THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS
Lesson 3
Chapters 3-4: Practicing the Ideal Christian Life in the World and Conclusion
Holy Father,
You are the source of eternal life and truth. Please give
us, Your covenant children, a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of
knowledge, and a calling to demonstrate Your love. Like St. Paul, give us the
desire to serve You with fidelity in continuing to build up your Church into a
sacrament of unity, love, and peace in a world under attack by the forces of
sin and evil intentions. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
+ + +
See the wisdom
of our teacher and to what a height he immediately raises those who listen to
him. He cuts a path through the midst of all the angels, archangels, thrones,
dominations, principalities, virtues, all those invisible powers, the cherubim
and seraphim and set the thoughts of the faithful right before the very throne
of the King. By his teaching he has persuaded those who walk the earth to
sever the bonds of the body, to take flight and to stand in spirit by the side
of him who is the Lord of all.
St. John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instructions, 7.20
In Colossians verses 2:8 and 20, Paul warned the community to avoid being seduced by "elemental powers:" See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human traditions, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ...If you died with Christ to the elemental powers of the world, why do you submit to regulations as if you were still living in the world? It is the same warning, using the same wording, he gave the Galatians about a decade earlier when he wrote concerning the former way of life of Gentile Christians: I mean that as long as the heir is not of age, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything, but he is under the supervision of guardians and administrators until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were not of age, were enslaved to the elemental powers of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption (Gal 4:1-5).
By "elements" in Galatians 4:1-5 and Colossians 2:8, 20, Paul refers negatively to:
These negative aspects are in contrast to what Paul refers to positively in his Letter to the Hebrews as the need for the "basic elements" that are basic principles of education and religion that are the utterances of God: ...you need to have someone teach you again the basic elements of the utterances of God... (Heb 5:12).
In Chapter 3, after having spent eighteen verses on the foolishness of yielding to the empty teachings of false teachers (2:6-23), Paul begins the second part of his letter by addressing the other temptations the Colossian converts might face. The pull of their previous pagan lifestyle is a trap they must avoid. Paul's purpose now is to describe the new life of Christians. In the Sacrament of Baptism, they have been transformed and united with Christ; therefore, what is true of Him is now true of them. They have died to sin and the world, and worldly values no longer dominate or have influence on them. Jesus has resurrected them to a "new life" with Him as sons and daughters in the family of God, and they have a share in the glory of Christ's divine nature (2 Pt 1:4).
Question: At the present, their share in Christ's
glory is hidden. However, knowing this, how should the Colossians and all
Christians view their present life? See 1 Thes 4:15-18.
Answer: All baptized Christians should view their
present life as a journey that is a preparation for Christ's return. At that
time, their glory in Christ will be fully revealed in their bodily and
spiritual resurrection with Him in glory.
Chapter 3:1-4:1 The Ideal Christian Life in the World
Colossians 3:1-4 ~ Mystical Death and Resurrection
1 If then you
were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God. 2 Think [phroneo]
of what is above, not of what is on earth. 3
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life appears, then you too
will appear with him in glory.
Paul begins this part of his letter by addressing the implications of the Christian's union with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation. Paul teaches that our transformed lives must demonstrate living in imitation of Christ's life. The Christian must have Christ as the foundation of his or her earthly life if he or she is going to be an effective witness for Christ to the world in fulfillment of the "Great Commission" (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:47; Jn 20:21).
Question: How should we, as professed Christians,
manifest the "new life" in Christ to the world?
Answer: We must fearlessly manifest our belief in
Christ in our relationships with our families, communities, and in our
continuing Christian witness to the secular world by living in justice, truth,
and love.
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Once again Paul focuses on the supernatural event of
their resurrected life in Christ through the Sacrament of Christian Baptism. The
baptized must contemplate their upward calling and heavenly things. They must
rise up mentally and spiritually to that place where Christ is enthroned. The
new life in Christ is always a matter of a new perception in seeing beyond
earthly things to heavenly things. They are no longer earth-bound but heaven-bound
where they will one day join Christ who sits in glory at the right hand of God
the Father (mentioned twelve times in the New Testament: Lk 22:69;
Acts 2:33; 7:55, 56;
Eph 1:20; Col 3:1;
Heb 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2;
1 Pt 3:22). See
Ephesians 2:6 where Paul also writes about being seated with Christ in heavenly
places.
2 Think of [phroneo]
what is above, not of what is on earth.
