The Epistle to the Colossians is the epistle of cosmic christology. Addressed to a small community of Phrygia (Asia Minor) threatened by a syncretistic "philosophy" (Col 2:8), it affirms the full divinity of Christ and his sufficiency for salvation. The hymn of Col 1:15-20 — possibly pre-Pauline — is one of the highest christological texts of the NT. Pauline authenticity disputed: probably a deutero-Pauline epistle according to the majority of criticism.
Overview
Author
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother" (Col 1:1). Pauline authenticity disputed: the majority critical position = deutero-Pauline (c. 70-90), the conservative position = direct authenticity (60-62, the Roman captivity).
Date of composition
If authentically Pauline: c. AD 60-62, from the Roman captivity (Acts 28). If deutero-Pauline: c. 70-90, probably by a close disciple in the Pauline circle of Asia Minor.
Addressees
The Church of Colossae, in Phrygia (the Lycus valley, near Laodicea and Hierapolis). A small community, founded not by Paul but by Epaphras (Col 1:7; 4:12-13), a native of Colossae. The city would be destroyed by an earthquake c. 60-61, which complicates the dating.
Place of composition
If Pauline: Rome (captivity). If deutero-Pauline: probably Ephesus or Asia Minor.
Occasion / context
Epaphras reports to Paul the appearance of a "philosophy and empty deceit" (Col 2:8) that threatens the community. This "Colossian heresy" would combine: (a) Jewish elements (sabbaths, new moons, food prescriptions, Col 2:16); (b) ascetic elements ("do not handle, do not taste, do not touch," Col 2:21); (c) mystical-angelological elements ("worship of angels," Col 2:18); (d) cosmological elements ("elements of the world," στοιχεῖα, Col 2:8,20). Paul (or his disciple) responds by affirming the sufficiency of Christ who contains all the fullness.
Original language
Koine Greek with stylistic particularities unusual for Paul (long sentences, a "gnosticising" vocabulary, nominalisations). 34 hapax legomena. A striking parallelism with Ephesians.
Place in the canon
Received universally from the 2nd century. Marcion, the Muratorian Canon, all the ancient manuscripts.
Authenticity and authorship criticism
The Pauline authenticity of Colossians is disputed. Several arguments have led the majority of modern criticism (since F. C. Baur) to conclude that it is a deutero-Pauline epistle.
Arguments against direct authenticity:
(1) Style and vocabulary: 34 hapax legomena, long Hellenistic sentences, the absence of characteristic Pauline terms (justification, law, salvation).
(2) Theology: a very high cosmic christology (Col 1:15-20); a "catholic" ecclesiology (the universal Church); a partially realised eschatology (Col 2:12-13: "raised with him in baptism"); the absence of the classical Pauline themes.
(3) Parallelism with Ephesians: about a third of the text overlaps, suggesting that a disciple wrote one from the other.
(4) The household code (Col 3:18 – 4:1): an institutionalised form typical of the deutero-Pauline epistles (Eph, the Pastorals) absent in the undisputed Paul.
Arguments for direct authenticity (O'Brien, Wright, Dunn in The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon and to the Ephesians, NIGTC 1996):
(1) Strong external attestation from the 2nd century.
(2) The style may be explained by the particular situation (polemic against syncretism) and the use of a pre-Pauline hymn.
(3) Paul may have evolved towards a more cosmic christology in response to the Colossian challenges.
(4) A close link with Philemon (authentic): the same named addressees (Onesimus, Archippus, Epaphras).
The dominant critical position today: deutero-Pauline (Lohse, Schweizer, Pokorný, Wedderburn, MacDonald, Sumney). The conservative position: authenticity (O'Brien, Bruce, Wright, Dunn, Moo, Pao). The Theologische Realenzyklopädie considers the question unsettled but leaning towards pseudepigraphy.
Relation to Ephesians. If Colossians is deutero-Pauline, it is probably earlier than Ephesians (which is a meditative amplification). If it is Pauline, the same author (Paul or his circle) would have composed the two almost simultaneously.
