Colossians Study Aug

Colossians Study Aug. 4, 2008

AN INTRODUCTION:

This letter was written by the Apostle Paul, see verse 1.  He was probably in prison in Rome at the time; this would be his first imprisonment.  He wrote to the church at Colossae probably founded by Epaphras.

            This is an interesting change that Paul uses in his letters: C. Greeting (1:2b). The greeting is consistent with the salutation. Paul modifies the customary greeting of letters in the Graeco-Roman world to suit his own Christian needs. The letters found in the ancient papyri use the greeting chairein (“greetings”; see Acts 15:23; 23:26) which Paul modifies to a closely related word charis, meaning “grace.” To this Paul adds the typical Jewish greeting “peace” (sûaµl) and thus greets a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles with a dual greeting. This is customary in most of Paul’s letters[1]

Paul uses grace and peace except in 1Tim and 2Tim were he adds mercy.  All the other referances: Phil. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Gal. 1:3; 2Cor. 1:2; 2Cor. 1:3; Rom. 1:7; 1Thess. 1:1; 2Thess. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 3. 

----

[1]Walter A. Elwell, vol. 3, Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, Baker reference library (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1996, c1989), Col 1:3.