In verse 2, Paul uses the word, phroneo, for
"think of" concerning the Christian mindset or attitude focused on what is
above in Heaven and not on earth. It is the same word he used in his letters
to the Philippians and Romans:
3 For you have
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Having warned them in verses 2:6-23 against yielding to
the seduction of false doctrines, Paul now warns them of the temptation to
return to their previous pagan lifestyle. They must not allow those old values
and influences to dominate them again. In the Sacrament of Christian Baptism,
they have died to that old way, and they are now alive in Christ. They are
already partakers of His divine life and glory, although in a hidden way (
Jn 1:12; 14:20; 15:4-5;
Rom 6:5;
1 Cor 1:9f;
2 Pt 1:4;
1 Jn 1:3b). Paul writes
that their present life in Christ is a preparation for the day when Christ's
Second Coming will fully reveal their glory in Christ (
1 Cor 15:22-26, 51-53;
1
Thes 4:13-18). See a similar teaching in Ephesians 5:17-24.
Colossians 3:5-11 ~ Renouncing Sin
5 Put to death,
then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality [fornication*], impurity,
passion [lust], evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. 6 Because of these the wrath of God is coming (upon
the disobedient). 7 By these you
too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. 8 But now you must put them all away [put off
all things]: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your
mouths. 9 Stop lying to one
another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision
and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in
all. [...] = IBGE, vol. IV, page 546; "fornication" is the literal Greek. (
) = many ancient manuscripts add this phrase as also found in Ephesians 5:6.
Since Christians have died to Christ in the Sacrament of Baptism, they must regard themselves as dead to the old life dominated by sin (3:5-11).
Questions: What five vices of earthly behavior
must the Christian renounce? What do the first four vices have in common?
What is the definition of the first vice and what do Scripture and the Church teach
about this sin? See
Gen 1:28; 2:24;
Mt 15:9; 19:4-6;
Mk 7:21;
Acts 15:20, 29;
Rom 1:29;
1 Cor 5:1, 9-10; 6:9-10, 13, 18; 7:2; 10:8;
2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19;
Eph 5:3;
1 Thes 4:3;
Jude 7;
Rev 2:14; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3, 9; 19:2; 21:8 and
CCC 1755, 1852, 2353. Give a Bible quote about the necessity of sexual purity.
Answers:
The first four vices are all sexual sins. Fornication is sexual intercourse between people not married to each other. According to Scripture and the Church, fornication, like adultery and homosexuality, is a mortal sin. Sexual sins defile God's gift of fertility and the Sacrament of Marriage. Fertility was God's first gift to humanity (Gen 1:28) in which He invites men and women to become His partners in creating the next generation. Sexual sins that abuse God's blessing of fertility are mortal sins that block the path to Heaven. St. Paul wrote: Make no mistake "the sexually immoral [fornicators], idolaters, adulterers, the self-indulgent, sodomites, thieves, misers, drunkards, slanderers, and swindlers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10).
Paul placed the focus on sexually immoral practices because they were common in the lifestyles and worship of pagan cultures. The Old Covenant Law condemned impure sexual practices (Lev 18:22-25), and Paul frequently condemned such behavior in his letters (e.g., Rom 1:24-28; 13:13; 1 Cor 5:10-11; 6:9; 2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:31; 5:3-5; 1 Tim 1:9-10; 6:4; 2 Tim 3:2-5; Tit 3:3 ). In 2 Corinthians 6:20, Paul wrote: For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. Purity is a gift of the Holy Spirit (CCC 2345). God calls all unmarried persons to sexual purity in a chaste and pure life outside of marriage (Phil 2:13-15; 1 Tim 5:22; Jam 2:16-18; 4:8; 1 Jn 3:3). In our chastity outside of marriage, we image Christ. Purity is a gift of the Holy Spirit (CCC 2345).
St. Paul wants the Christians of the Lycus River Valley to lead lives of purity in the image of Christ and to vigilantly avoid sin. St. Augustine defines sin as, "A word, deed or desire in opposition to the eternal law." Sin is a deliberate transgression of a Law of God, which identifies the four essentials of every sin:
Scripture has always identified two degrees of sin "mortal and venial. Mortal/deadly sin destroys sanctifying grace, the state of friendship with God, and causes the supernatural death of the soul. It is a turning away from God because of an inordinate adherence to creatures that causes grave injury to a person's rational nature and to the social order, depriving the unrepentant sinner his or her eternal salvation. It is called "mortal" or "deadly" sin because it causes the death of the soul by denying the soul the hope of life in Heaven.
