One of the main issues we need to sort out for understanding the letter to the Colossians is the nature of the false teaching which was causing problems in the church. Paul clearing thinks that it is important enough to write a letter to a church which he did not found in order to correct the problem. Paul says that members of the church are being help captive to this inadequate theology, which he calls a philosophy and an empty deceit (Col 2:8).
James D. G. Dunn suggested that the problem in Colossae was the same as in Galatians and other early Pauline epistles – Jews were arguing that the gentile Christians were not really “saved” since they did not keep the ceremonial law of the Jews, especially Sabbaths and food laws. This is the “normal” Jewish critique of Gentile Christianity. While this adequately accounts for the Jewish aspect of the Colossian heresy, there is nothing in Galatians which leads to the conclusion that worship of angels or visions were part of the Judaizer’s agenda.
Fred Francis has argued that the Colossian church was influenced by the merkabah mysticism of early Judaism. This mystical form of Judaism stressed visions of heaven and the throne room of God. This sort of vision is found in the Enoch literature and likely does date to the pre-Christian era. A potential problem for this view is that most of the merkabah-type literature we know about is found in Judea, not Asia Minor.
In his presidential address at the 2011 ETS conference, Clint Arnold suggested that the false teaching in Colossae was related to the type of Jewish exorcisms we find in the sons of Sceva (Acts 19). In that passage these Jewish exorcists attempt to cast out a demon in the name of Jesus, but are soundly beaten by the demon possessed man. Arnold discussed parallels in the Testament of Solomon, which is more or less a manual on how to diagnose a demon possession. If the demon’s name could be discovered, then the appropriate angel may be invoked to bind that demon and free the person from oppression.
I thought that Arnold did a good job supporting his claims, and it is a connection which ought to be obvious for anyone who reads the Testament of Solomon. He illustrated his point with several images of magical amulets found in Asia Minor which invoke angelic names as magic charms and occasionally depict Solomon as conquering demonic powers. While Arnold did not take it this far, it is possible that a Jewish mystic / exorcist came to faith in Jesus as savior, but failed to move away from his esoteric practices to deal with demon possession or other illness. Like the Corinthians, some individuals in the Corinthian church were continuing to believe and practice in ways which were not compatible with their new faith. Instead if visits to the Temples, as in Corinth, these believers were clinging to their esoteric knowledge which they believed controlled demons and illness. For Paul, this is an inadequate view since Jesus created these spiritual powers (Col 1:15-20) and has already rendered them powerless.
Thinking of the Colossian heresy in these terms provides another level of application which may be overlooked. For new believers in the non-western world, it is difficult to leave certain culturally accepted folk beliefs because they seem to “work.” But there are ways in which believers in the west fail to “take every thought captive” to Jesus (2 Cor 10:5)
Bibliography:
J. D. G. Dunn, “The Colossian Philosophy: A Confident Jewish Apologia,” Biblica 76 (1995): 153-81.
Fred Francis, “Humility and Angel Worship in Col 2:18”, in Conflict at Colossae, 163-95.
Philip, Paul blasphemed and boasted nonsense about him filling up in his flesh what was STILL LACKING in regard to Christ’s afflictions. That is a lie of Satan from the pen of Paul to the Colossians. Nothing is lacking. “It is finished.” No wonder they were confused. It’s in Paul’s letter – read it for yourself. Per your request, I have stopped posting on – and stopped reading – your blog. May I ask why these messages keep appearing in my inbox? I have no time for messages that are “one way from the pulpit” with discussion not allowed. That is the way cults like Islam and “Paul worship” keep control. The voice of their one “special Man” with his “special writings” overrides everyone else, including Jesus, and they don’t have ears to listen. I hope you will start listening to Jesus for a change, instead of your idol, Boss Paul the Pharisee. May God be with you, Matthew Perri Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2015 20:26:47 +0000 To: matthewmontebello@hotmail.com
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
It seems that all the people that Paul writes to has many issues pertaining to fighting with what the world has to say vs. what Jesus has to say. Paul is praying for the people in Colossae, that they may not be led astray by others who are teaching falsely. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). There were people who were delighting in false humility and the worship of angels that disqualify them. Paul is just trying to protect the people and what these people were telling them could devalue Christ. Paul wanted to make sure that Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency is so thoroughly woven throughout Colossians (TTP 224).
