(A.D.60-63?) [Paul's doctrinal treatise on the Divine Preeminence of Christ written in a letter while in prison at Rome to the Church at Colossae of Phrygia in Asia Minor. Philemon and Onesimus were among its members, 4:9; Phil.2,10. Whereas Ephesians was Paul's treatise on the body of Christ: the Church, Colossians is his work on the head of the Church: Christ.] After opening with customary greetings, Timothy being present with him, he commends them for their witness. Their faith, hope, and charity, the three greatest as preached by Paul ( I Co.13:13), is recognized by him. He is thankful that the fruit of Christ's gospel, which has now reached the entire known world, has found its root in them, encouraging them to increased knowledge of God, strengthening them for endurance to the end. If there were any previous doubts among these once pagan worshipers as to the true identity of the God of creation, Paul dispels them thoroughly. There is but One, and He Himself wrought redemption by His own blood, through the cross, for His fallen creation caused by the sin of His first created. And now He is the firstborn of His own new creation, resurrected, reconciling all who will unto Himself! God in the flesh, known to us as Jesus, suffered man's penalty for his tragic irresponsibility as guardian of the first. Where once He walked with man in his faith, He now comes to live personally within each, overcoming his failure and building him up into that perfect person fit for His new Eternal Garden and Kingdom. It is a privilege to be chosen to share in this great mystery of His ministry of reconciliation.

Although Paul likely had never been to Colossae, his heart yearned for them nevertheless. He is confident that his bond with them in the spirit is so great that when he will finally see them there will occur such a spiritual recognition, acceptance, and understanding of his teachings -- a sealing in unity that will forever establish them. So, whether present or absent, they are to live unto Christ, who is after all the head of them all. He warns them of two dangerous sects that subtly slip in among them to spoil: philosophers and legalists, the former engaging them in dialogue for dissecting, understanding, and cataloging what knowledge they have already attained, building empirical monuments of intellectual pride to their own reasoning, and the latter -- detailing, chronicling, and institutionalizing every aspect of the way one should live, creating a ceremonial hierarchy that so rigidly restricts the believer's freedom won by Christ there is left no room for spiritual growth. Both are to be sincerely shunned. He turns to address the key problem reported among them, certain practices that do not place Christ central in their worship and living: worship of angels and asceticism. These are to be abolished. Do not hold higher in your esteem anything above Christ, since He is Head, even your beliefs to the neglect of His love. Though doctrine is to be defended, His love should flow through its conduits of transference. Pride in defense will result if one holds above Christ anything else other than Him, and this satisfies only the flesh, denying Christ His glory and robbing men of their peace and unity.

Continuing in practical matters, Paul lifts their sights from the realm of the temporal, the Earthly, to the Heavenlies, to see the Father and His Son seated in their Glory. All Earth and its sin-stained riches, recognition, and honor pale in the radiant glow of what is coming through one's inheritance in Christ. Once caught -- this glimpse of glory bright -- the heart's affection can, no, will no longer be bribed by such lowly disdain. Infused with this vision, the one of faith is strengthened to walk above the seeds of sin desired to be sown in the flesh by contact with this world. Give no room for their deposit that would grow to choke the fruit of the Heavenly Vine that connects with, and will eventually lead to, His eternal throne. All have been grafted into this Trunk, both Jew and Greek, bond and free, therefore, being of the same Vine, let each treat others as Christ our Head seated at the right hand of the Father treats all. Each -- husband, wife, parents, children, servants -- know that you live unto your Heavenly Master in all that you do; God will not be partial when He judges your wrongs.

After a final word for masters to treat fairly their servants, Paul closes with personal words of exhortation and prayer solicitation. Many are named with him who salute the Church, and Tychicus will bear these words to them, accompanied by Onesimus, one of their own. Others (some from their Church) are with him. Luke the physician is present also. Instructions are given for greetings and sharing this letter with the nearby Laodicean Church in Nymphas' home. Apparently a letter was written to Laodicea he now requests to be obtained and read by them. Archippus (a minister of the gospel in this church) is encouraged to continue in his work there.