Biblical Theology XLVII: Colossians

The Letter to the Colossians is written by the Apostle Paul from prison to a church that Epaphras started. In fact, it is Epaphras that brings him news concerning how the church is doing and its struggles to remain faithful to Christ amidst alternative religious ideas. The book is essentially the Gentile version of the Book of Hebrews, although the religions dealt with are not those found in Judaism, but rather various Greek religions or perhaps hybrid ideas stemming from various Greek religions like Epicurianism, Stoicism, and Platonism. There seems to be a common goal of escaping ultimate suffering, and each looked for wisdom to answer the question concerning how one escapes it.

Theology: Christ is supreme and sufficient. Paul counters these Greek religions by arguing that Christ is the highest authority as God Himself dwelling in bodily form (1:19; 2:9). He created all things (1:16-17). He is preeminent above all, since He is the firstborn and image of God, i.e., the one who inherits and represents the Father (1:15). Hence, he rules all other rule and authority, a reference likely to lower spirits and deities in other religions. In 1:18, it states that He is the head of the church (i.e., no angel or any other spirit is). Hence, He not only made the Colossians and all creation, but His work on the cross redeems all of them as well (1:20-23; 2:10-15). He alone, therefore, is worthy of their lives and devotion. In fact, the very “gods” the world worships are actually spiritual powers that Christ humiliated and disarmed through His work on the cross (2:15). The implication seems to be that if this is true, why would anyone worship or follow them instead of their Conqueror?  

Greek religion looked to spirits to reveal knowledge and wisdom that was hidden from mankind. They wanted to know about mysteries that would allow them to escape the bondage of the physical world. Hence, they looked toward religions that emphasized knowledge gained through spiritual experiences. Paul counters this by saying that all true knowledge and wisdom is bound up in Christ, and that Christ and His work among them, as Gentiles, is the mystery with which they should concern themselves. In other words, the gospel is that which sets them free, not occultic knowledge from some Greek guru. 

Whereas, these religious ideas might promise glory/exaltation, the hope of being exalted from one’s base existence is the person and work of Christ that is to be believed and lived out in every believer. 

Ethics: In some Greek thought, religion is about obtaining special wisdom and knowledge to uncover mysteries concerning escape from ultimate suffering. There was little concern to live out a transformed life by the antinomian division of Greek thought. We might consider these people the “spiritual but not religious crowd” today. They are looking to get help in living their lives, but not necessarily looking to be conformed to the image of God through Christ’s work.

Conversely, part of having these religious experiences that bring visions and knowledge are acts of self-denial. Hence, some of these schools taught that one must deny himself pleasures like eating and drinking, partaking in celebrations, etc. It is the pathway through asceticism that reveals the mysteries of ultimate freedom and harmony. This would be the “spiritual through abstention” crowd, who think that being spiritual is denying oneself temporary pleasures in order to obtain ultimate pleasure or harmony.

Paul makes it clear that his sufferings are for the sake of Christ, who is worthy to be worshiped by giving one’s entire life to Him and the gospel to spread the hope of glory that is offered in Christ, and that they are not self-inflicted in some attempt to obtain spiritual insight, since he already has all of the insight he needs in Christ through the gospel (1:24-2:4). No other means is effective in curbing the enslavement of the flesh, and may instead actually feed it  (2:20-23). Instead, whoever has been placed in Christ has been given a new nature that is made in the image of God (3:10), and hence, victory from enslavement has been gained through the death and resurrection of Christ that can now be lived out by those who are baptized into His death and empowered by His resurrection to live out the role of the image in all spheres of life (Chapter 3). Christ is, therefore, the supreme, sufficient, and only path to pursue for the one seeking fulfillment. The faith, hope, and love of the Colossian believers began when they believed the truth of the gospel and not by some mystery religion (1:6-7), and that is why so many are working to see the gospel proclaimed and lived out (Chapter 4), as the Colossians should also set their minds to work on this as well, using every opportunity to proclaim it to those inside and outside the church (3:12-17; 4:5-6). 

Hence, as an application, rather than spend one's time in pursuing conspiracy theories, trying to figure out life through different philosophies and religious traditions, or seeking to find freedom through psychology, a Christian should seek the revealed gospel and its fruit of creating one in the image of God in one's life as it is described in Chapter 3.