Vintage Faith Community

Paul has never personally met the church at Colosse. Located in the Lycus River valley in modern-day Turkey, Colosse was a fairly prominent town at the time this letter was written, though it was overshadowed by the larger and more influential cities of Laodicea and Heiropolis.  The church in Colosse was strong and faithful, yet, because of the times, was under constant threat both from pagan mystery cults and Jewish legalists. On one hand, the pagan mystery cults offered a blend of spirituality that was acceptable within the syncretistic culture of the Roman Empire while at the same time offering a system that promoted personal spiritual advancement, often laced with Christian language and terminology. On the other hand, the Jewish legalists offered a system with clear religious boundaries, customs, and regulations that masqueraded as a fuller and more mature Christianity. Both groups claimed to be something better than Christianity, an evolutionary step forward in spiritual growth and maturity, and a fuller expression of spiritual reality. In other words, these systems encouraged the new Christians at Colosse to “move beyond” Jesus; however, in doing so they simultaneously diminished the uniqueness and supremacy of Jesus Christ.

The great threat to the Colossian church was not so much the denial of Jesus but his dethronement.

The great Apostle and Missionary Paul has been made aware of the situation at Colosse by a man named Epaphras. Epaphras originally heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from Paul when Paul came through Ephesus, and in his new-found zeal Epaphras evangelized the whole Lycus Valley! Paul is now in prison, likely in Ephesus, and Epaphras has come to tell Paul about the conditions in Colosse and solicit his apostolic counsel. Unfortunately, it seems that Epaphras has been imprisoned with Paul, and so Paul now must write this letter and send it to Colosse by the hand of Tychicus and Onesimus.

So the letter to the Colossians puts before us a unique scenario. Paul is writing to a young church he has never personally met, located in a mid-sized but cosmopolitan city, under the constant threat of buffet-style spirituality on one hand and rigorous legalism on the other. Sound familiar? So what would Paul say to a church like this – indeed, a church like ours – given this scenario?

Will he attack the false teachers? Yes, he will do some of that!
Will he counter the false claims of spirituality apart from Christ? Most definitely.
Will he establish his authority over and against these false teachers? Without doubt.

But Paul will do much more than attack what is wrong with the false teachings and teachers. Paul’s great purpose in this letter is to exalt Jesus Christ, urge the Colossians to enjoy all the fullness of God in Him, and through being satisfied in Jesus to then exhibit to the world that spiritual maturity only comes by holding fast to Jesus.

To exalt Jesus, to enjoy Jesus, to exhibit Jesus – this is maturity, and this is Paul’s letter to Colosse!

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