Colossians

Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. Each review contains quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover Colossians, a book written around 61 AD and one that is part of a larger collection of books called The Bible.

Colossians

Author

The apostle Paul

Introduction

Paul's letter to the church at Colossae is one of the prison letters (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon). Paul's desire with this letter was to correct the false teachings that were cropping up in the church. In doing so, Paul presented a clear picture of Jesus Christ as supreme Lord of the universe, head of the church, and the only One through whom forgiveness is possible.

Message and Purpose

Colossians may be divided into two main parts. The first (1:3-2:23) is an argument against false teachings. The second (3:1-4:17) is made up of exhortations to proper Christian living. This is typical of Paul's approach, presenting a theology position first, a position of which the practical exhortations are built.

The church at Colossae was under attack from false teachers who were belittling the deity of Jesus; they were teaching that He was not actually God. The nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer was nonnegotiable, so Paul wrote to them to help rectify this difficult and trying situation. It was critical to him that the church know God in His greatness and glory, rather than in the deficient view given by the false teachers.

Remarkable Chapter

The third chapter of Colossians  speaks boldly about the life of a new person in Christ. After discussing taking off the "old self" and putting on the "new self", Paul shares a timely message in verses ten and eleven that resonates heavily with today's culture:

"You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarians, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all."

An observable change of behavior should take place when taking off the "old self" and putting on the "new self." The "new self" replaces the old but is also continuously being renewed to reflect the image of God. The old order was characterized by ethnic and social division, but the new order obliterates those distinctions in the body of Christ. That "Christ is all and in all" refers to His supremacy and indwelling presence in believers.

Conclusion

Colossians provides one of the Bible's fullest expressions of the deity and supremacy of Christ. This is most evident in the magnificent hymn of praise that sets forth Christ as the image of the invisible God, the Creator and sustainer of the universe, and the head of His body, the church. Colossians contributes to Scripture a high Christology and a presentation of its implications for the believer's conduct.