Paul's Letter to the Colossians

The church in Colossæ, which was a town on the banks of the river Lycus and on a trade route, consisted mostly of Gentiles who were converted by the preaching of Epaphras and others who became believers under the preaching of Paul, so although he never went to Colossæ, Paul was their spiritual father. When incarcerated in prison Epaphras visited Paul in Rome telling him of the doctrinal problems there which resulted in this letter.

The objective of the letter was to counteract the false teaching of Jews by clearly setting out the believer's clear standing, by their conversion, of being in Christ alone, the majesty of His person and the completeness of the redemption wrought by Him. This news should encourage them to conform to the example of their risen Lord in their daily lives.

It is clear, with the mention of food and drink, or festivals such as new moon and sabbath days (2:16), that Jews who could not rid themselves of "a shadow of things to come" were ignoring the fullness of the new covenant in His blood, and believing in a Christianity that was mixed-up with Oriental theosophy and the worship of angels. With those confused and confusing thoughts they were confusing the Gentile members of the church.

Also, the indigenous Gentiles had a tendency in their worship to include the mysticism of Cybele which inclined them to more readily receive the incipient Gnosticism of the Judaizers which later developed into the strangest heresies.

Paul's letter encouraged them to put off the old man of sin and, if they were raised with Christ, they should set their minds on those things that are above not on the things of the earth. He told them that in believing in the Lord Jesus they had died to the old self and were raised up with Him in the Spirit.

This book expounds the truth of Paul's teaching to the Colossian church, providing valuable insights into how the church should act out their belief today.