The identity of the Colossian heresy. Diverse reconstructions: (a) a pre-Christian Judaising gnosticism (Lohse); (b) a syncretistic Phrygian mystery (Dunn); (c) a Jewish mysticism of heavenly ascent (Francis, Bowen); (d) a Judeo-Pythagorean asceticism (Schweizer). The dominant current position: a hybrid syncretism combining Jewish, mystical, and Hellenistic elements, proper to the Phrygian milieu.
Literary structure
Prologue: thanksgiving and prayer(Col 1:1-14)
Salutation (1:1-2). Thanksgiving for the faith, love, and hope of the Colossians (1:3-8). A prayer for knowledge, wisdom, a worthy walk, strengthening (1:9-12). Redemption in Christ and transfer into the kingdom of the beloved Son (1:13-14).
The cosmic christological hymn(Col 1:15-20)
A hymn in two strophes: (1) Christ the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation; in him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible; all things were created through him and for him; he is before all things, all things hold together in him (1:15-17). (2) He is the head of the body that is the Church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; in him dwells all the fullness (πλήρωμα), and all is reconciled through the blood of his cross (1:18-20).
Application: reconciliation and the Pauline ministry(Col 1:21 – 2:5)
You, once strangers and enemies, are now reconciled (1:21-23). Paul's joy in his sufferings for the Church (1:24: "what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, I complete in my flesh"). The ministry of the mystery hidden and revealed (1:25-29). The struggle for the Colossians and the Laodiceans (2:1-5).
Polemic against the Colossian heresy(Col 2:6-23)
To walk in Christ rooted in faith (2:6-7). A warning: "See that no one makes you his prey through philosophy and empty deceit, relying on the tradition of men, on the elements of the world, and not on Christ" (2:8). The fullness of the divinity in Christ bodily (2:9-15). A critique of the food prescriptions, the judgement over sabbaths, the worship of angels, asceticism (2:16-23).
New life in Christ(Col 3:1 – 4:1)
If you are raised with Christ, seek the things above (3:1-4). To mortify the old man: a catalogue of vices (3:5-11) with the proclamation of Christian unity: "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, Barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (3:11). To put on the new man: a catalogue of virtues (3:12-17). The household code (3:18 – 4:1): wives-husbands, children-parents, slaves-masters, parallel to Eph 5:22 – 6:9.
Final exhortations(Col 4:2-6)
To persevere in prayer (4:2-4). Wisdom towards outsiders, speech seasoned with salt (4:5-6).
Recommendations and greetings(Col 4:7-18)
The sending of Tychicus and Onesimus (4:7-9). Greetings from Aristarchus, Mark (cousin of Barnabas), Jesus called Justus, Epaphras, Luke, Demas (4:10-14). Greetings to the brethren of Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:15-17). The mention of the "letter from Laodicea" (4:16, a lost Pauline letter or Ephesians?). Paul's autograph signature (4:18).
Principal theology
The cosmic christological hymn (Col 1:15-20)
Col 1:15-20 is one of the christological summits of the NT. The hymn (probably pre-Pauline according to Lohse, Cerfaux, Käsemann, but Wright defends a Pauline composition) articulates two strophes: Christ and creation (1:15-17); Christ and redemption-Church (1:18-20).
Strophe I: Christ and creation (1:15-17).
"He is the image of the invisible God (εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου), the firstborn of all creation (πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως). For in him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities. All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and all things hold together in him."
Three affirmations: (a) Christ the image of the invisible God (cf. Gen 1:26-27, Wis 7:26 on Wisdom); (b) Christ the firstborn of all creation — disputed: a partitive genitive (Christ a part of creation, the Arian reading; rejected at Nicaea 325) or a genitive of priority (Christ before creation, the orthodox reading); (c) Christ the mediator of creation: all is created in, through, and for him (cf. 1 Cor 8:6; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2).
Strophe II: Christ and redemption (1:18-20).
