«Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ» (Colossians 1:1, 2).
PAUL CONSIDERED HIMSELF the spiritual father of the Christians of Colosse. In this letter, Paul generally refuted Judaizing legalism, but he also faced certain pagan elements that sought to degrade or eclipse Christ’s ministry.
There are four sections in chapter l. In the first, Paul congratulated the brethren of Colosse for their faith in Christ and how this was demonstrated in the love they showed. There is one important detail: missionary Epaphras played an important role in that; it was he who taught the brethren of Colosse the rudiments of the Christian faith.
In the second section of the chapter, Paul prayed for the brethren that they might be strengthened in Christ.
In the third section of the chapter, Paul exalted the divinity of Christ: He is filly God, redeemed us, reconciled us with God, and is the leader of the church.
In the fourth section, Paul recalled that he was a minister instituted by God and his role was to collaborate so that the brethren might be presented mature to the Father.
Paul had established Ephesus as the center of his missionary activities for about three years. Out of the passion that always characterized his evangelizing movements, he had Luke say that all those who lived in Asia l, Jews and non-Jews, would hear the word of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:10), and even Demetrius claimed that Paul had preached with persuasion in almost all of Asia, turning many away from paganism (Acts 19:26).
It is believed that two Colossians, reached by the gospel in Ephesus, Epaphras and Philemon, took the message to Colosse. Therefore, although Paul may not have been the founder of the church of Colosse, he was, in a very real sense, its father.
Colosse had been a colossal city, extremely large and extraordinary in the past. The message reached the Colossians so that they might not remain as fledgling Christians, but become colossal, extraordinarily great through the fullness of divinity, redemption, and reconciliation carried out by the one Great Man of truth: our Lord Jesus Christ.
He made us colossal, and sin left us in Colosse, but Christ’s work in us restores us to our original state. Today, through faith, and soon, fully and definitely for eternity.
The Roman province of Asia was located in the western end of Asia Minor, that is, current-day Turkey. Its capital was Ephesus. The seven churches of Revelation were found within this province.-Editor’s note.