Venial sin is an offense against God which does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace. It is called venial from venia, a Latin word meaning, "pardon" because the soul still has the vital principle that allows a cure from within. God's pardon is similar to the healing of a sick or diseased body whose source of animation (the soul) is still present to restore the ailing body and bring it back to health.
There is no single word for "sin" in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, St. John identified both types of sin: If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly (1 Jn 5:16-17). John's point is that you cannot simply pray away deadly sin because it is forgiven only through confession and repentance to Christ's representative, an ordained priest. It is a power and authority Jesus gave to the ministers of His Church in John 20:22-23.
The Church and the Bible both teach that sin incurs two types of penalties. The first is the rupture in one's relationship with God called the "eternal punishment." Jesus provided a remedy for this sin when He merited the forgiveness of sins on the altar of the Cross and reconciled us to God. We receive this forgiveness personally through repentance and our confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The second penalty for sin is what Hebrews 12:5-15 refers to as "chastisement." The Church also calls this the "temporal punishment" of sin. It is a punishment which we incur due to the injustice we bring into the world through our sins. A possible analogy is that of a child who offends his parents by breaking a window. His parents can forgive him, but they also might ask him to clean up the broken glass. Another analogy might be a drunkard or an addict who asks God's forgiveness for the harm done to his body but still has to deal with the damaging effects of his alcoholism and drug addiction. In any event, these analogies point to a spiritual truth about the justice of suffering some discomfort as a consequence of our sins.
and the greed that is idolatry.
It may seem odd that Paul equates greed with idolatry,
but he did the same in Ephesians 5:5, listing some of the same vices: Be
sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is an idolater,
has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. The definition of
greed is intense and excessive desire that can include wealth, power, food, or
even sex. The Old Testament prophets equated idolatry with adultery or
fornication since the covenant with Yahweh was imaged as a marriage
relationship. The prophet Hosea called the Israelites who engaged in the worship
of false gods the children of fornication (Hosea 2:4), equating idolatry with
sexual immorality in the Israelites' unfaithfulness to Yahweh the Divine spouse
of Israel His covenant Bride. Paul's point is that sin, especially sexual sin,
can come to dominate a person's life so completely that it replaces God as the
most important part of a person's life. Anything that supplants God in one's
affections is idolatry.
6 Because of
these the wrath of God is coming [upon the disobedient].
The "wrath of God" is a Biblical image that uses human
language to portray God's divine judgment and just punishment for sins. This
does not suggest that God possesses the human emotion of anger. "Wrath" is an
expression that conveys God's just judgment and the irreconcilable opposition
between God and sin/evil (i.e., see
Is 9:11, 16, 18, 20; 10:4; 30:27;
Zep 1:15) Also see Romans 1:18 where Paul writes: The wrath of God is indeed
being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who
suppress the truth by their wickedness. In his commentary, Fr. Hamm writes
concerning Colossians 3:6: "God's holiness hurts if we reject it" (Catholic
Commentary on Sacred Scripture: Colossians, page 214).
8 But now you
must put them all away [put off these]: anger, fury, malice, slander, and
obscene language out of your mouths. 9 Stop
lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self...
When Paul writes that the Colossian Christians "must put
them all away," he is contrasting the post-baptismal person with the pre-bapitismal
lifestyle he has been describing.
Question: In describing what they must put away,
what does Paul summarize as another list of five vices, and what do the vices
have in common?
Answer: Paul summarizes what is to be "put off"
as vices generated from the heart but often exercised by the mouth as sins of
speech:
The list of vices reflects the link between one's interior life and its expression in speech which the final vice confirms. Paul implies that some Colossian Christians continue the old self, pre-baptismal practice that they took a vow to set aside when they were baptized as a "new person" in Christ. He is not condemning them so much as reminding them that they are a work in progress, and the journey to salvation lasts a lifetime.
Jesus made the same link in His homily in Matthew 12:34-37 when He said, I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Mt 12:36-37; also see Luke 6:43-45). On Judgment Day, God will hold people accountable for even their careless words because our words reveal the true heart/character of a person.
In the Greek, the wording in verse 8 is literally "to put
off" or "to strip off" (IBGE, vol. IV, page 546) which suggests discarding
something soiled.
Question: Paul's wording suggests what ancient
baptismal practice and what does the practice suggest?