"He is the head of the body that is the Church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For God willed that all the fullness (πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα) should dwell in him, and to reconcile through him all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, bringing back through him all things, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens."
Three parallel affirmations: (a) Christ the head of the Church which is his body; (b) Christ the firstborn from the dead (cf. 1 Cor 15:20); (c) Christ the cosmic reconciler through the blood of his cross.
The fullness (πλήρωμα). The term appears in Col 1:19 and 2:9 ("in him dwells bodily all the fullness of the divinity"). This vocabulary is used by Paul/disciple to respond to the Colossian heresy, which supposed a divine fullness distributed among various "aeons" or "elements" (prefiguring gnosis). The answer: all the fullness dwells in Christ bodily.
Theological reception. This hymn fed: (a) Nicene christology (the council of 325, against Arius); (b) Chalcedonian christology (the council of 451); (c) modern cosmic christology (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man; Laudato Si' 2015; Jürgen Moltmann God in Creation 1985). N. T. Wright (The Climax of the Covenant, 1991, ch. 6) proposes a Jewish-monotheistic reading: Christ is identified with the personified Wisdom of Prov 8.
Polemic against the Colossian heresy (Col 2)
Col 2 develops a polemic against a syncretistic "philosophy" threatening the community. The reconstruction of this heresy is disputed but its features emerge clearly from the text:
Characteristics of the heresy.
(1) A "philosophy and empty deceit" relying on the "tradition of men" and the "elements of the world" (στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου, Col 2:8,20). The term στοιχεῖα is ambiguous: cosmic elements (earth, water, air, fire), spiritual forces (angels, demons), elementary principles of teaching.
(2) A circumcision apparently demanded (Col 2:11-13), to which Paul responds by the "circumcision of Christ" (baptismal).
(3) Jewish food prescriptions and a liturgical calendar (Col 2:16: "do not eat, do not drink, festivals, new moons, sabbaths").
(4) A worship of angels and a forced humility (Col 2:18: "delighting in a false humility and in the worship of angels").
(5) A rigorist asceticism (Col 2:21: "do not handle, do not taste, do not touch").
Christological response. Paul (or his disciple) responds not by point-by-point argumentation but by a massive christological affirmation: (a) in Christ dwells bodily (σωματικῶς) all the fullness of the divinity (2:9); (b) in Christ you have the fullness, he who is the head of every principality and authority (2:10); (c) Christ triumphed over the "principalities and authorities" through the cross (2:15).
Historical identification. Several hypotheses:
(a) A pre-Christian Judaising gnosticism (Bornkamm, Lohse): a primitive form of gnosis mingled with Jewish elements.
(b) A syncretistic Phrygian mystery (Dunn): not a constituted gnosticism but a local syncretism.
(c) A Jewish mysticism of heavenly ascent (Francis 1962, Stuckenbruck): a Jewish apocalyptic tradition (cf. Enoch) with worship of angels.
(d) A Judeo-Pythagorean asceticism (Schweizer): a Pythagorean influence in a diaspora Jewish milieu.
The dominant current position: a hybrid syncretism combining Jewish, apocalyptic-mystical, and philosophical-ascetic elements, proper to the Phrygian milieu of the years 60-80.
Christological sufficiency. The Pauline (or deutero-Pauline) message is clear: Christ suffices. No need for Jewish observances, angelic worship, asceticism, additional mysteries. The fullness is in Christ, and the baptised believer is complete in him (Col 2:10: "you have everything fully in him"). This christological sufficiency is one of the major arguments of the Reformation against the supererogatory practices of medieval piety (indulgences, excessive cults of the saints, mortifications).
New life in Christ: raised, hidden in Christ (Col 3)
Col 3:1-4 articulates the Colossian epistolary eschatology in a unique formula: "If then you are raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, and not on the things that are on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Partially realised eschatology. The baptised is already "raised with Christ" (συνεγέρθητε), a formulation in the aorist that marks an accomplished state. It is one of the most accentuated formulations of the "realised eschatology" of the NT, more radical than Rom 6 (where the Christian resurrection remains future). This realised eschatology is one of the arguments against direct Pauline authenticity.
