CHAPTER 2
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Before doing literary analysis it is important to
understand the background of the phrase in its context such as: the author, the
purpose of the epistle and the significance reason of author to write this
epistle. In addition, the background of the people of Colossae church as well
as their belief is important in order to perceive the meaning of this
problematic text.
Authorship of the Epistle
There
is no question of the authorship of the epistle for almost nineteen centuries.
Traditionally it is believed that of the author of this epistle St. Paul.
However since 19th centuries, some scholars started by Mayerhoff disputed and
asserted that the epistle was not written by Paul. [1] They propose some arguments
to refute of Pauline authorship of Colossians.
Those who refute the authorship of Paul propose
three main arguments. The first argument is that its language and style show that Paul cannot have been the author. Second,
the heresy here combated was that of
second century Gnosticism. Hence, first century Paul cannot have been its
author, and the third the “high Christology” found in Colossians is un-Pauline.
Andrew
Morton is one of the most recent who deny the Pauline authorship of Colossians.[2] By the aid of an electronic
computer he was strengthened in his hunch that an author will show a consistent
pattern in the use of this conjunction. He states the kai-pattern in Colossians
differs from that in Galatians and this kai-pattern prove that tradition is wrong in regarding
Paul as the author of Colossians. [3]
On the other hand a number of scholars such as assert
that Colossians was written by Paul as it is believed traditionally. They
propose that the epistle was written by Saint Paul from Rome, when he was a
prisoner there. [4] According
to Jamieson it
is about the same time with Epistle to the Ephesians and the Epistle to
Philemon were written. [5] Regarding the style of epistle, O'Brien states
that many
expressions used in Colossians show decidedly Pauline peculiarities of style.
[6] John Barton concludes that the arguments of those who
oppose of Pauline authorship of Colossians, are not compelling.[7]
Furthermore John Matthew Jr. asserts that the arguments for rejecting the
authenticity of Colossian cannot stand in the face of internal and external
testimony to Paul’s authorship. [8]
Regarding the date of the epistle Criswell asserts that
the most acceptable date for this epistle is a.d.
60–63. It was written about the same time as the letters to Philemon and
Ephesus. [9]
The Church and the People at Colossae
Some scholars such as Lenski and Ridderboss assert
that the church at Colossae was not established by Paul. Lenski states,
“Paul is not the founder of these congregation and had never paid them a
visit”. Generally, it is believed that Epaphras was the one
who first brought the good news of salvation to this city (1:7).[10] John
Barton states that the Lycus valley where the city situated was evangelized by Epaphras
(4:13), who was a native of Colossae (4:12). [11] Furthermore
O'Brien states that the saints at Colossae, who are addressed as faithful brothers in Christ
(1:2), were not converted through the ministry of Paul himself.[12] However
there are few scholars such as F. Wiggers who contends that Colossae church is
founded by Paul. [13]
According to William Barclay most of the people at
Colossian church was gentiles. He states,
“We may confidently conclude that the membership of the Church at Colossae was
largely composed of Gentiles.”[14] In
addition Eugene asserts that the Colossian Christians would be Gentiles, not
Jews.[15]
The purpose of the Epistle
The purpose of the epistle
emerges clearly from its contents. Paul wrote the epistle because some people
were teaching doctrines in Colossae which were contrary to the Christian
message. Paul
wanted to express his personal interest in this church, to warn the Colossians
of the danger of returning to their former beliefs and practices, and to
correct the false teaching that was threatening this congregation. Furthermore,
according to Bailey Paul’s great purpose was to set forth the absolute supremacy and sole
sufficiency of Jesus Christ.[16]
Heresy at the Colossian Church
Reading
the epistle tell us that there was a crisis of doctrinal teaching at the Colossian
church. It seems that false Christian teachers have infiltrated into the church
which was reported by Epaphras. Saint Paul vigorously called his reader to be
loyal to the true message about Christ and denied the validity of the false
teaching.[17] However the epistle doesn’t tell us explicitly
the form of the heresy in Colossae. Thus, what kind of heresy which
threatening the life of the Church at Colossae no one can tell for sure. This
topic had been
a long dispute too among the New Testament scholarship. Barclay states, “The
Colossian Heresy” is one of the great problems.[18]
Some
biblical scholars propose the kind of the heresy at Colossian church. Barclay
contended that there was a tendency of thought in the early Church
called Gnosticism. Meanwhile Lightfoot suggests that the heresy in Colossians are 1)
Judaism, Gnosticism, Asceticism and angelic worship.” [19] In addition Harlyn Kuschel states that Colossian
heresy was a heresy primarily because it reflected a defective view of Christ’s
person and work.[20] According
to Lightfoot, the people at Colossian church were dissatisfied with
what they considered the rude simplicity of Christianity and wished to turn it
into a philosophy and to align it with the other philosophies which held the
