Quizzing the New Testament: Colossians

Answer: Laodicea and Hierapolis

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis." (Colossians 4 v. 12-13)

Colossae lay in the Lycus valley about twelve miles from both Laodicea and Hierapolis. This area forms part of the territory known as Phrygia, referred to in Luke's account of the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2 v. 10). Colossae and Hierapolis were located close to abundant supplies of water, cold water in Colossae's case and hot springs at Hierapolis. Laodicea, in contrast, developed at an intersection of trade routes and had no natural water source. Water had to be piped or carried into the town and was usually lukewarm when it arrived. This may lie behind the words used in Revelation:
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3 v. 14-16).

Answer: Epaphras

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit." (Colossians 1 v. 6-8)

Apart from Colossians, the only other reference to Epaphras in the New Testament is in Paul's letter to Philemon. There, Epaphras is described as being imprisoned alongside Paul. This probably coincides with the time that Paul is writing to the Colossians and would explain how he had come to know about them.

Answer: Philemon

There are a number of reasons for this deduction.

1. In Colossians, Paul writes about Onesimus, whom he describes as "our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you" (Colossians 4 v. 9). Onesimus is a runaway slave who "belongs" to Philemon, suggesting that Philemon lives in Colossae.

2. Philemon opens with a greeting to:
"Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home" (Philemon v. 1).

3. In Colossians, Paul sends a personal greeting to Archippus (Colossians 4 v. 17) indicating that Archippus probably lived in Colossae.

4. Both letters contain greetings from exactly the same list of Paul's companions - Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Luke and Demas. This probably means that both letters were written at the same time and delivered by/with Onesimus.

Answer: The supreme importance of Jesus

Paul's approach is summed up in the following verses from the second chapter but his references to the importance of Jesus, throughout the letter, are relentless:
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority" (Colossians 2 v. 8-10).

Amongst other things, Jesus is described as the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1 v. 15); the one through whom all things were made (Colossians 1 v. 16); the one who holds all things together (Colossians 1 v. 17); the firstborn among the dead ( Colossians 1 v. 18) the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1 v. 18) and the mystery of God (Colossians 2 v. 2).

Answer: That they may be filled with the knowledge of God's will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." (Colossians 1 v. 9)

Nobody knows the precise nature of the false teaching that Paul opposes in Colossians, but this may well have been an integration of Jewish ideas with Greek philosophy that saw maturity in terms of the accumulation of esoteric knowledge. If this is true, then it is noticeable that Paul speaks in terms of knowledge and wisdom that comes from the infilling of God rather than human effort.

Answer: Do not lie

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings." (Colossians 2 v. 20-22)

Much of the teaching to which Paul objects seems to be based around the legalism of the Jewish law. Elsewhere, he specifically refers to food laws and the keeping of sabbaths, religious festivals and new moon celebrations. He also alludes to the practice of circumcision being an issue (Colossians 2 v. 11-13).

Answer: Angels

"Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize." (Colossians 2 v. 18)

The teachings condemned here are very similar to those practised by the Jewish Essene sect, most famous as those who left behind the Dead Sea scrolls. Their writings demonstrate that they worshipped angels (as well as God) and pursued an extreme asceticism similar to that being advocated in Colossae.

Answer: Christ

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." (Colossians 3 v. 9-11)

The writer of Ephesians says a very similar thing. He states that Jesus has destroyed the wall of division that separated Jew and Gentile (Greek) and that "in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit" (Ephesians 2 v. 14 and 22).

Answer: Bishops and priests

"Therefore"s are a common feature of Paul's letters as he generally begins with theological exposition and develops from this into the practical lifestyle he expects as a result. A "therefore" usually serves as the bridge between the two.

Both Ephesians and 1 Peter also contain similar sets of advice. Ephesians includes all three pairings and 1 Peter omits instructions for parents/children. Most scholars do not accept that Ephesians was written by Paul and there is considerable doubt about his authorship of Colossians. Similarly, it is generally held that the apostle Peter was not the author of 1 Peter. If these theories are correct, then the three letters are probably among the later New Testament books to be written. The guidelines, therefore, may reflect some of Christianity's early catechetical teaching material as it was developing.

Answer: An inheritance

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." (Colossians 3 v. 23-24)

Paul is often criticised for not opposing slavery in his letters, but this should be set against two things. Firstly, he believed, like the other early Christians, that the end of the world was imminent. Their emphasis, therefore, was on living impeccably as a Christian in the short-term rather than on long-term social reform.

Secondly, he indicates that the Christian approach to slavery is completely different to that of the world. Both slaves and free are Christians on equal terms (Colossians 3 v. 11) and Jesus has no favourites (Colossians 3 v. 25). Masters are reminded they cannot act as they please but they, too, have a master in heaven to whom they are accountable (Colossians 4 v. 1). Finally, the statement that slaves could look forward to an inheritance in heaven was hugely significant. In Roman society, slaves had no rights, could not hold property and, therefore, could inherit nothing. Paul is saying that slavery belongs to the sinful things of earth and has nothing to do with the things of heaven.