The hidden life. "Your life is hidden with Christ in God" (3:3). This image of the Christian life hidden (κέκρυπται, perfect passive) in God fed the whole of Christian mysticism (Meister Eckhart, Tauler, John of the Cross, Elizabeth of the Trinity, "Heaven in Faith").
To mortify and to put on. Paul articulates Christian ethics around two verbs: to mortify (νεκρώσατε) the old man (3:5-11), to put on (ἐνδύσασθε) the new man (3:12-17). Catalogues of vices and virtues typical of the Greco-Roman paraenetic genre, here Christified.
Col 3:11: the fundamental unity. "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, Barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός). This formula, parallel to Gal 3:28, abolishes the boundaries in the new Christic humanity. The specific mention of "Scythian" (a people considered the paradigm of barbarism) underlines the radicality of the inclusion. A founding text of Christian universalism.
The household code (Col 3:18 – 4:1). Parallel to Eph 5:22 – 6:9 but briefer. Three pairs: wives-husbands (3:18-19), children-parents (3:20-21), slaves-masters (3:22 – 4:1). An institutionalised form typical of the Hellenistic household codes (Aristotle, Plutarch, Seneca), here Christified by reference to the "Lord." The formulation of the slave-master relations (3:22 – 4:1, extended in comparison to Eph) prepares for the Epistle to Philemon. The reminder to masters: "you too have a Master in heaven" (4:1) relativises every temporal hierarchy.
Major theological disputes
The following disputes draw on the six great confessional voices (Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, Anabaptist), with interjections from Professor Tryphon Goldberg, the site's Jewish pedagogical persona.
Firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15): a created Christ?
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως)" (Col 1:15). What does this πρωτότοκος mean? Christ a part of creation (the Arian reading, rejected at Nicaea) or Christ before and above creation (the orthodox reading)? This verse was at the heart of the Arian controversy in the 4th century.
Catholic
The Catholic Church receives the Nicene interpretation (325): "firstborn of all creation" designates the pre-eminence and the priority of Christ, not his inclusion in creation. A genitive of priority, not partitive. Christ is begotten, not made (the Nicene Creed: genitum non factum). The Creed of Constantinople (381) specifies: "begotten of the Father before all ages." S.Th. I, q. 27-43 (Thomas). CCC § 240-242, 459. Contemporary theology: Joseph Ratzinger, Hans Urs von Balthasar.
Orthodox
Orthodoxy vigorously defends the Nicene interpretation. Athanasius of Alexandria (Discourses Against the Arians, c. 339-359) commented at length on Col 1:15 against Arius: πρωτότοκος does not mean that Christ is created but that he is before all creation and that all creation is in him. Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocians. The Orthodox liturgy sings: "Begotten before all ages." Contemporary position: Vladimir Lossky, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
Reformed
The Reformed tradition fully receives Nicaea. Calvin (Institutes I, 13) defends the full divinity of Christ, begotten not made. Second Helvetic Confession (1566), Westminster Confession (1647, ch. II), Heidelberg Catechism (1563). Karl Barth (Church Dogmatics I/1, II/1) renews Reformed christology through a dynamic trinity. Contemporary position: Bruce McCormack, Robert Jenson, Kathryn Tanner.
Lutheran
Lutheranism receives Nicaea. Augsburg Confession (1530, art. I) on the Trinity. Formula of Concord (1577, art. VIII) on christology: full divinity and full humanity of Christ, in one single person, with a real communicatio idiomatum. Contemporary position: Wolfhart Pannenberg, Robert Jenson. A kenotic tendency in certain 19th-century Lutherans (Thomasius).
Anglican
Anglicanism receives Nicaea. Thirty-Nine Articles (art. 1, 2) on the Trinity and the incarnation. The Book of Common Prayer recites the Creed daily. The Oxford Movement (Newman, Pusey) accentuates patristics. Contemporary theology: N. T. Wright (The Climax of the Covenant, 1991) proposes a Jewish reading of Col 1:15: Christ identified with the personified Wisdom of Prov 8 in an enlarged Jewish monotheism. Rowan Williams, Sarah Coakley.