field at that time. He asserts,
“We discern an element of theosophical speculation,
which is alien to the spirit of Judaism proper. We are confronted with a shadow
mysticism, which looses itself in the contemplation of the unseen world.” All
kinds of philosophies mingled in this cosmopolitan area, and religious
hucksters abounded. There was a large Jewish colony in Colossae, and there was
also a constant influx of new ideas and doctrines from the East. It was fertile
ground for religious speculations and heresies!” [21]
It seems that the false teachers at Colossian were
very confused about Christ and Creation. One biblical scholar, Wiersbe, contends that the false
teacher they taught that matter was evil including the human body. They also
taught that Jesus Christ did not have a real body since this would have put Him
in contact with evil matter.[22] However,
as SDA Bible commentary proposed that because of the uncertainty of the whole
picture of the false teaching, it is probably safer to understand the false
teaching at Colossae as a mixture of Judaism and some type of Oriental paganism
(perhaps an early form of Gnosticism) rather than as two separate systems of
teaching. [23]
[1] Ralp P. Martin Ph.D., Colossians and Philemons (London: Butler and Tanner Ltd, 1974)
p.32.
[2] Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol.
6: New Testament commentary : Exposition of Colossians and Philemon.
Accompanying biblical text is author's translation. New Testament Commentary
(2). (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House).
[3]William
Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 6, New Testament Commentary :
Exposition of Colossians and Philemon, Accompanying Biblical Text Is
Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1953-2001), 31.
[4]Robert
Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, A. R. Fausset et al., A Commentary, Critical and
Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, On Spine: Critical and
Explanatory Commentary. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997),
Col 1:1.
[6]Peter
T. O'Brien, vol. 44, Word Biblical Commentary : Colossians-Philemon,
Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), xlii.
[7]John Barton and John Muddiman, Oxford Bible
Commentary (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), Col 1:1.
[8]John Matthew Jr., Colossians
and Philemons (Chicago:Moody Press, 1992) p. 3
[9]Believer's Study Bible. 1997, c1995. C1991 Criswell Center for Biblical
Studies. (electronic ed.) (Col 1:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[10]R. C. H. Lenski, The
Interpretation of St. Paul Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to
Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon (Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1946).
[11]John Barton and John Muddiman, Oxford Bible
Commentary (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), Col 1:1.
[12]Peter
T. O'Brien, vol. 44, Word Biblical Commentary : Colossians-Philemon,
Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), xxvii.
[13]F. Wiggers, “Das Verhältniss des Apostels Paulus zu
der christlichen Gemeinde in Kolossä,” TSK (1838), pp. 165–188. As cited
in Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 6: New
Testament commentary : Exposition of Colossians and Philemon. Accompanying
biblical text is author's translation. New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House).
[14]The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and
Thessalonians, ed. William Barclay,
lecturer in the University of Glasgow, electronic ed., Logos Library System;
The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,
2000, c1975), 94.
[15]Robert
G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul's Letters to the
Colossians and to Philemon, Originally Published Under Title: A
Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon.,
Helps for translators; UBS handbook series (New York: United Bible Societies,
1993], c1977), 2.
[16]Mark
Bailey, Tom Constable, Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Nelson's New
Testament Survey : Discover the Background, Theology and Meaning of Every Book
in the New Testament (Nashville: Word, 1999), 423.
[17]Robert
G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul's Letters to the
Colossians and to Philemon, Originally Published Under Title: A
Translator's Handbook on Paul's Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon.,
Helps for translators; UBS handbook series (New York: United Bible Societies,
1993], c1977), 2.
[18]The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and
Thessalonians, ed. William Barclay,
lecturer in the University of Glasgow, electronic ed., Logos Library System;
The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,
2000, c1975), 94.
[19]For more discussion on the discussion, see Joseph
Barber Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon.,
8th ed. (London and New York: Macmillan and co., 1886), 71.
[20]Harlyn J. Kuschel, Philippians, Colossians,
Philemon, The People's Bible (Milwaukee, Wis.: Northwestern Pub. House,
1986), 109.
[21]Wiersbe, W., The Bible exposition commentary
(Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)
[22]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary,
"An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE'
Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Col 1:15.
[23]Nichol, Francis D., The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and
Herald Publishing Association) 1978.
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