Answer: The candidate for baptism removes or "puts
off" his or her clothes from the former, sinful life to put on a white garment
to symbolize the transformation taking place in baptism.
...which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image
of its creator.
Because of their resurrection with Christ in the
Sacrament of Baptism, believers must regard themselves as alive to Him in
righteousness. Christians must "put on" the holiness of living in the image of
Christ prompted by love as Jesus commanded when He said, "love one another as I
love you (Jn 15:12; Col 3:12-17). Paul writes that God is still transforming
them into the image of their Creator, restoring the divine image in humanity as
He first created Adam (Gen 1:27). The mention of the Creator looks back to the
Christ-hymn in 1:15-20 and the Church as the Body of the "new creation" of
Jesus Christ, the "firstborn from the dead" who is its head. Therefore, the
resurrected Jesus Christ is the creator of Christians in His image. Paul
expresses this idea a little differently in Romans 8:29 where he says God
conforms the "elect," baptized Christian to the image of God the Son: For
those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. There is no conflict
because God the Father and God the Son are one and the same.
11 Here there is
not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave,
free; but Christ is all and in all.
Paul announces the equality of all baptized believers.
There are no divisions between ethnic or social groups: Gentiles and Jews,
those who are circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarians outside the Roman
Empire, the wild Scythians who live unconquered beyond the borders of the
Empire, those in slavery and those who are free men and women. All people can be
equal and united in the Body of Christ. This is the same teaching Paul offers
in 1 Corinthians 12:13; 15:28, and Galatians 3:27-28.
Colossians 3:12-16 ~ Put on Love and Let the Peace of Christ Reign
12 Put on then,
as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing
with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against
another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. 14 And over all these put on love, that is, the
bond of perfection. 15 And let the
peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called
in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish
one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your
hearts to God. 17 And whatever you
do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.
God's chosen ones, holy and beloved...
Paul uses some of the same words found in the Old
Testament to describe the covenant people in their relationship with God: For
you are a people sacred [holy] to the LORD [Yahweh], your God; he has chosen
you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his
own... It was because the LORD [Yahweh] loved you... (Dt 7:6, 8a).
As a parallel to "putting off" the vices he listed
earlier, Paul now invites Christians to "put on" certain virtues in Christ.
Question: As a parallel to the ten vices Paul
listed in 3:5 and 8, what five virtues does he list in verse 12 that God's holy
and beloved chosen ones should practice? How are these virtues related to
Jesus Christ?
Answer:
These virtues are the attributes of Jesus in His humanity and the hallmarks of Christians living in the image of Christ by sharing His love with others.
13 bearing with
one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. 14 And over all these put on love, that is, the
bond of perfection.
Forgiveness must be the hallmark of Christian unity.
This verse recalls Jesus' promise and warning at the end of the Lord's Prayer
when He said: If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly
Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive your transgressions (Mt 6:14-15). In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus
taught concerning forgiveness, Therefore, if you bring your gift to the
altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your
gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then
come and offer your gift. And in Mark 11:25 He said, When you stand to
pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly
Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.
Question: How do we demonstrate our faith in
Jesus' promises concerning forgiveness and obedience to His warnings in the
liturgy of the Mass?
Answer: We actively demonstrate our willingness to
forgive others when we share the greeting of peace in Mass. However, we must
remember Jesus' commands and warnings concerning forgiveness. We must not
simply go through the motions without any thought for the consequences of
failing to forgive others and genuinely offering the love of Christ that is our
bond of Christian unity in the covenant family of God.
15 And let the
peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called
in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish
one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your
hearts to God. 17 And whatever you
do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.
Paul urges them to let the peace of their relationship
with Christ control their lives in their thoughts and actions. It is this same
peace that calls them together as a unity of "one body" in Christ that is His
Church. Paul tells them that they also need to be thankful. Notice that verse
16 somewhat echoes 1:28 but in reverse order: It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present
everyone perfect in Christ. Christians help each other grow and mature
spiritually as the Body of Christ both as individuals and as a community.
Question: In what ways does Paul suggest they can
demonstrate their gratitude in verses 16-17 that is a simple formula for a holy
life and probably good to express in the liturgy of worship?
Answer: They can show their gratitude for their
unity and peace in Christ as they teach each other, correct each other when
someone is in danger of going astray, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs that glorify God, and dedicating every word and deed in thanksgiving to
God the Father through God the Son.
