The Occasion of the Epistle
The circumstance which brought forth this epistle to the Colossians was the emergence of a number of false doctrines emanating from Greek philosophy, heterodox Judaism, and Oriental mysticism. These errors were the beginning of what would later become known as Gnosticism. Gnosticism means “higher knowledge” and aptly describes what certain teachers were falsely professing to have. These false doctrines were troubling the early Church in various regions, and Colosse was one of those places. This line of teaching attempts to explain the existence of God, the creation, the origin of evil, etc., apart from the divine revelation of the Scriptures, professing to be of a higher revelation than those which the apostles had delivered to the Church (Jude 3). The worst of these errors was the denial of the deity and the true humanity of Christ. This blasphemy threatened to take the saints away from the truth of Christ’s Person and work, and needed to be refuted.
As in the epistle to the Philippians, Paul was being proactive in writing this epistle, rather than reactive, as he was in writing his epistles to the Corinthians and the Galatians. Thus, he was acting preventatively rather than correctively. The Colossians had not swallowed this teaching, but were in danger of it. Paul, therefore, warns them of the character of this evil and combats it by insisting on the truth of Christ’s Person and work.
The Epistle’s Present Application
While Gnosticism is not a threat to the Church today as it once was in the early centuries, this epistle still has a necessary place in the canon of Scripture. It has a present application in rebuking the tendency to use our imagination in interpreting the Scriptures—as one man tempted in this way once said: “You can often find more between the lines of Scripture than on the lines of Scripture!” Needless to say, speculating on God’s inspired Word is a dangerous thing. It is like an Israelite lifting up a “sharp (engraving) tool” upon God’s altar and carving something fancy on it. This was strictly forbidden (Ex. 20:25). Since the principles of interpretation are not clearly defined when one applies his imagination to the Scriptures in this way, it is not difficult to make God’s Word say almost anything we want! The great danger here is going beyond what God has revealed and getting into error. All such manipulation of God’s Word can be classed as mystical teaching.
The main difference between the mysticism in Gnosticism and the mysticism that lurks today is that the Gnostics made their erroneous statements and teachings apart from the divine revelation of Scripture; whereas, the form of mysticism we face today professes to use the Word of God to support its fanciful notions and interpretations.
Sad to say, what usually lies at the bottom of mystical teaching is spiritual pride, as Paul says in this epistle—“vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh” (Col. 2:18). A person will take up with this line of things because it distinguishes him as having something that others do not have, as far as divine knowledge is concerned. He can intrigue his friends with his high-sounding thoughts, and this ministers to his pride. Over time, his penchant for looking for clues to what he thinks are hidden meanings in Scripture engulfs his mind, and it becomes his whole object. A phrase from Scripture will be taken and divorced from its context and interpreted to mean something that a person, under normal conditions would never see, apart from the mystic divulging it. When these ideas are presented with high-sounding, spiritual phraseology, and coupled with a life of outward holiness, unestablished believers can be taken by it and believe that it is really something special. What develops out of this is certain initiated ones imagining that they have an “inside track” to higher truth. Without question, the predominant characteristic of mystical teaching is the vague and cloudy expressions in which the ideas are presented. Those impressed with it will dismiss its vagueness as being deep truth.
Two Great Dangers in Christendom
Mysticism is one of two great dangers in the Christian profession. These are: to “draw back” from what has been revealed (Heb. 10:39) and to go “forward” or beyond what has been revealed (2 John 9). One is apostasy and the other is mysticism. The epistle to the Hebrews deals with apostasy and the epistle to the Colossians deals with mysticism. The Apostle’s remedy for all such mystical subversion was to direct the eyes of the Colossians to Christ in heaven to help them regain the sense of their union with Him there, which they had in some measure lost, or were in danger of losing, due to the intrusion of these speculative notions.
The Mystery
The epistle to the Colossians surely rebukes Christians engaging in mystical and philosophical teaching, but it has a more important purpose for being in our Bibles; it is one of just two epistles that disclose the truth of “the Mystery”—the highest of all truth. The Mystery is alluded to in Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1 and 1 Timothy 3:9, but it is only unfolded in Ephesians and Colossians.