I most certainly believe that the church today has folk beliefs that are believed to work, but fail in many ways. Many of our teaching are like this. We cling to do traditional teaching about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, the Sermon on the Mount, and other passages of Scripture that “make sense,” but also stunt growth and true interpretation of Scripture. Many believers today also simply take what their pastors say as absolute truth with no other way for a passage to be seen, rather than delving into God’s word themselves and finding meaning from it. Certain Christian religions here also follow practices that may not be beneficial, but seem to work, such as Catholic rosaries. Some practices are viewed as necessary, beneficial, and obligatory for every believer, when the Apostle Paul talks about this issue in Romans that “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” about what practices are necessary for him. While this could be skewed in the wrong way, it shows that there is some flexibility in how people view certain practices, and our goal should always be striving to “continue living lives in Christ” (TTP 229).
Paul’s point in writing Colossians is to say that Christ is sufficient. Longenecker says that the Colossians appear to have been supplementing the gospel. In saying this, they were not trusting in the sufficiency of Christ. Paul discourages the people from adding things to the gospel like feasts, mysticism, and food laws (224). People like something tangible so that they know for certain that what they believe is true. Paul’s whole point was to say stop adding to the gospel because Christ is sufficient (Col 2:8-9). It is easy for those in the west to look at other cultures and judge them for animism, universalism, and other additions or misunderstandings of the gospel. However, here in the west we have our own problems. For some people baptism is used to supplement the gospel. For others it can be things like church attendance or good works. Still for others it is a political agenda that must be adopted in order to be a Christian. Paul is saying that we need to disregard these things and understand that Christ is sufficient. We need not try to add anything on or rely on other things but be wholly satisfied with the gospel we have received.
The “Colossian philosophy” was a “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8) that Paul felt the need to write a letter to address and fix (TTP, 223). The philosophy depends on “human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Col 2:8). This philosophy has a variety of proposals as to how it originated; from Jewish Gnosticism, apocalyptic, to Hellenistic philosophies and religions (TTP, 223). Longenecker and Still state that it is unclear as to where the philosophy and false teachings originated, but that those who originated the philosophy were promoting some of the Jewish religious observances, and thus, had links to the Jewish faith (224). Given this information, I would have to agree that the originators of the philosophy had some sort of connection to Judaism, even if they themselves had strayed form the Jewish faith in their beliefs.
It seems to be the case in many of the early churches that the new christians tend to hold onto their old practices from their old way of life. As you were saying, the Jewish believers would tell the christians that they were not really believers because of not keeping the practices. You dismissed the idea that the views of angel stories would not have come from the Jewish people as well, but were the Jews not the ones that we have heard about angels from in other stories in the Bible? Non-Jewish people did not have the visions of the angels, but rather the Jewish believers of that time, these stories may be passed through generations and embellished. There is no support to this claim, but the implications of angels touching peoples lives in the Jewish culture are prevalent throughout scripture, so it may be possible that this heresy could be from a skewed Jewish tradition as well.
The problem the Colossians were having with the “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (Col 2:8) are problems I believe the church faces today. Not everyone brings their bible to church anymore, like they used to, so they take their pastors word and do not question what he says. In 1 Cor. 14, it says that there should be two or three prophets when speaking, and the others should weigh carefully what it said. Maybe this means we need a few pastors to keep each other accountable for what is being said, to make sure each is being accurate in interpretation. At the same time, this also means the congregation should weigh what the pastor says, too, making sure he is being accurate in what he teaches. Just like the the “philosophy runs the risk of leading the Colossians astray, that is, away from Christ” (TTP 229), what preachers today can lead others astray if they don’t check if what he says is accurate with the Bible.
I, sadly, read your blogs out of order. I commented on your newest blog a conclusion which is similar to the one you found. I have read Dr. Arnold’s book Powers of Darkness and found it to be a very fascinating look into a possible theological backdrop of the 1st century church.
Clint Arnold’s work on Ephesus and Colossae are both excellent, I will look for this title, thanks.
Can you share for me, before they converted to Christ what they believed?
The Colossians were likely like any other Greek or Roman living in the mid first century, local and family gods were honored and probably some veneration of the Empire (the emperor and his family were deified and likely honoring Roma, the goddess of the roman empire). Many were superstitious, perhaps relying on charms and spells to protect them from the “evil eye,” etc.
Does that help?
