Christology in Colossians
2001-07-28
Author, Date, and Recipient of the Epistle
Colossians is a book written by Paul. Numerous early church authorities, such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius, also confirm Pauline authorship. Internal evidence within Colossians closely parallels with the book of Philemon in many events, which is a book that is generally accepted as being an authentic Pauline letter even by liberal scholars. Paul wrote it between the years A.D. 60 and 62 from Rome, where Paul was imprisoned.
The recipient of the letter was the church in Colosse. The church was located in Phrygia, in Asia Minor. This body was comprised of mostly Gentiles; however, there were Jews there as well. Paul did not start this church, nor had he ever been there. Epaphras, who probably heard the Gospel message in Ephesus, came back to Colosse to start the church there.
Heresies in Colosse
The reason for Paul writing this letter was because of the concerns of Epaphras, who explained to Paul that certain heresies were a threat to the message of the Gospel in Colosse. These two teachings were Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism. The latter idea came to be known as Gnosticism, which was a common result of combining the Gospel with Greek thinking. This way of thinking infiltrated the church: people thought that the material flesh was evil and that the immaterial spirit was good, which poses a major problem of Christ coming to die in the flesh. The Deity of Christ was also a problem for people with this worldview, thinking that Christ was an “emanation” descending from God and not equal with God. Jewish legalism also taught that certain feasts had to be kept along with the dietary restrictions within the law. Paul’s intent was to counter these inaccuracies with a sound Christology. This article will examine theme of Christology in the book of Colossians.
Theme of Colossians
The unifying idea of Christology in Colossians could be stated as such: The blood of Christ, who in the flesh is the fullness of God, is the only confidence of the church’s reconciliation with God. The main thrust of this discussion is divided into two parts. The former part is the preeminence of Christ, discussed in 1:9-18, and this thesis counters the Gnostic argument in 2:1-10. The latter part is the atoning power of Christ’s blood in 1:19-29, which counters the legalistic argument in 2:11-23. The remainder of the epistle is the practical application when this proper knowledge is lived out in one’s daily life.
The Preeminence of Christ
Starting in 1:9, Paul tells the Colossians that he is in continuous prayer for them that they might be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” This proper knowledge will allow them to walk worthy of God, please Him, and allow them to do good works and to increase in knowledge (1:10). This shows the importance of knowledge, and is a cycle that leads the believer to maturity. The gaining of the knowledge of God will strengthen one “with all might” according to God’s glorious power (1:11).
The Father brought the saints out of darkness to the kingdom of the Son (1:12-13). Christ the Son is also the image of the invisible God (1:15). This means He is the exact likeness of God, and is an exclamation of His deity. He also is the firstborn of all creation, and Paul expands upon this by showing His power over all the things of creation both seen and unseen (1:16). He is the Creator, and through Him the creation is maintained (1:16-17). The last verse of this portion, Paul also emphasizes that Christ is head of the church, is the firstborn from the dead, and is the authority over all things (1:18). These uses of the word ‘firstborn’ are to show His authority and power of inheritance as a firstborn son would have.
Beginning with chapter 2, Paul expresses his concerns, that they may be encouraged, and not fall into false teaching. Their hearts should be “knit together in love” that they may attain “all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:2-3). In this verse, Paul reaffirms that the Father and the Son are both God, and are not separate entities. In verse 4, Paul continues to say this to counter the false teachings that were present in their midst. He encourages them to remain strong in what was taught to them and to stay separated from “the tradition of men” (2:8). After this, Paul again reaffirms the Deity of Christ by saying, “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (2:9) and that they are “complete in Him” (2:10).
Christ’s Atoning Power
After demonstrating that Christ is the infinite power over all creation, Paul shows that His blood is sufficient for the reconciliation of all things to Himself (1:19-20). Even the Colossians, who were once far off from God in their sins, many of them being Gentiles, were presented blameless because of the shed blood of Jesus (1:22). This, of course, is dependent upon the fact that they “continue in the faith” (1:23). This is further encouragement that they might heed Paul’s words and to see the severity of straying from the true teaching for worldly teaching. This is not loss of salvation (see Eternal Life), but being presented holy, unblameable, and unreproveable is contingent upon continuing in the faith.
For this reason, Paul continues in his ministry to them, that they may share in this mystery of the Gospel to the Gentiles. He teaches people these things of Christ that they might be presented perfect in Jesus (1:28). People are not perfect in themselves, but with true knowledge in Jesus, that He is sufficient for them, they are made perfect. Lastly, Christ can work in people mightily, which emphasizes the power and sufficiency of Christ (1:29).
Starting in 2:11, Paul begins his argument against legalism, which is a false, self-imputed righteousness that some teach. First he talks about how the ‘circumcision’ of the Gentiles is made without hands, and that they are buried with Christ in His baptism, and risen with Him in faith (2:11-12). They are also dead to their previous uncircumcision (2:13), and in Christ, the “handwriting of ordinances” against them has been wiped out (2:14). These works that were once required were nailed to the cross with Jesus (2:14).
Paul gets more specific about dietary restrictions, festivals, and the Sabbath, that their “substance is of Christ,” having fulfilled all of these works of the law. They should hold fast only to the Head of the church, Jesus Christ (2:19), for this is the confidence of their reconciliation with God. Dying with Christ from the “rudiments of the world” (2:20) means they do not have to live up to the world for their hope in Christ.
Practical Applications of Christology
The remainder of the book focuses on what a life living out these principles looks like. Paul starts off, “If then you were raised with Christ...” (3:1). The Christian’s life is hidden in Christ, and should turn from the desires of the flesh. The “new man” described in 3:12-17 describes what qualities should be in Christian relationships, and most importantly, Paul discusses that one should put on love, which is the “bond of perfectness” (3:14). Likewise, Christians should do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, who commanded the Eleven to love each other as He first loved them in the Upper Room (John 13:34-35). If Christ, in His unlimited power, reconciled humankind, and is the very life of the believer (3:4, cf. Galatians 2:20), then this is a logical conclusion from the preceding discussion in Paul’s epistle. Likewise, from verse 18 and following, relationships within the Christian family should imitate the love of Jesus, who gave Himself so that humankind can know God and have eternal life.
This continuation in love and growing in knowledge is the direction of the mature believer. The mature believer will have the proper knowledge of Christ, that He is God manifested in the flesh, and has all the power of God (1:19, 2:9). With the bloodshed of Christ, there is no need to follow any other statute but love, the bond of perfection, which comes from Christ (1:21, 3:14). The heretical teachings of Gnosticism undermine the Deity of Christ, while the apostate teachings of legalism undermine the unlimited sufficiency of Christ. Undermining Jesus Christ in any way (even if He were an ordinary man ‘without blemish’), the sacrifice of Christ is reduced to the level of mere Levitical sacrifices, which people had to continually offer day after day in the Temple before it was destroyed. How could He be offered for all of creation, if this were true? There is definitely more than just a regular man that was crucified. By lessening Christ through either Gnosticism or legalism, there is no Gospel. He was just another religious fanatic in history who was defiant enough to die for His cause. Jesus is preeminent over all the creation, and is sufficient to reconcile the world to Himself.