Anabaptist
The Anabaptists, from the 16th century, received Nicaea for the most part. However, certain radical figures contested the classical Nicene formulation: Michael Servetus (anti-Trinitarian, burned at Geneva 1553), Socinianism (the rejection of the full divinity of Christ, an anti-Trinitarian current originating in Siena). The majority of contemporary Mennonites are Nicene. Contemporary position: Stanley Hauerwas (Nicene), Denny Weaver (questions certain classical formulations).
Synthesis
Col 1:15 was at the heart of the Arian controversy (4th c.). The Nicene position (325, confirmed at Constantinople 381) — Christ begotten not made, a genitive of priority — is received by all the great orthodox Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, the majority of Anabaptists). The Arian reading (Christ a part of creation) is judged heretical. The anti-Trinitarian currents (Socinians, Unitarians, certain Restorationists) remain a minority. Contemporary exegesis (Wright, Bauckham, Hurtado) deepens it by showing how Col 1:15 is inscribed in the enlarged Jewish monotheism that can integrate personified Wisdom as the "divine identity" of the one God.
What is lacking in the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24): co-redemption?
"I now rejoice in the sufferings that I endure for you, and what is lacking (ὑστερήματα) in the sufferings of Christ, I complete (ἀνταναπληρῶ) in my flesh, for his body which is the Church" (Col 1:24). What does this "what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ" designate? Co-redemption? Participation? The verse divided Catholics and Protestants from the Reformation.
Catholic
The Catholic Church articulates the redemptive work of Christ and the participation of the faithful in this work through their offered sufferings. The Council of Trent (session VI, can. 32) and Vatican II (Lumen Gentium § 41) recognise that the sufferings of the saints are a mystical "completion" of Christ, not by addition to an insufficient sacrifice but by incorporation into the paschal mystery. Salvifici Doloris (John Paul II, 1984) deepens it. Mary as co-redemptrix remains discussed but not dogmatised. Contemporary theology: Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Rahner.
Orthodox
Orthodoxy articulates theōsis (participative deification): the faithful participate in the paschal mystery of Christ. To suffer with Christ is to become conformed to him (Rom 8:29). Martyrdom is the summit of this participation. Athanasius, Maximus the Confessor. The cult of relics and of martyrs is a liturgical expression. Contemporary position: Vladimir Lossky, John Romanides. The divine-human synergy includes a participation in the redemptive work without competition.
Reformed
Calvin (Commentary on Colossians, 1548) firmly refuses any idea that the sacrifice of Christ would be insufficient and would require "completion." "What is lacking in the sufferings of Christ" designates not the redemptive work (perfect and closed) but the sufferings that Paul, as a member of the body of Christ, must endure for the building up of the Church. The objective redemption is entirely accomplished in Christ; the apostolic sufferings are an expression and application of this redemption, not an addition. A position shared by the Second Helvetic Confession (1566), the Westminster Confession (1647).
Lutheran
Luther and the Lutheran tradition receive Col 1:24 as speaking of the sufferings of the apostle for the Church, not as a completion of the sacrifice of Christ. The objective redemption is accomplished once for all (cf. Heb 7:27; 9:12,26-28; 10:10-14). Christian sufferings (theologia crucis) are an expression of conformity to Christ, not co-redemption. A position shared by the Augsburg Confession, the Apology, the Formula of Concord.
Anglican
Anglicanism receives the uniqueness of the sacrifice (Thirty-Nine Articles, art. 31) while valuing the communion of saints. The High Church Anglican wing (Anglo-Catholics) recognises a mystical participation of the saints in the redemptive work; the Low Church wing (evangelical) accentuates the uniqueness. Contemporary position: N. T. Wright proposes a covenantal reading in which the suffering Church participates in the redemptive mission of Christ as a body. Rowan Williams.
