The “book” of Colossians was written by a man named Paul to the church in a city named Colosse. Colossians is actually a letter. Paul was an apostle, a word which means “sent one”, an idea very similar to our modern idea of a missionary. Paul had been a very devoted Jew but after a life changing meeting with the resurrected Jesus he became even more serious about telling others about Jesus, Jewish people and non-Jewish people alike. Although he told all who would listen he was specifically chosen by Jesus to tell the gentiles (non-Jews) about who Jesus is and what he had done for them. Paul made at least three journeys around the Mediterranean world telling people about Jesus and starting churches (gatherings of believers). The first journey was 46-48 AD, the second was 49-52 AD and the third was 53-58 AD. He was arrested in Jerusalem after his third journey and was imprisoned in Caesarea Philippi north of Jerusalem for about two years. When a new governor of the area suggested that he return to Jerusalem to clear up the charges against himself Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to the king or Caesar to hear his case. He was shipped to Rome where he spent another 2-3 years under house arrest awaiting a trial. It was during this time that he wrote the letter to the Colossian church.
Colosse was an ancient city. No one knows when it was founded but as far back as 480 BC it was large and well known. At that time it was on the main east-west road (although the road actually came from the north and turned west in Colosse) from the Ancient Near East (Middle East) to Ephesus, a major port city on the west coast of Asia Minor (Modern day Turkey) where ships would sail to all parts of the Mediterranean world. Colosse was on the Lycus River in a good-sized valley in the western part of what is now Turkey. The valley was used for sheep grazing and there was also a wool industry in the area. Colosse was about 11 miles east of Laodicea and 12-13 miles south east of Hierapolis, two other important towns in the region.
In 336 BC Philip II, king of Greece died. He was succeed by his 20 year old son, Alexander the Great. Alexander spent the first two years of his reign strengthening his control of his father’s kingdom. In 334 BC Alexander marched east to begin a campaign to free the Greek people from threats from the Persian Empire. Over the next eleven years Alexander marched through the Persian Empire conquering all in his path and even took parts of Eastern India (mostly modern Pakistan with a little of India). As they stood on the banks of the Beas River Alexander wanted to take more but his General’s informed him it was enough, it was time for the army to go home. Alexander only returned as far as Babylon where he intended to make his capital. While in that city he died at the age of 33 under mysterious circumstances. He had no apparent successor. The kingdom eventually was divided and controlled by four of Alexander’s general. The area where Syria and Turkey now are was ruled by Seleucis I Nicator. The sixth ruler of his dynasty was known as Antiochus III or Antiochus the Great. He ruled from 222-187 BC. According to ancient historians he relocated 2000 Jewish families from the area around Babylon to the valley in which Colosse was situated. By the time Paul wrote Colossians one scholar estimates that there were at least 11,000 adult Jewish men in the area plus women, children, and maybe even slaves in the area.
Eventually the Greek empire was conquered by the Romans. The Romans moved the main road (they were crazy about building roads in their empire), moving it near Laodicea, and made Laodica the capital of the province. Four other roads also met in Laodicea making it a hub of business. Hierapolis, the other of the three cities was well known for it’s hot springs, and was a center of relaxation. Colosse began to decline in importance and by the 40’s AD the noted historian Strabo called it a “small town”. The people of the area were a mixture of locals (Phrygians), Greeks, Romans and Jews.
As I said above Paul made three trips around the Mediterranean world telling people about Jesus and starting church. Although he spent quite some time in Asia Minor (Modern day Turkey) he did not start the church in Colosse (see Colossians 2:1). During his third journey Paul spent 2 years in Ephesus (100 miles west of Colosse). According to Acts 19:9-10 Paul spent this time in Ephesus teaching people and “all the people of Asia (Minor) “ heard about Jesus. Not everyone in Asia Minor went to Ephesus during those two years. What we see is a picture of people hearing Paul’s teaching and then going back to their towns and telling others. In Galatians 4:12 Paul mentions that there are only a few people who have been with him during his imprisonment. One of these was Epaphras who was from Colosse. In Colossians 1:7 we are told that Epaphras was the one who told the people of Colosse about Jesus. We also learn in that verse that he had brought Paul news, while in prison, about the believers in Colosse.