We might have supposed that in using the word “mystery,” as Paul does here, that he is referring to something mysterious and hard to understand. But that is not what is meant. He is speaking of a “secret” that was “hid in God” that had not been revealed to the saints “in other ages,” but has now been made known through special revelations given to the apostles—and especially to the Apostle Paul (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:4-5, 9; Col. 1:26). W. Kelly said that the Mystery “does not mean something you cannot understand, but what you could not know before God told you....The mystery means that which was kept secret, not that which could not be understood, which is a human notion of mystery; but an unrevealed secret—a secret not yet divulged in the Old Testament but brought out fully in the New” (Lectures on the Epistle to the Ephesians, pp. 25, 114).
The Mystery is God’s crowning jewel that completes the divine revelation of truth (Col. 1:25). Since “all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge” are found in it, there is nothing more to be revealed! (Col. 2:2-3—J. N. Darby Trans.) Paul emphasizes this fact to show the Colossians that they had been given everything so far as the revelation of truth is concerned. There was, therefore, no need for them to go outside of what God had disclosed in the Mystery in search for more truth—which is what the mystics were encouraging the saints to do.
The Mystery reveals God’s great purpose to glorify His Son in two spheres—in heaven and on earth—in the world to come (the Millennium), through a specially formed vessel of testimony, the Church, which is Christ’s body and bride (Eph. 1:8-10). The truth disclosed in the Mystery is not Christ’s holy and glorious Person, nor is it His life of perfect obedience as a Man who walked in this world, nor is it His death and resurrection and His coming again to set up His kingdom wherein He will reign over the world. These things were all spoken of in the Old Testament and known to those who were familiar with those Scriptures. The Old Testament clearly foretells of a Jewish Messiah reigning over the whole earth with Israel and the Gentile nations rejoicing under Him. But the Mystery reveals something more. When Christ will reign, He will have a heavenly complement at His side—the Church, His body and bride. God will use this special vessel to enhance the glory of Christ in that coming day of display (Rev. 21:9–22:5). Moreover, the Mystery reveals that Christ will not only reign over the earth, but over the whole universe (the heavens and the earth); it will all be under the administration of Christ and the Church.
The Relationship of Colossians to Ephesians
The epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians have a great resemblance in character and could be called “companion” epistles. Someone pointed out that no less than 54 verses of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to those found in Colossians! Both were written from Rome while the Apostle was a prisoner there, and were sent on the same occasion (with the epistle to Philemon) by the same messenger—Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22). Onesimus is added in the delivery of the Colossian epistle (Col. 4:7-9).
Together with Philippians, these three so-called “prison” epistles are found side by side in our Bibles, and, as far as the revelation of truth is concerned, complement one another. Ephesians and Colossians develop the truth of the Mystery in two different aspects, and in Philippians we see a man (Paul) walking in the good of the truth of the Mystery. Thus, it gives us a picture of the state of soul that should mark one who knows that great truth. The epistle to Philemon (a Colossian) was also written at the same time as the Colossian epistle and was carried by Onesimus to him.
Colossians is the counter-part of Ephesians. While the two epistles bear a remarkable resemblance, in many ways they contrast each other, giving the opposite (but complementary) side of the truth of the Mystery. For example:
• Ephesians develops the future side of the Mystery. That is, what will come into display when Christ and the Church reign over the universe according to God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 1:8-10). Whereas, Colossians emphasizes its present display of this great truth in this world through the saints (Col. 1:27).
• In Ephesians, the believer is seen seated in heavenly places with creation beneath him (Eph. 2:6), whereas in Colossians the believer is seen on earth with a hope of being in heaven before his soul (Col. 1:5).
• Ephesians views the saints “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3, etc.), whereas Colossians emphasizes Christ in the saints (Col. 1:27 – “Christ in you”).
• As to the union of Christ and the Church, Ephesians dwells on the privileges of the “body”—the body of Christ being the middle verse of the epistle (Eph. 4:12). Whereas Colossians reveals the fullness that resides in the “Head”—the Head being the middle verse of the epistle (Col. 2:19).
• In Ephesians, the Church is seen as the “fullness” of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:23), whereas in Colossians, Christ is the “fullness” of the Godhead and our completeness is in Him (Col. 2:9).
• In Ephesians, “the Holy Spirit” has a prominent place in the development of the truth in connection with the believer, but in Colossians “the Spirit” is mentioned but once (chap. 1:8).
• The “inheritance,” in Ephesians, is seen as the material things of this creation (Eph. 1:11, 14, 18), whereas, the inheritance in Colossians is our spiritual “portion” of blessings in Christ on high (Col. 1:12 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
• The two characteristic things of God with which man was originally created (“image” and “likeness” – Gen. 1:26), that were lost in the fall, are seen as recovered in the new creation race in these epistles. Ephesians dwells on likeness being regained (Eph. 4:21-32) and Colossians dwells on image being set right (Col. 3:5-14).