Anabaptist
The Anabaptists received the uniqueness of the sacrifice while valuing martyrdom as a participation in the Nachfolge Christi (following Christ). The Martyrs Mirror (Thieleman J. van Braght, 1660) is the historical memory of the Anabaptist martyrs. Christian suffering is conformity to Christ, not co-redemption. Contemporary position: Stanley Hauerwas, John Howard Yoder articulate a politics of martyrdom as non-violent witness.
Synthesis
Col 1:24 remains a delicate text to interpret. The dominant critical position: Paul (or his disciple) speaks of the participation of the apostolic sufferings in the paschal mystery of Christ, in the context of the Pauline image of the ecclesial body (Christ suffers in his members). This participation adds nothing to the redemptive work (perfect and closed) but applies its effects in history. The confessions diverge on the nature of this participation: for Catholics-Orthodox, it has a mystical salvific value; for Protestants, it expresses without co-causing. The Joint Declaration on Justification (1999) does not specifically address Col 1:24.
The household code (Col 3:18-22): slavery and hierarchy
Col 3:22 commands slaves to obey their masters "in all things." Col 4:1 asks masters to act justly with their slaves. Did this household code ground Christian slavery? How is this text to be articulated with human dignity? A major question in the history of Christian conscience (abolitionism).
Catholic
The Catholic Church long tolerated slavery as "natural right" (Aristotle-Thomas S.Th. II-II, q. 57, a. 3; q. 104, a. 5). An evolving position: Gregory the Great (d. 604) frees slaves; bulls condemning the slavery of the natives (Paul III Sublimis Deus, 1537; Urban VIII 1639; Benedict XIV 1741) but little applied; Leo XIII (In Plurimis, 1888) firmly condemns after the abolition in Brazil; Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes § 27, 29) condemns definitively. CCC § 2414. The Colossian code is read in historical context: Paul could not abolish slavery but laid down the principles (ontological equality, Col 3:11) that produced its abolition.
Orthodox
Orthodoxy generally followed the Byzantine and then national norms on slavery. No central magisterium comparable to Rome. The contemporary position condemns slavery. The Colossian household code is read contextually. Patristic theology (Gregory of Nyssa De Hominis Opificio) criticised slavery as contrary to the divine image. Contemporary position: Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
Reformed
The Reformed tradition had an ambiguous history on slavery. Calvin did not condemn slavery in principle. The Reformed colonies (the Netherlands, South Africa — apartheid until 1994) practised slavery and racism. But the abolitionist movement was largely nourished by Reformed-evangelicals (William Wilberforce, Anglican but nourished by Newton; Quakers; Presbyterians). The WCRC published declarations of repentance (Belhar 1986 against apartheid). Contemporary position: absolute condemnation of slavery and racism.
Lutheran
Luther accepted slavery and serfdom as social institutions (notably in Wider die räuberischen und mörderischen Rotten der Bauern, 1525, condemning the Peasants' War). The Scandinavian Lutheran colonies practised Atlantic slavery. Major Lutheran pastors held divergent positions: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (d. 1945) resisted Nazism and racism. The EKD published declarations of repentance. Contemporary position: absolute condemnation.
Anglican
The Church of England had an ambiguous history: participation in the Atlantic slave trade (the Royal African Company), but also an Anglican abolitionist movement (William Wilberforce, John Newton — a converted former slave trader, author of "Amazing Grace"). Abolition in the United Kingdom (1807 the trade, 1833 slavery in the Empire). The Lambeth Conference of 1888 condemns definitively. Contemporary position: repentance and condemnation. The Church of England's Project Spire (2023) funds the reparation of the Church's slaveholding past.
Anabaptist
The Anabaptists, Mennonites, and Quakers were among the first Christians to condemn slavery systematically. The Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery (1688) is one of the first abolitionist documents. The American Quakers were at the vanguard of abolitionism (John Woolman, Anthony Benezet). Contemporary Mennonites: John Howard Yoder (The Politics of Jesus, 1972) criticises the ideological use of the household code. Yoder's revolutionary subordination: Christ subverts the hierarchy through his own voluntary subordination.