There was a philosophy circulating in Colossae that undermined the work of Christ and led to improper worship and ethics. There are several possible roots for this philosophy including Jewish Gnosticism, Jewish mysticism, and Hellenistic philosophies and religions (TTP, p.223). Paul made the claim that these philosophies were empty deceit. He also said that the teachings were inspired by the elemental spirits of the world which could mean the spirits referred to in Persian religious texts or other ancient documents. Most likely Paul is referring to demonic spirits which can influence human traditions (ESVSB p.2296). Advocates for the philosophy that Paul opposed supported practices such as Jewish observances of dietary laws and special days, worshipping angels, and visionary experiences incongruent with the gospel (TTP p.224). It also promoted severity to the body. Paul wanted the Colossians to see that this philosophy while appearing to offer wisdom, actually promoted confidence in self rather than the sufficiency of Christ. The teachers of this false philosophy claimed to have heavenly secrets from visions and spiritual interactions, but their knowledge was earthy. Paul admonished the Colossian believers to set their minds on things above and in doing so pursue a deeper knowledge of Christ himself in whom is salvation and true wisdom (ESVSB p.2298).
Kellum Bridgeforth
Professor Long
Pauline Lit
10-25-21
Blog Post #8
Colossians is a very important Pauline epistle because there are several problems that need to be addressed, Like P.Long says when addressing the words of James D.G Dunn. Dunn’s main point as to what problems are amongst the people of Colasse are similar to those in Galatia; which in fact would be “Jews were arguing that the gentile Christians were not really “saved” since they did not keep the ceremonial law of the Jews, especially Sabbaths and food laws” this is a problem however Paul clearly states that these Jewish mosaic laws do not actually matter for we are all one in Christ. Colossians 3:11 is a perfect verse to put an end to that debate and problem. “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:11). With that being said I do not think that is the main problem that needs to be addressed in Colossae. The main problem that I personally think needs to be dealt with would be how the people of Colossae are interpreting the “Colossian Philosophy”. Paul combats the Colossian Philosophy because he thinks that it is “hollow and deceptive” (TTP 223); Pauls backs this statement by adding that it “depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (TTP 223). Thus, the Colossian Philosophy is not a way to live because it is not living a life according to Christ, rather it is a life living according to societal beliefs; which is a huge no no stated in previous Pauline literature. Colossians 2 is a great chapter to help address these problems that arise with Colossian Philosophy, one verse in particular is Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7 ). This verse by Paul is a direct victory in combat against the “Colossian Philosophy” and it is the correct way to solve and address the main problem. Paul also goes on to obliterate all oppositions with Colossians 2:8 stating “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). This is huge because we are not to let anyone rule us or judge us according to societal beliefs and social customs for those are the way of human nature, and not the ways of the Gospel.
There was a huge misconception about Christology in city of Colossae. This misconception about who Christ was and what he stood for led the Colossian people into believing incorrect beliefs about Christianity. Longenecker explains in TTP that the philosophy of the people of Colossae was described by Paul as, “dependent on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.” This addressing by Paul to the Colossians almost seems to describe the Colossians as reverting to their previous beliefs that coincided with Hellenistic traditions and philosophies. This is concerning for Paul because it almost feels like the Colossians were taking what they enjoyed about the Hellenistic or Roman religion and applying it to Christianity. This happened in the form of Angelic worship and praying to angels rather than to God or Christ. Paul addresses this worship in Colossians 2: 18 where he says, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,” which means Paul wanted the shift from this worship of false ideologies back to the worship of Christ. He furthers this statement in Colossians 3 where he says, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” The modern world is not too different from Colossians. We often take things we enjoy about life in put them into our religion – worshipping things we think can lead us to Christ but have no place in such thing, praying to different people that claim to be as significant as Christ, and believing that Christ isn’t the only way to get to have a spot in heaven.
For a Church that is new to the Faith, it can become easy to misinterpret part of the message, as it occurred in Colossae. They had different beliefs about who Christ was and what he stood for and that, in turn, lead to the Colossians believing incorrect views about Christianity as a whole. The danger in the church that Paul sees is the “Colossian Philosophy” which is “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8). Longenecker puts it like this, “depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (p. 223). Instead of moving forward with this Faith in Jesus Christ they are trying to revert back to the “old covenant” where a persons works is the be all end all. They know who this Jesus Christ is and what he did for them yet they continue to put him off to the side rather than make him the center of their world.
As Long pointed out in the blog post we see this take place in Corinth, where the people start praying to angels rather than Christ who free them from their sins. Paul is seeking the Church of Colossae to rid themselves of sinful practices and develop Christian virtues (1:10-12, 28). He is reminding them what the true message and purpose of Jesus’ life was; that He has defeated the powers of darkness on the cross (2:10). No longer are they bound by works or old traditions but now they are simply bound by Faith in Christ, and they are to live in Him and for Him.
