PLACE AND LETTER

"The city of Colosse lay in the Lycus river valley in what is now Turkey. Its population was a mixture of Greek, Jewish, and native Phrygians, along with Roman army veterans. The heresy Paul deals with in his letter seems to be a mixture of Jewish, pagan, and pseudo-Christian concepts. The letter was later circulated to other congregations (Colossians 4:16 ) to guard them against similar errors." L. O. Richards - Bible Readers Companion - Victor Books

FORM OF GNOSTICISM

In attempting to reconstruct the Colossian error from the truths Paul presents strongly - many scholars have concluded it was an early form of gnosticism:

Dake's annotated Bible summarises gnosticism as "a philosophical and religious system teaching that knowledge rather than faith is the key to salvation" then lists nine main points of gnosticism.

1. A claim to a higher and special knowledge of truth, a tendency to regard knowledge as superior to faith, and an insight into new light which the ordinary believer did not possess.
2. The separation of matter and spirit, the flesh being essentially sinful and the source of all evil.
3. The attempt in solving the problems of creation, and the origin of evil by a creator as being distinct from the supreme God.
4. A denial of the true humanity of Jesus Christ, looking upon the life of Christ, and especially its sufferings on the cross as unreal.
5. A denial of the Personality of the supreme God.
6. A denial of the free will of man.
7. A claim that spiritual communion with God is attained through asceticism or denial of pleasures and comforts of life - on the other hand an indifference to sin leading to failure and licentiousness.
8. A combination of certain Christian doctrines with various pagan philosophies to tone down the distinction between them. This appealed to many in the church who were dissatisfied with the simplicity of the gospel.
9. The Old Testament Scriptures were the product of the inferior creator of the world, who was the God of the Jews, but not the true and supreme God. It is regrettable that some parts of gnosticism are fostered by certain elements of the (professing) Church today. All these points are fallacies and must be rejected by Bible believers.

THEME AND CONTENTS

Ryrie says "the theme is the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ. Important subjects include Christ's Person and work (Colossians 1:15-23 ). Heresy (Colossians 2:8-23 ), and believers' union with Christ (Colossians 3:1 - 4:18 )".

The only true saving faith is Christ centred faith. The teaching contained in Colossians establishes this fact.

COLOSSIANS KEY VERSE

Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."