Biblical Theology Colossians...

There are two main theological focal points in Colossians. One is

the person and work of Jesus Christ; the other is

the believer’s new life in Christ.

They are linked by the proclamation of the gospel.

Much of the teaching on Christ in the letter is a response to the ‘Colossian heresy’ (*cf. 2:4). The advocates of this unorthodox teaching claimed that it had a Christian basis (see 2:4), but it

denied Christ his proper place (2:8, 16–17, 19),

but it denied Christ his proper place (2:8, 16–17, 19),

exhibited Judaistic and ritualistic tendencies (2:16–17), was

exhibited Judaistic and ritualistic tendencies (2:16–17), was

philosophic in approach (2:8, 18),

philosophic in approach (2:8, 18), advocated the worship of angels (2:18), and emphasized asceticism (2:18, 20–23).

advocated the worship of angels (2:18), and

emphasized asceticism [abstinence, avoidance, chastity](2:18, 20–23).

The person of Christ

The majestic passage 1:15–20 establishes the supremacy of Christ, both

in creation (vv. 15–17) and

in redemption (vv. 18–20).

A similar link between nature and grace, cosmology and soteriology, is found in and and is common in the OT (*e.g. ; ).

First, Christ is supreme in creation: as ‘the image of the invisible God’ (v. 15a, niv), the exact and visible expression of God; as ‘the firstborn over all creation’ (v. 15b),

a title which denotes his pre-eminence in rank and priority in time;

as the creator of the entire universe,

including the angelic occupants of heavenly thrones and all supernatural potentates (v. 16a, b);

as the goal of the whole universe (v. 16c; cf. );

as the person who is ‘before’ everything in time and status (v. 17a); and as

the sustainer of the universe (v. 17b),

maintaining its permanent order, stability and productivity.

In OT thought, Wisdom existed at God’s side before creation and acted as his master craftsman in his creative work (). Paul may have had this passage in mind in his description of Christ’s role in creation, but there are crucial differences between and . In Paul’s view, Christ is more than the embodiment or personification of Wisdom, for unlike Wisdom he is the uncreated image of God and sustains what he once created (vv. 15–17), and he is the focus of all creation (v. 16c; cf. ) and himself embodies all the divine attributes.

Second, he is supreme in redemption: as ‘the head of the body, the church’ (v. 18a),

its authoritative ruler and director; as ‘the beginning’ (v. 18b),

the originating cause of the church and the constant source of its life;

as ‘the firstborn from among the dead’ (v. 18c),

the pioneer of a resurrection to immortality (*cf. ; );

as the possessor of all God’s fullness (v. 19); and

as the agent of God’s reconciliation (v. 20).

This emphasis on Christ’s unchallenged superiority is also found elsewhere.

Christ is ruler over every cosmic power and authority (2:10).

He is the source of the nourishment, unity and growth of his body, the church (2:19),

where he is everything, all that matters (3:11).

As the Son whom God dearly loves, he possesses and rules over a kingdom of light (1:12–13).

Being ‘seated at the right hand of God’ (3:1)

he occupies a position of unparalleled dignity, honor and power (*cf. ).

He is the source of corporate peace in his church (3:15) and

will dispense to believers their inheritance as a reward for their service (3:24).

Also it is in Christ and Christ alone that the full treasury of God’s wisdom and knowledge is stored (2:3).

and 2:9 together form a very clear statement of Christ’s deity.

It was by God the Father’s choice and at his pleasure that all the divine attributes and powers resided in the person of Jesus;

in him God in all his fullness was pleased to dwell (1:19).

Paul has the post-incarnational state of Christ in mind when he says that in him the whole fullness of deity dwells in bodily form (2:9).

Two distinct affirmations are being made:

1. the total sufficiency and volume of the Godhead dwells in Christ eternally (‘dwells’ is a timeless present);

2. this fullness now permanently resides in the incarnate Christ in bodily form.