We often find that new churches to the Christian faith tend to misinterpret the messages of the Bible. The city of Colossae struggled to believe in correct believes. James D. G. Dunn claims that the problem in Colossae was equal to the Galatians and the rest of the early Pauline epistles. Most of the people that Paul tries to reach to have many issues with understanding the ideas of the Christian faith. When he was sent by God, Paul’s job was to reach those who may not understand that well and change different towns into Christian faith. We see in Thinking Through Paul that the Clossian Philosophy is Hallow and and deceptive in Paul’s thoughts (TTP 223). Those that look at religion differently than we do may find it a bit harder to gain that knowledge and lose the beliefs of their old beliefs or faith.
The fact that Paul is writing a letter to a church he was not the founder of shows how bad it is. It is like you are doing something stupid and soemone else’s mom steps in because you are being so out of control.
Dunn’s theory is similar to some issues that Christians are having now. This issue is the different branches of Christianity being less holy then the others. I have a friend who is a member of an Apostolic church and is always talking about how his church is right and we are just wrong. This type of divide can even happen within a singular church. My church is very traditional and the music is played on an organ. There was a large divide within the church when it was proposed that contemporary music was played for one of the three services.
The church of Colossians is struggling to follow Jesus, they were becoming distracted by the false teachings. The problem within this church was “Jews were arguing that the gentile Christians were not really “saved” since they did not keep the ceremonial law of the Jews, especially Sabbaths and food laws,” (Long, 2017). This was a problem because they generally believed that the gentile Christians were not saved because they were not keeping with the laws of Judaism. Although at this point God had already died on the cross and raise again, they were free from the law. The Gentiles did not have to follow the laws because they were saved from sin by Jesus Christ. God is sovereign to save us from our sin even if we do not follow laws. This was a major problem back then, and a great divider between the Jews and the Gentile Christians. This also happens today between Christians. Christians can be judgement towards other Christians, they tend to compare themselves to other Christians. Christian’s main goal should be to focus on Jesus Christ first and foremost and not on other Christians. As a Christian we should be building other Christians up in Godly and encouraging ways. We should be having constructive conversations and think through things in a deeper and healthier way. Believers should take their beliefs to the Bible and compare them to what the Bible states. The Bible should be the main source where Christians get their beliefs from. Christians can be quick to judge each other instead of having constructive criticism. Christians should always be building each other up.
The people in Colossians were a group where Paul was not the original missionary, but he went in and made changes to what the people were doing wrong. They had false teachings which was the main issue for the people and how the Jews were arguing that the Gentiles weren’t truly saved. When looking at non-Western cultures and people who are becoming new believers in a current context, it can be hard for those individuals to leave what they have always lived by. Culture is how things are done and different cultures are doing things differently but neither way is right or wrong. It would be very difficult to leave one’s cultural belief, or even spiritual beliefs in this context, and work towards going against what everyone else believes. Like the people of Colossian, Paul was working with cultural differences and new beliefs that would cause the believers to have to go against what their culture was foundationally built off of. In the non-Western world new believers are going through similar experiences of having to go against the culture in which they live in to live out their new beliefs in the gospels. Missionaries today deal with this issue and when spreading the gospel culture plays a significant role in how they approach cultural beliefs that go against biblical beliefs.
Hi
The problems that the Colossians are facing are really similar to the problems that we have today. There were some false teachings and different ideas about salvation. I believe that it is still happening today and in the future too. We have one Bible, and God breathed into it. We might understand some of the Bible, but we will never be able to understand all of it. There are so many great teachers, pastors, and preachers; they know a lot of the Bible but not all of it. They still have some different ideas about the Bible, and that’s why there are so many different churches in the world. There was a debate in one Asian church, and I watched it. There were talks about Adam, and some pastors said that Adam would go to hell, but some pastors said Adam would go to heaven. That was why I liked Paul, because he could explain and interpret the Bible to the people. He helped us understand more about the Bible. He sent letters to so many churches, including the Colossians, and because of him, churches understand the Bible.
The problem in Colossians is definitely unique to any problem that Paul addressed previously. There are some interesting parallels to other epistles that he wrote. For example the Corinthians were struggling to put aside their old way of life and truly follow Christ. The problem of sexually immoral temple banquets was infiltrating practices of the Lord’s supper. This, unlike Colossians, is easily recognizable. Paul gives lengthy discourse on how to properly follow Christ in response to these actions.