Synthesis
The Colossian household code (Col 3:18 – 4:1) is today read in historical context: Paul (or his disciple) could not abolish Greco-Roman slavery but laid down the principles (ontological equality Col 3:11; the reminder to masters Col 4:1) that led to its abolition. The Christian history of complicity with slavery is tragic (Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed all concerned to various degrees). The Anabaptists-Quakers were at the vanguard of abolitionism from the 17th century. Today, all the great Christian traditions absolutely condemn slavery. The Colossian household code remains a delicate text to read in a contemporary perspective, which requires distinguishing the historical form (acceptance of Greco-Roman slavery) and the evangelical core (ontological equality in Christ).
Historical reception
Patristic reception (2nd-5th c.)
John Chrysostom (Homilies on Colossians, 12 homilies) is the major patristic commentary. Theodoret of Cyrus, Severian of Gabala, Ambrosiaster, Marius Victorinus, Jerome, Augustine comment. On Col 1:15 ("firstborn of all creation"), the Arian controversy (4th century) debated at length: Athanasius of Alexandria (Discourses Against the Arians) defends the orthodox reading.
Medieval reception
Thomas Aquinas (Super Epistolam ad Colossenses, c. 1265-1268) comments. On Col 1:15-20, Thomas defends Nicene christology. On Col 1:24, Thomas articulates the participation of the saints in the work of Christ without contradicting the uniqueness of the sacrifice. Bonaventure, Peter Lombard. The Glossa ordinaria. For medieval mysticism, Col 3:1-4 ("your life is hidden with Christ in God") fed the spirituality of detachment.
Byzantine reception
The Byzantine exegesis follows Chrysostom. Oecumenius, Theophylact of Ohrid, Euthymios Zigabenos comment. On Col 1:15-20, Maximus the Confessor develops his cosmic christology. Gregory Palamas integrates Col 1:19 and 2:9 (πλήρωμα) into his theology of the divine energies. Nicholas Cabasilas.
Reformation reception
Luther did not formally comment on Colossians but regularly cites Col 1:15-20 and Col 2:9 as pillar-texts of christology. Calvin publishes in 1548 his Commentary on Colossians: philological rigour, a defence of christological sufficiency against the supererogatory practices. On Col 1:24, Calvin defends the uniqueness of the sacrifice. On the Catholic side: Cornelius a Lapide (d. 1637), Estius. The Council of Trent cites Col 1:19-20 and 2:9 in the decree on justification. On the radical side: the Anabaptists accentuate the christological sufficiency against the traditions of men (Col 2:8).
Modern reception (19th-21st c.)
(1) F. C. Baur (1845) ranks Colossians among the deutero-Pauline epistles. (2) Eduard Lohse (Die Briefe an die Kolosser und an Philemon, KEK, 1968) is the major critical study: deutero-Pauline authorship, the heresy as a Judaising gnosis. (3) James D. G. Dunn (The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, NIGTC, 1996) defends the Pauline authenticity and proposes a judicious reading of the heresy.
(4) N. T. Wright (The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon, TNTC, 1986; The Climax of the Covenant, 1991, ch. 5-6) defends the authenticity and reads Col 1:15-20 in an enlarged Jewish monotheism. (5) Markus Barth & Helmut Blanke (Colossians, AB, 1994) deepen it. Additional major commentaries: Peter O'Brien (WBC, 1982), Andrew Lincoln (NIB, 2000), Ben Witherington (2007), Douglas Moo (PNTC, 2008), Scot McKnight (NICNT, 2018), David Pao (ZECNT, 2012).
Selected bibliography
References selected according to the conventions of the SBL Handbook of Style (2nd ed., 2014).
Aletti, Jean-Noël. Saint Paul, Épître aux Colossiens : Introduction, traduction et commentaire. EBib n.s. 20. Paris : Gabalda, 1993.
Barth, Markus, and Helmut Blanke. Colossians : A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. AB 34B. New York : Doubleday, 1994.
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