Here, then, both the eternal deity and the permanent humanity of Christ are implied.

The work of Christ

In both Testaments God is portrayed as a God who saves (; cf. ).

But the NT is distinctive in its claim that ‘ “[s]alvation belongs to our God … and to the Lamb” ’ ().

The source of salvation is God the Father and the agent in its attainment salvation is Christ (*cf. ).

In Colossians this salvation is portrayed in two ways.

It is through union with Christ that believers enjoy the possession of redemption (1:14),

that is, release from the bondage of sin, or as 1:13 expresses it, rescue from the dominion of darkness.

Thus Paul can define redemption as simply ‘the forgiveness of sins’ (1:14; cf. 2:13; ), an equation that is totally in line with OT teaching (*e.g. and 51).

Reconciliation is God’s act of restoring humankind and nature to their proper relationship to himself, through the death of Christ.

God is the reconciler (1:19–20, 22) and the goal of his action is the harmony of all creation with himself (1:20; cf. ).

This harmony was achieved through Christ (1:20a) and through him alone (1:20c, where there is an emphatic repetition of ‘through him’),

that is, ‘through his blood, shed on the cross’.

Reconciliation embraced the entire universe (*ta panta, 1:20a),

including inanimate nature, the world of human beings, and spiritual powers that were at variance with God (1:20b, ‘whether things on earth or things in heaven’; cf. 1:16).

But 1:21–23, and especially 1:23a (‘if you continue in your faith’), make it clear that although the universe in its totality has now regained its divinely appointed direction

(that was frustrated by the effects of human sin, )

in an objectively real reconciliation,

the benefits of this reconciliation are not experienced by individual humans automatically, apart from their faith.

By nature they were alienated from God and at enmity with him (1:21; cf. 2:13), but now reconciled,

they will be presented blameless before God (1:22),

assuming that they persist in faith and refuse to shift from the hope generated by the gospel (1:23).

This insistence on the necessity of faith for the receipt of divine blessing reflects an OT emphasis (see e.g. ; ; ).

Two further aspects of the work of Christ on the cross are mentioned in 2:14–15.

God has completely cancelled the statement of indebtedness—the sinner’s IOU to God—and its particulars (broken regulations), that was a threat to sinners, and has set it aside by nailing it to Christ’s cross (2:14).

In doing this God was acting in accordance with his nature declared centuries earlier: ‘ “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” ’ (; cf. 44:22; , ).

In addition, after disarming ‘the powers and authorities’ whose demonic aim is to enslave the human race (2:20–22; cf. , ),

he boldly exposed them to public display by leading them in Christ’s triumphal procession as his captive enemies (2:15).

The gospel

The OT is certainly not devoid of ‘good news’, but the OT gospel that declares Yahweh’s universal victory and reign (; ; ),

inaugurating a new era of salvation, was given principally to God’s people (; ). ‘[I]n the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel’ ().

Only with the coming of the Messiah could all those in need (; cf. ), or

all those who called on the name of the Lord (; cf. ),

expect to receive the good news of salvation.

The good news or gospel brought by Jesus, the Messiah, involved among other things the inclusion of Gentiles in the people of God (1:27; cf. ; ).

In 1:5 the good news is identified as ‘the word of truth’, the message that has the stamp of truth on it.

Part of its content is the ‘hope’ (here, by metonymy, almost ‘inheritance’) that is stored up for believers in heaven (1:5a).

This gospel has intrinsic potency (*cf. ) for it is continuing to produce all over the world

the same kind of harvest and increase it has been yielding in the Colossians ever since they heard it (1:6).

The gospel generates a hope that must never be abandoned, and

it has already been proclaimed ‘to every creature under heaven’ (that is, to every type of person in every place; 1:23).

Paul himself is an agent in its proclamation, which involves ‘warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

our aim being to present every believer mature in Christ’ (1:28, author’s translation).

