Colossians
Author: Paul
Paul writes to Colosse, a church he had not visited, to set Christ’s supremacy against a teaching that would add other mediators.
Outline
The image of the invisible God (1)
Thanksgiving for their faith leads into a hymn of Christ as creator, head, and reconciler.
Fullness, not additions (2)
Philosophy, worship of angels, and human decrees are refused because the fullness dwells in Christ.
The life that is hid (3–4)
Seek the things above, put off the old practices, and let households and speech match the new man.
Key verses
Colossians 1:15–17
Christ is the image of the invisible God, and by him all things were created and hold together.
Colossians 2:9–10
In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and believers are complete in him.
Colossians 3:1–2
Those raised with Christ are told to seek and set their affection on things above.
Colosse was a small city in the Lycus valley, near Laodicea and Hierapolis. Paul had not planted the church. Epaphras had, and Epaphras has come to Paul in prison with a report. The believers’ faith and love are real. So is a teaching that would move them on from Christ to something more: philosophy, tradition, the worship of angels, rules about food and days, a humility that does not hold the Head. Colossians is written to a church Paul does not know face to face, and it answers that teaching by saying who Christ is before it lists what the church should stop doing.
Paul thanks God for their faith in Christ Jesus and their love to all the saints, which Epaphras has declared. He prays that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and walk worthy, fruitful, patient, and giving thanks to the Father, who has delivered them from the power of darkness and translated them into the kingdom of his dear Son. Then the sentences become a hymn. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. By him were all things created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things consist. He is the head of the body, the church, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. In him all fullness dwells. He has made peace through the blood of his cross and reconciled all things to himself. The Colossians, once alienated, he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present them holy. Paul fills up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh for the church’s sake. The mystery hidden from ages is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He preaches, warning every man and teaching every man, that he may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
The warning is direct. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power. Circumcision, burial in baptism, and a resurrection with him are already theirs. The handwriting of ordinances that was against them he has blotted out and nailed to his cross. He spoiled principalities and made a show of them openly. Therefore let no one judge you in meat or drink or holy days. Let no one beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into things he has not seen, vainly puffed up, not holding the Head. Ordinances that say do not touch, do not taste, do not handle perish with the using. They have a show of wisdom and are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
If then you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection there. You are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Put to death fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication. Put on the new man. Put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness, meekness, and longsuffering. Above all, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, and masters are given short commands, and servants are told that they serve the Lord Christ. Continue in prayer. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside. Tychicus and Onesimus will tell them of Paul’s state. A greeting goes to Laodicea, and they are to read the letter that comes from there. Colossians refuses every addition that implies Christ is not enough, and then it describes the ordinary life of people who are already complete in him.