Colossians, however, is a bit different, as Long stated, there seems to be an exorcist or mystic that is leading the church astray. This is an interesting thing for Paul to deal with, especially because this church was not even founded by him. Nonetheless, Paul goes into great detail about who Christ is in order that this church would truly understand how to follow him. In a way they are a bit behind the church of Corinth in terms of learned theology. Perhaps this is because they did not have Paul from the beginning helping them first know Christ. Either way, the Colossian church stands to be an example of the extents of Paul’s ministry which reached even the smaller cities in the area. This goes to show that even in the smaller things of life, God is at work. When we are struggling, no matter how far away we are from God, He will provide help for us. This is the magnitude of the gracious God we serve!
The main issue that the Colossians were facing was false teaching in the church. According to Paul in Colossians 2:8, the church of Colossae is holding to an inaccurate theology that borders philosophy. A common theme that I have been noticing throughout Paul’s letters is that a lot of churches are still holding to their old ways and beliefs. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, anyone who believes in God is made into a new creation which means that when you start following God, you are called to turn away from the things of the past. It is clear that the Colossians were having a difficult time doing this. It seems that the Colossians believed that they obtained knowledge that could control illnesses and demons. The fact that Paul chose to write to the Church of Colossae about this issue shows how serious it was to him.
In today’s society, it can be easy to take false teaching as fact. False teaching is present in churches, social media, and even the news. Knowing the difference between what is true and what is false is more difficult than it used to be. The Colossians encountered this same problem where they were unsure of what to believe. However, the only true source of knowledge comes from the Word of God. This is made clear in 2 Peter 1:20-21 which says “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” When we look to other sources of “truth” we will not find truth, just fabricated lies.
The letter to the Colossians, written by the apostle Paul, addresses a pressing concern within the church. Paul is deeply troubled by the false teachings that have infiltrated the congregation, critical enough to warrant a letter of correction to a church he did not personally establish. The problem is complex, but one key aspect of this heresy is theologically troubling to Paul. He refers to it as a “philosophy” and an “empty deceit” (Col 2:8), underlining its profound spiritual implications. One prominent theory about the nature of the Colossian heresy is that it mirrors the challenges encountered in Galatians and other early Pauline epistles. In this perspective, some Jewish members of the church argue that Gentile Christians cannot be genuinely “saved” because they do not adhere to the ceremonial laws of the Jews. These laws notably include observance of the Sabbath and adherence to specific dietary restrictions. While this theory accounts for the Jewish dimension of the heresy, it falls short in explaining the references to angelic worship and visions that Paul mentions, which are absent in Galatians.
Another intriguing proposal comes from Fred Francis, who suggests that the Colossian church may have been influenced by a form of early Jewish mysticism known as merkabah mysticism. This mystical strain of Judaism focuses on heavenly visions, particularly those related to the throne room of God. While such visions can be found in pre-Christian Jewish literature, the challenge is that most merkabah documents were discovered in Judea, not Asia Minor. A more recent suggestion, made by Clint Arnold during the 2011 Evangelical Theological Society conference, revolves around the idea that the Colossian heresy might be related to a kind of Jewish exorcism. Drawing parallels with the account of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19, Arnold highlights the attempts by Jewish exorcists to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. These attempts often ended in disastrous defeats by the possessed individuals. The Testament of Solomon, a text that provides insights into the exorcism of demon possessions, shares similarities with these exorcism practices.
The problem in Colossians is that there were many false teachings being taught throughout their church. We can understand that these teachings were very bad because Paul was not the founder of the church and it was not part of his original mission plans. But he went anyway because he needed to change their ways and put them on the right track with God. There were many false teachings going around the church to the point where they were struggling to believe in God at all. This is something that can still relate in our modern day churches. It is becoming more and more common for churches to split, and even more common people coming and leaving to find a new church. Even though we are all believers of Christ, we all still have different beliefs on what it means to be a Christian. There are so many different denominations out there which just shows how separated we are from being one family. We are also not just separated as a body of Christ but we are also separated from God (Colossians 1:21) because we are all sinful and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) but no matter what we are believers in Christ and we must continue to trust in Him and let Him guide us.