In several passages the gospel is implicitly identified. It is ‘the word’ (4:3), or ‘the word of God’ (1:25) in the sense of

‘the message about or from God’, or ‘the word of Christ’ (3:16) in the sense of ‘the message spoken by or concerning Christ’.

It is the sacred secret of God’s plan of salvation (‘the mystery’) that was hidden for ages and generations past but now has been disclosed to God’s people (1:26; cf. );

this ‘mystery’ is Christ himself (2:2; 4:3) or his indwelling of Gentiles (and all believers; 1:27).

Also ‘truth’ (1:5) and ‘grace’ (1:6) are virtual synonyms for the gospel.

Negatively, the gospel of Christ is not based on human tradition (2:8) and

does not consist of human rules and regulations (2:20–22; cf. ).

The believer’s new life in Christ

In the OT the call to humans to be holy was based on God’s own holiness and His gracious intervention to save his people. ‘ “I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy” ’ (; cf. 11:44; 19:2; 20:7, 26).

In a similar way, at the heart of Pauline ethics (and of NT ethics in general) is the relationship between theological proclamation and moral exhortation, between affirmation and appeal,

between the indicative and the imperative: ‘you are … therefore be!’ ‘You have died [apethanete]’ (3:3, nrsv) ‘… Put to death, therefore (nekrōsate oun) …’ (3:5).

The doctrinal true to life statements (called indicatives) of ‘the forgiveness of sins’ (1:14)

is the basis and stimulus for the ethical command (called imperatives), ‘forgive … one another’ (3:13).

That is, ‘you are forgiven; therefore be forgiving’.

God’s action prompts and demands a human response.

‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ [to be seated with him in the heavenly realms, ], set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God’ (3:1).

The indicative

The indicative

God the Father has granted believers an entitlement to inheritance in the kingdom of light (1:12),

has rescued them from the power and domain of darkness, and has transferred them safely into the kingdom of his dearly loved Son (1:13).

In Christ, the embodiment of God’s fullness (2:9), believers have come to completeness (2:10),

the satisfaction of every spiritual need. In him they have experienced a spiritual circumcision (2:11).

Physical circumcision is an external act performed by human hands on a mere portion of the flesh eight days after birth,

while in contrast heart-circumcision is an inward, spiritual act

carried out by divine agency on the whole fleshly nature at the time of regeneration (*cf. ).

Certainly, the OT writers are aware of the danger of being circumcised in body but uncircumcised in heart (), and

stress the need for a circumcision of the heart (; ; ; ),

but Paul describes this removal of the old self as distinctly Christ’s (or Christian) circumcision,

spiritual surgery performed on Christ’s followers.

Paul’s love of the concept of identification with Christ is shown in his use of the preposition ‘with’ (syn),

often found in compound verbs

such as ‘be crucified with’ () or

‘suffer with’ (), where Christ is the object.

In Colossians believers are said to have died with Christ (2:20; cf. 3:3),

to have been buried with Christ (2:12), and

to have been raised with Christ (2:12; 3:1).

Once they have been spiritually raised with Christ, believers’ new life lies hidden with Christ in the safe keeping of God (3:3) until the time when they are identified with Christ in resurrection glory (3:4).

There is nothing in the OT that begins to match this description of believers’ spiritual resurrection with the Messiah at the time of their conversion and baptism (2:12; 3:1), leading to their sharing first in his resurrection life (3:4a) and then in his messianic glory (3:4b).

Christian renewal is the theme of 3:9–11.

At regeneration Christians stripped off their old nature or self (or the old humanity) like a garment needing to be discarded (3:9; cf. 3:5, 8) and

put on their new nature or self (or the new humanity) which is being constantly renewed in conformity with the image (*i.e. Christ) of its creator (*i.e. God) (3:10).

This process of sanctification will issue in a full knowledge (epignōsis) of God (3:10).

In this new humanity, the church, distinctions based on nationality or custom or social status count for nothing, for here

Christ amounts to everything and indwells all believers without distinction (3:11).

