The letter to Colossians is one of the four letters known as, the prison epistles. Paul wrote this letter during his house arrest. Paul was not the founder of the church and scholars claim that he had never been to Colossae (Colossians 2:1). However, the church in Colossae was established by Epaphras (1:7-8,4:12-13. Epaphras seems to have been with Paul before he went to establish the church. Perhaps, he was with Paul at Ephesus where Paul had spent almost three years. Epaphras had recently visited Paul in prison and updated him on how the church was doing.
The letter was sent to Colossians through Tychicus, Paul’s co-worker (Col 4:7) and Onesimus, who was Philemon’s slave and also from Colossae (Col 4:9). Tychicus was also expected to inform the Church how Paul was doing at Rome. Perhaps, Paul knew they were eager to know more about his well-being.
ALSO READ: Tips for an Effective Bible Study
When was the Letter to Colossians Written?
It is widely accepted that the letter to Colossians was written when Paul was in Rome under house arrest. Paul mentions this within the letter like in Col 4:18, Col 1:24
“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”
“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”
Church history shows that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem in 58 AD, taken to Caesarea where he spent two years and later taken to Rome under house arrest for two more years. Possibly, we can therefore note that the letter to Colossians was mostly written toward the end of 61AD or early 62AD. Perhaps, the letter to Philippians can be mostly dated 62AD as Paul expresses his hopes of being released in the Letter (Philippians 1:23-25).
ALSO READ: Paul Arrest and Journey to the Heart of Roman Empire, Rome
Why Paul wrote the letter to the Church at Colossae.
Unlike the other churches e.g. Ephesians and Philippians, Paul didn’t have a direct relationship with the members of the Church at Colossae. Nevertheless, he had an indirect relation to the church through his friends like Epaphras, Onesimus, and Philemon. Epaphras, the founder of the Church, had visited Paul in Rome and he must have updated him about the church (Col 1:8).
Paul’s letter to Colossians was not necessarily done to correct an error. The letter was written to encourage a congregation that was prone to the threat of false teaching. The pressure from the false teaching was from the Philosophers (Col 2:4-8), the Jews who were insisting on Jewish traditions (2:16-17), and Gnosticism teachings (Col 2:9).
Paul might also have been writing this letter to affirm the ministry of Epaphras (Col 4:12-13).
Outline of the Book of Colossians
The letter can be divided into four divisions as follows
- 1:-1-23 The Supremacy of Jesus (Jesus as the Exacted Messiah)
- 1:24 – 2:5 The Suffering Apostle
- 2:6 – 23 The Pressure to turn back.
- Chapter 3 – 4 The Christian Life.