• Ephesians has no “ifs” of condition, but Colossians does (Col. 1:23, etc.).
• Using the typology in Israel’s conquest of Canaan, Ephesians sees the believer established in the good of the land, whereas Colossians sees the believer just over Jordan, judging himself at Gilgal. Hence, he is not yet in possession of the land.
The Development of Truth in Paul’s Epistles
It has been often said that the highest truth in the Bible is found in the epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians. There is a distinct progression of truth in connection with our identification with Christ in Paul’s epistles. They are:
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The epistle to the Colossians does not present Christ as “crucified,” as do the epistles to the Romans and the Galatians. It begins with developing the truth concerning our identification with Christ as “dead,” “buried,” “quickened,” and “raised” with Him. It does not, however, rise to the height of Ephesians where the believer is seen “seated” in Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). In Colossians, the believer is seen on earth with a hope laid up for him in heaven (Col. 1:5). The position of the believer in Colossians is similar to that of the Lord Himself after He rose from the dead, but had not yet ascended to His Father on high. J. N. Darby said, “Colossians is the risen man still on earth, the subjective state, what refers to heaven but not there, as Christ Himself for forty days—Jordan crossed, but not Canaan taken possession of” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, footnote on Exodus 14, p. 98).
Two Different Views of Man in the Flesh in Paul's Epistles
The fallen condition of man is viewed in two different ways in Paul's epistles:
• In Colossians and Ephesians man is seen as dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13).
• In Romans and Galatians man is seen as alive in his sins (Rom. 1:32; Gal. 1:4).
Moreover, in Romans, Christ Himself is seen as alive on earth, “come of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God” (Rom. 1:3-4). Whereas in Colossians and in Ephesians, Christ is looked at as dead, and the power of God having been applied to Him in raising Him from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand (Eph. 1:19-21; Col. 1:18; 2:12).
The remedy for man’s twofold fallen condition is found in Christ in two ways—in His death and in His resurrection. In the Romans’ view of man, man is seen living on earth as a guilty sinner. He is so affected by the disorder of his sins and the dominion of his sin-nature, that he has no power to stop his sinful course of living. God's way of delivering him from his pitiful condition is to put him to death. This is the line of truth that is developed in Romans. Christ's death is brought in (and the believer’s identification therewith) as the remedy for that condition. Christ died and shed His blood (Rom. 3:25; 4:25; 5:6-8) to put away the believer's sins, but also to put an end to the sinner judicially before God, and thus breaking his link with that condition in which he lives (Rom. 6:1-11; Gal. 2:20). But in the Ephesians’ view of man, man is seen as dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), and the remedy for him is found in the power of God that raised Christ from the dead, working to quicken him together with Christ (Eph. 2:5). Thus, he is delivered from the state of spiritual death by which he has been held. The epistle to the Colossians actually has both aspects (Col. 2:11-13).
The Writing of the Epistle
Paul was not the instrument through which the assembly at Colosse was formed. Many of the Colossians had never seen his face (Col. 2:1). Like the assembly at Rome, the assembly at Colosse had been established through the labours of other servants of the Lord. The Colossian assembly was likely the fruit of the labours of Epaphras (Col. 1:7; 4:12-13) who may have been saved through Paul at some earlier time (Acts 19:10).
We are not told why Epaphras was in Rome with Paul. He could have gone there to inform him of the problem regarding the new and spurious teaching that was circulating in the Colossian area, and to seek Paul’s counsel. All we know is that Epaphras somehow ended up a captive in Rome and was a “fellow-prisoner” with Paul (Philemon 23). This explains why Tychicus carried the letter to the Colossians, and not Epaphras (Col. 4:7-8). It appears that the epistle was written in response to Epaphras’ plea for help. Since Paul knew that Epaphras was sound in the truth, he heartily commended him and his ministry to the Colossians as something to be heeded (Col. 1:7).
Like the epistle to the Philippians, there is no quote from the Old Testament in this epistle. Paul may have avoided quoting it because the assembly there was mostly made up of converted Gentiles, and naturally, they wouldn’t have been familiar with them. Or, it may have been because there was a strong Judaic presence among the mystics who were trying to get a foothold among the Colossians, and they could have interpreted such quotations as being Paul’s approval of Law-keeping.