The emphasis on the comprehensiveness of the new spiritual order created in Christ and the ending of distinction between people represents a

significant advance on the OT and

1st-century Judaism,

in which national identity signified by circumcision, the sabbath and food laws counted for everything.

The imperative

When Paul communicates to the Colossians the content of his intercession for them (1:9–12a),

he is describing the features of the normal or ideal Christian life and

indirectly exhorting them to conform to various patterns of behavior.

In essence his intercession is a request that God should give them every form of spiritual wisdom and discernment and thus fill them with a knowledge of his will (1:9).

The outcome will be a life that is worthy of the Lord, pleasing to him (1:10a), and

marked by several characteristics:

fruitfulness in good deeds;

growth in knowledge of God (1:10b);

empowerment for endurance and

patience of every kind (1:11); and

gratitude to God (1:12a; cf. 2:7; 3:16–17).

Other ideal character or behavioral traits are living in union with Christ (2:6),

firm rootage in him and continuous building on him (2:7),

along with the various Christian virtues listed in 3:12–17.

In this list in chapter 3, love-in-action is seen as binding together and perfecting all the other virtues (3:14).

There is a focus on interpersonal relationships within the household in 3:18–4:1.

Paul issues a series of commands to three pairs of people (wives and husbands, children and fathers, slaves and masters), addressed in descending order of intimacy.

In each case the emphasis rests on obligations to be met rather than rights to be asserted, and invariably the motivation is Christological, for ‘the Lord’ is always the point of reference (v17, 18, 20, 22, 23,24,4:1).

Christian conduct is motivated and determined by Christ the Lord.

Wives are to submit to the leadership of their husbands (3:18),

while husbands are to love their wives constantly, avoiding harshness and bitter feelings (3:19).

These apostolic injunctions do not imply the inferiority or superiority of either party, for the whole relationship is between equals and is based on love.

Children are directed to obey their parents in every respect (3:20), and

fathers (or parents) are to avoid exasperating their children (presumably by over-correcting them or scorning their efforts),

lest they become disheartened and cynical (3:21).

Slaves’ obedient service to their earthly masters is to be given with heartfelt sincerity and enthusiastically, out of reverence for the Lord and as a service to him (3:22–23).

It is from their heavenly Master that they will receive the glorious inheritance of believers as their due and full recompense (3:24).

Wrongdoers will be duly repaid for the wrong they have done, and this Master will show no favoritism in dispensing rewards and punishments (3:25).

Finally, masters are to give their slaves just and even-handed treatment,

aware that they too are accountable to a Master in heaven (4:1).

This whole section demonstrates that the pursuit of the realm above (3:1) and preoccupation with its matters (3:2) do not prompt an ascetic otherworldliness,

but rather lead to an enthusiastic commitment to the routine duties of this world out of ‘reverence for the Lord’ (3:22).

Relationships with those outside the church come into focus in 4:2–6.

The elements of effective prayer are

persistence, vigilance and thanksgiving (4:2), and

petition for opportunities to proclaim Christ (4:3) and for

petition for opportunities to proclaim Christ (4:3) and for

petition for opportunities to proclaim Christ (4:3) and for

appropriate boldness in proclaiming him (4:4).

appropriate boldness in proclaiming him (4:4).

The elements of powerful witness are tact and resourcefulness in using opportunities (4:5), and

conversation that is invariably winsome, penetrating and tailored to the needs of each individual (4:6).

When Paul mentions the Christian qualities of certain believers, he is indirectly holding them up as models to emulate.

He identifies Epaphras in 1:7 as ‘our dear fellow servant’ and ‘a faithful minister of Christ’, a true backer or champion of the gospel and an effective representative of Paul.

Then in 4:12–13 he is depicted as a constant warrior in prayer and a tireless pastor of the Lycus Valley Christians, evidence of his being ‘a servant of Christ Jesus’.