Colossians
Christ is supreme over everything, so don't trade the fullness you have in him for rules and speculation.
Who wrote it
The letter names Paul with Timothy (1:1), adds a greeting in his own hand (4:18), and the church has long accepted it as Paul's. Some modern scholars question this, pointing to style, vocabulary, and the closeness to Ephesians, and suggest a follower of Paul wrote it; others reply that a different subject, a secretary, or Paul's own development explain the differences. The letter is closely linked with Philemon, which names many of the same people.
Who it was for
Paul had never visited Colossae; the church was started through Epaphras (1:7; 4:12-13), probably during Paul's time in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). Most of its members were Gentiles (1:21, 1:27; 2:13). Paul asks that the letter be read in nearby Laodicea too, and that they read the letter from Laodicea (4:16).
When it happens
Paul writes in chains (4:3, 4:10, 4:18), and Tychicus carries the letter together with Onesimus (4:7-9), the same trip as the letter to Philemon. Rome is the traditional place; Ephesus and Caesarea have been suggested. Colossae was hit by an earthquake in about AD 60 to 61, according to the Roman historian Tacitus, who reports that nearby Laodicea was rebuilt without outside aid, so the letter may have reached a town recovering from disaster.
How to read it
A pastoral letter that answers a teaching Paul considers a danger, without naming it. The center is a poem or hymn about Christ (1:15-20), followed by warnings (chapter 2), instructions for a new way of life (3:1-4:6), and personal greetings (4:7-18).
Map: Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis
Open mapColossae sits in the Lycus Valley with its neighbors Laodicea and Hierapolis, a few miles apart, in what is now western Turkey.
Timeline
Open timelineIn order, not to scale.
Christ is the image of the invisible God, creator and reconciler of all things, and the head of the church; those who belong to him have already died and risen with him, so they need no other path to fullness and should live as people made new.
- The supremacy of Christ
- Fullness in Christ, not in human rules
- Raised with Christ
- Putting off the old, putting on the new
- Wisdom, prayer, and daily life
Who’s who
Paul
The apostle, in chains, writing to a church he has never visited.
- Chapters: 1, 4
Timothy
Named with Paul as sender (1:1).
- Parents: Eunice
- Chapters: 1
Epaphras
A Colossian who brought the gospel there and is now with Paul, "always struggling for you in prayers" (1:7; 4:12-13).
- Chapters: 1, 4
Tychicus
A beloved brother and faithful servant who carries the letter and brings news (4:7).
- Chapters: 4
Onesimus
A faithful and beloved brother, "one of you," who travels with Tychicus (4:9); the runaway slave of the letter to Philemon.
- Chapters: 4
Jesus
The image of the invisible God, firstborn of creation and of the dead, head of the church.
- Parents: Joseph, Mary
- Siblings: James, Joses, Jude, Simon
- Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4
Family links and chapters: Theographic Bible Metadata, CC BY-SA 4.0. About our sources