criteria used in choosing Matthias in Acts 1). Besides, who are we to argue with our Lord? If he wanted to choose Paul, that should be good enough for us.

2. Paul’s Companion (v. 1b). Timothy was Paul’s “son in the faith.” A native of Asia, Timothy met Paul while he was on his second missionary journey (cf. Acts 16:1). It is safe to say that no one was closer to Paul than Timothy. Paul poured so much of his life into this precious believer. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write two letters to him that have been preserved as 1 & 2 Timothy. Paul routinely added Timothy’s name to his letters (see the openings of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon). This is not to suggest that Timothy co-wrote these letters with Paul. Rather it suggests the closeness of these two men—i.e., what Paul said. Timothy agreed with.

3. Paul’s Audience (v. 2a). Paul is writing to the “saints and faithful brothers” at Colosse. This letter is to Christians—fellow believers. Though written specifically to the Colossians, much of what is written can apply to us in the here and now; so don’t think that there is nothing of relevance in Colossians. Remember, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

4. Paul’s Greeting (v. 2b). This is the standard greeting in all of Paul’s letters. Grace and peace are two of the greatest gifts from God, and God is the ultimate source of all grace and peace.

Application Time. Colossians promises to be a very interesting and rewarding study. In it we will encounter some of the clearest teaching on the divine nature of Christ in all of Scripture. We will learn to avoid things that seek to rob us of the sufficiency we have in Christ. And we will learn practical ways to apply Christ’s all-sufficiency in our daily lives. Enjoy the ride!

Bottom Line. “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:18).

Have a blessed day!

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