Colossians 3:18-4:1 ~ The Christian Family
18 Wives,
be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any
bitterness toward them. 20 Children,
obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so
they may not become discouraged. 22 Slaves,
obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying
favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for
the Lord and not for others, 24 knowing
that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be
slaves of the Lord Christ. 25 For
the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is
no partiality. 4:1 Masters,
treat your slaves justly and fairly, realizing that you too have a Master in
heaven.
Question: In 3:18-4:1, St. Paul provides specific
instructions for what pairings of groups who are baptized members of the
community? What do the people in each group have in common?
Answer:
The people in each of the groups serve one Master who is the Lord God in Heaven.
18 Wives, be
subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any
bitterness toward them.
Some people judge Paul harshly for his advice on the relationship
between wives and husbands, but it is unfair to judge someone who lived
centuries earlier by modern standards and perceptions. Paul's instruction
recalls his teaching concerning the relationship between wives and husbands in
Ephesians 5:21-33. In his advice to wives and husbands, St. Paul began by
urging them to be imitators of Christ (Eph 5:1; Col 3:18) and to offer each
other a mutual submission in their responsibility to each other in the unity of
their marriage. Mutual submission is the key to understanding Paul's teaching.
In Ephesians 5:23-24, Paul writes: For
the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head [kephale] of the Church,
he himself the savior of the body. 24 As
the Church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their
husbands in everything.
The Greek term kephale (head) is found 75 times in the New Testament. In the Bible, the word is used in the New Testament and in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to the physical head of a man, an animal, or a statue (Mt 5:36; Gen 3:15; Dan 2:32). It also can be a synonym for "ruler" as in the case of King David who is called "the head over nations" (Ps 18:44) and Jesus Christ who Paul calls the "head over all things to the Church" (Eph 1:22). The word can also mean what is the "source" or "origin," as in the "head of a river" or the male progenitor of a family. Paul is using this term to encourage husbands to be heads or leaders within their families just as Christ is head over the Church (also see Eph 5:23 and 1 Cor 11:3). Notice in the Ephesians passage that St. Paul uses imagery from the Creation narrative of Genesis where the first man, Adam, was both the "head" and "source" of his wife, Eve, born from his side (Gen 2:21-23). In the same way, Jesus Christ is the "head" and the "source" of the Body of Christ that is His Bride, the Church.
Wives are encouraged to cooperate with their husbands in their leadership roles in the family, but Paul places more responsibilities upon the husbands in what is mutual submission in their relationship with their wives. Husbands are not to do anything that might cause a breach in their relationship (Col 3:19b).
In the Ephesians passage, Paul writes that there are three ways husbands must serve their wives, quoting from the Old Testament creation story of the marriage of Adam and Eve that Jesus also quotes in Matthew 19:5:
In the Ephesians passage and in 3:19, Paul places the greater burden for harmony between husband and wife on the husband.
20 Children, obey
your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so
they may not become discouraged.
Question: Which of the Ten Commandments does verse 20 fulfill?
Answer: It fulfills the commandment in Exodus 20:12 to "honor your father and your mother."
In verse 20, Paul admonishes children to obey their parents equally, but in verse 21 he only addresses the fathers who in the Roman world exercised absolute authority over their children. Paul's point is that fathers must not be so harsh with their children as to cause them to become dispirited.
22 Slaves,
obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying
favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for
the Lord and not for others, 24 knowing
that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be
slaves of the Lord Christ. 25 For
the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is
no partiality. 4:1 Masters,
treat your slaves justly and fairly, realizing that you too have a Master in
heaven.
After having spent one verse apiece on four relationships,
Paul now devotes five verses on the relationship between slaves and masters. Paul
is not condoning slavery in this passage. His letter to Philemon expresses his
desire to abolish slavery in Christian households. However, slavery was an
institution going back to the dawn of time, and there was nothing Paul could do
in the Church's circumstances in his time. The Church was a very weak minority
institution without any political power in the world, but Paul does what he can
to ease the conditions of those in slavery in Christian households.