The argument of James D. G. Dunn that the difficulty in Colossae was due to the criticism of Gentile Christians for not following Jewish ceremonial law, particularly Sabbaths and food laws, is associated with the typical Jewish critique of early Gentile Christianity. However, as the blog post pointed out, there is no evidence in Galatians or other Pauline letters of the Judaizers worshiping angels or visions as part of their objective. The idea that the Colossian church was influenced by merkabah mysticism is intriguing, as it introduces a mystical and visionary element that could be related to the worship of angels and visions. However, the geographical problem of this idea, as the majority of merkabah literature is discovered in Judea, complicates matters. The notion of James D. G. Dunn that the difficulty in Colossae was due to the criticism of Gentile Christians for not following Jewish ceremonial law, particularly Sabbaths and food laws, coincides with the typical Jewish critique of early Gentile Christianity. However, as the blog post pointed out, there is no indication in Galatians or other Pauline letters of the Judaizers worshiping angels or visions as part of their objective
During his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul penned this letter to the Colossian church after he had received a report that they were struggling with a Christological heresy. The church at Colossae was under attack from false teachers who were denigrating the deity of Jesus; they were teaching that He was not actually God. Though Paul had never been to the church itself, he addressed these issues head-on. The nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer was something that is not negotiable to Paul, so Paul wrote to them that he might bring his wisdom to bear on this difficult situation. It was important to him that this church know God in His greatness and glory, rather than in the view given them by the false teachers that was reported to him. Like Long says, individuals in the Corinthian church were continuing to believe and practice in ways which were not compatible with their new faith, believers have died with Christ; therefore, we need to die to our sins.
I see a common theme in Paul’s message to the churches for the people to refocus on Christ. In many of Paul’s letters, the Christians seem to stray by being influenced by the world, by misunderstanding the Gospel, by following false leaders or immoral cultural practices. In the situation of Colossae, it is possible that the Jews were partaking too heavily in spiritual practices rather than focusing on what really matters in faith. This would make sense that Paul would feel a need to reach out to the church if there was false teaching regarding exorcism and spiritual practices. Ultimately, the focus should be on Jesus Christ and living according to his likeness, not on angels, demons, or an obsession with the spiritual world. Even preventative practices can distract humanity from the power of Jesus Christ, which is the ultimate protection from demonic possession and holds superiority over the spiritual beings. Paul might have heard about these teachings and felt the need to warn Colossae to refocus on Christ as to not fall into this slippery slope. Colossians 2:8 calls for the Christians in Colossae to not be distracted by “elemental spirits” of the world, and to not be focusing and desiring these things over Christ. Col. 2:18-20 calls for the Christians to not be distracted by others who focus on these practices, but to instead remember their part in the Body of Christ, which is far more important as Christ’s power is authority of all spiritual and worldly matters. Paul is very aware of humanity’s tendency to obsess in things that are not life-giving. It is admirable that Paul extends his helping hand to try and prevent the church in Colossae from such a major misunderstanding of Christ.
It’s interesting to look into the historical and cultural context to better understand what might have been happening in the early Christian church. Your explanation was really good and sheds light on the complexities of merging faith with deep cultural beliefs and practices. I liked the comparison with the Corinthians. It’s intriguing how similar struggles persist across different regions and cultures. The challenge of reconciling newfound faith with familiar yet incompatible practices is something many new believers face, both then and now. Also when you mention the difficulty of letting go of culturally accepted beliefs because they seem to “work” resonates with me. Change is always hard especially when traditions and beliefs are deeply rooted in a community. It’s a reminder that faith is not just about accepting new beliefs but also about transforming our entire way of thinking and living.
It is entirely possible that this is the case. Paul definitely did write Colossians, and Long’s thought process here is something that I agree with, especially in regard to Col. 1:15-20. Since these references are now powerless, and that these new recent people are still clinging to their old beliefs, and have not fully let go of this, they have caused others in some cases to fall astray, which brings to the point of why Paul is writing the letter to Colossae. Thus, by explaining on Jesus Christ and His power, and to set them back on the right track is plainly the way to go here. Thus, Paul had to set the record straight. Paul had to bring attention to this problem, even telling them to pray, and pray continually (Phil. 4:2-6, ESV). Paul here declares the supremacy of Jesus Christ here, further correcting the Colossian Church, and then goes into detail on how this should be played out in the Colossian Church, specifically trying to combat the misinterpretations here at Colossae by showing the light in God’s truth in how he speaks to them in the letter to Colossae. I think Paul does an very good job with this as well.
the letter of Colossians has a very interesting history compared to the other letters. One of most intriguing theory is that Paul did not write Colossians like it was believed before hand, the reason behind this theory is that there is a difference in the writing style of this letter when compared to the others. But the biggest thing this letter brings us is that the continuing belief that in order to be saved that the gentiles had to follow the laws of the Jews. I never thought about the idea the worship of angels but it does make sense when I remenber that at the time angels would be seen as beings worthy of worship.