Two other people important to our story were with Paul at that time (60-62 AD) in Rome where he was under house arrest, Tychicus and Onesimus. Thychicus had been a companion of Paul during part of his third missionary journey but evidently had some connection to Asia Minor. Onesimus was a runaway slave who had evidently belonged to a guy named Philemon, who lived in Colosse. Onesimus ran away from Philemon to Rome. Although Philemon seems to have had some connection to Paul (Philemon 1) Onesimus does not seem to have been connected to him. Somehow, though, Onesimus came across Paul in Rome (maybe through one of the other guys with Paul who was from Colosse) and while with Paul gave his life to Jesus (Philemon 10). Paul wanted Onesimus to return to Philemon and he wanted Philemon to free Onesimus. Paul wrote the letter Philemon to encourage Philemon to do just that. The letter to Philemon seems to be the first of the three letters; Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, that Paul wrote at that time. Based on the content, timing and destination it appers that he decided next to write Colossians to deal with some issues that were on his mind with respect to that church (even though he wasn’t the founder of it). He would sent the letter to the Colossians back to Colosse with Tychicus. Onesimus, with the letter to his master, would accompany Tychicus (Colossians 4:7,9). Since the journey back to Colosse would pass through Ephesus Paul decided to write a letter to that church too (Ephesians) and have them drop it off (Ephesians 6:21). The fourth letter written from Rome by Paul during his time of imprisonment there was Philippians. It was probably written a little later than these first three letters and was carried to Philipi by Epaphroditus (not Epaphras above).
In his letters Paul likes to lay down certain facts about God (scholars like to call these facts “Theology”) and then he uses this information to deal with whatever problems there might be. The letter to the Colossians seems to follow this same general pattern. After the greeting in the first 2 verses Paul starts in on the “facts”, the “theology”, in Colossians 1:3 and continues through Colossians 3:4. In Colossians 3:5-4:6 he deals with the problems and Colossians 4:7-18 is his closing. The “Theology” part of the letter really focuses on Jesus. In the part of the letter dealing with issues there seem to be a couple of first there seems to be some issue about “circumcision”. There is also talk about what they “eat and drink” and about “new moons and Sabbaths”. Also he mentions “harsh self-treatment and worship of (or with) angles”. Finally there is a lot of talk about authority, wisdom, knowledge, and mysteries.
Some of this links directly back to Old Testament religion and the rules that Jews were supposed to follow. Remember that there were a lot of Jewish people in this area. Although Paul was specifically sent to tell non-Jews (Gentiles, see “Paul: Sent One to the Gentiles”) about Jesus he usually looked for Jewish people first when he would start teaching in a new area. Although Paul didn’t start this church it is reasonable to think that some if not many of the members had formerly been Jews. Paul was constantly plagued by Jews who would follow him around trying to get Jews who turned to Jesus to go back to Judaism. Also many Jews who did turn to Jesus would try to hold onto many of the old ways of honoring God and would try to get non-Jewish believers to do the same. It seems that the Colossian church may have been having trouble with both types of people.
Talk of “mysteries” and the idea of punishing the body to be better spiritually always draw experts to an old belief system called “Gnosticism”. The name comes from the Greek word for “knowledge”. The belief system doesn’t formally go back as far as the time Paul was writing in but some scholars believe it’s earliest forms are that old. Although that may also have been part of the influences the Colossians were facing, there were also “mystery” sects or groups in the Jewish community of Jesus time (one of them was the “Essenes”, the guys who the “Dead Sea Scrolls” originally belonged to). One goal of the Essenes was to be able to “worship” (honor God) as well as the angles do. One method they would use to try to become better “worshippers” was self-denial; things like longer fasts (going without food or even water).
Although the influences in the lives of the Colossians were as mixed as the community in which they lived it may be that the Jewish part of the community was having the biggest impact. It was to this troubled yet faithful community that Paul wrote most beautifully about Jesus the Chosen One (Christ), so that they might continue in the gracious gift of salvation and find peace with and from God. Our problems today may be similar or different but who Jesus is and what he has done for us is the answer to peace with and from God.
In conclusion Colossians was written by Paul about 62 AD from his house arrest in Rome to the Church in Colosse.