Paul’s Letter to Colosse

by Edwin Crozier

Paul introduced his letter to the Colossians with a prayer for the disciples and a praise of their King. Then in Colossians 1:21-23, he outlines the plan for the rest of his letter, describing the relationship between the disciples and their king. However, he does so in reverse order, setting up an inverted parallelism or chiasm.

In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul lays out three talking points.

1. From hostility to holiness: The Colossian Christians–indeed all Christians–were once alienated and hostile, but the Christ of Paul’s poem has reconciled them in order to present them holy and blameless (Colossians 1:21-22).
2. Continue in the faith, stable and steadfast: The Colossian Christians–indeed all Christians–must continue in the faith if they will be presented holy and blameless. They must not shift from their hope in the gospel of King Jesus (Colossians 1:23a).
3. The gospel Paul proclaimed: The gospel from which the Colossian Christians–indeed all Christians–must not shift is the one Paul proclaimed and ministered (Colossians 1:23b).

Paul will, in reverse order, walk through these very points for the rest of the body of this letter. He will end with closing valedictions and farewells in Colossians 4:7-18.

Notice, in Colossians 1:24-2:5, Paul described his work as a minister and proclaimer of the gospel. He did so in a way that encouraged–in the cultural context of the day, it even obligated–the Colossians to remain faithful to the gospel he proclaimed.

Then in Colossians 2:6-3:4, he exhorted the Colossians to maintain faithfulness despite the arguments and attacks others would bring against them. Whether they were confronted by pagan philosophers or Judaizing “Christians,” they were to maintain faithfulness to Christ and His gospel. They were not even to mix and match their favorite points from each philosophy, but were to stay wholly and purely devoted to Christ.

Finally, in Colossians 3:5-4:6, Paul described the transformation from hostility to holiness. As he did in the letter to the Ephesians, he described the process of putting off the old, hostile, alienated person and putting on the new, reconciled person.

Paul sets the stage for a great letter.