Paul writes that slaves should be obedient to their masters not only when directly under their supervision, but obedience should be motivated by a desire to please which he calls "in simplicity of heart," like "fearing the Lord" who is the true Master. "Fear of the Lord" is an authentic expression of true religion in the Old and New Testaments (i.e., Dt 6:24; 31:12; Ps 2:11; Prov 1:7a; Sir 1:12, 18; Acts 13:26; Rev 14:7). It does not refer to servile fear but fear of giving offense in the same way a loving child should fear offending a loving parent. If a slave looks at his service to his master as an expression of serving the Lord Jesus Christ, God will reward him. God will also punish the wrongdoer, even if he is the slave's master. To carry home his point, Paul gives the warning in 4:1, Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, realizing that you too have a Master in heaven. Paul warns masters and slaves that God will justly repay those who behave badly, and in eternity, they will be equals in the Lord.
CHAPTER 4:2-18
Colossians 4:2-6 ~ Persevering in Prayer
2 Persevere in
prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; 3 at the same time, pray for us, too, that God may open a door to
us for the word, to speak of the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, 4 that I may make it clear, as I must speak. 5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders,
making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your
speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should
respond to each one.
Paul asks the community to continue in prayer, promoting prayer that is vigilant against temptations and distractions and at the same time thankful for God's spiritual and material blessings. St. John Chrysostom writes: "Paul knows that continuance in prayer can make us restless, so he tells us to be watchful,' that is, to be sober and avoid wandering. For the devil knows the power of a good prayer, and thus he presses heavily upon us when we pray. Paul is also aware how careless many can be at prayer, and so he says continue' in prayer to remind us that it is hard work" (Homilies on Colossians, 10).
Paul is not only asking for prayers to open his prison doors, but prayers that the Holy Spirit will open more "doors." He is referring metaphorically to opening hearts to hear the Word of God as Paul and his missionary team continue to preach the mystery of God's divine plan for humanity's salvation.
5 Conduct
yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
Paul reminds the community of their Christian witness to
those "outside" the New Covenant family. They must behave in a way that will
make a good impression and advance their opportunities to share Christ with
non-Christians.
6 Let your speech always be
gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each
one.
Salt was used as a preservative and to enhance the taste
of food. Their speech in front of non-Christians should be wholesome and pure
as befitting a child of God sharing Christ's Gospel of salvation. It is in
this way that Christians will "season" the earth with the Gospel, becoming what
Christ called His disciples to become: "the salt of the earth" (Mt 5:13).
Colossians 4:7-8 ~ The Bearers of Paul's Letter
7 Tychicus, my
beloved brother, trustworthy minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell
you all the news of me. 8 I
am sending him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us and
that he may encourage your hearts, 9 together
with Onesimus, a trustworthy and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will
tell you about everything here.
Tychicus was a Christian from Asia Minor and a companion on Paul's third missionary journey (Acts 20:4). Apparently Tychicus and Onesimus, the young slave Paul led to Christ, traveled together to Colossae. Tychicus was tasked to deliver Paul's letters to the Colossian Christians and others in the Lycus River Valley (the lost letter to the Laodiceans). Paul had previously sent him to deliver a Letter to the Ephesians after his first visit when he founded the community (Eph 6:21-22). At a later time, Paul sent him back to Ephesus (2 Tim 4:12), and he was a candidate with Artemas to replace Titus as a minister of the Gospel on the island of Crete (Titus 3:12). Onesimus was sent to return to his master with the letter Paul wrote to Philemon (see the Letter to Philemon). Paul is very fond of both men and writes that they can provide news of Paul's present circumstances.
Colossians 4:9-14 ~ Paul's Co-Workers
10 Aristarchus,
my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas
(concerning whom you have received instructions; if he comes to you, receive
him), 11 and Jesus, who is called
Justus, who are of the circumcision; these alone are my co-workers for the
kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras sends you greetings; he is one of
you, a slave of Christ [Jesus], always striving for you in his prayers so that
you may be perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I can testify that he works very hard for
you and for those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician sends greetings,
as does Demas.
Paul's co-workers, except for Jesus/Justus, are the same men Paul named in his letter to Philemon in verse 23-24.
Question: What do we know about Paul's co-workers
in addition to this passage? For Aristarchus see
Acts 19:29; 20:4-5; 27:2;
Col 4:10;
Phlm 24.
For Mark see
Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39;
Col 4:10;
Phlm 24;
2 Tim 4:11;
1 Pt 5:13; Gospel of Mark. For Epaphras see
Col 1:7;
Phlm 23;
Col 4:12. For Luke see Acts 11:19-26; 13:1-3;
Col 4:11, 14;
2 Tim 4:11;
Phlm 24. For Demas see Phlm 24; 2 Tim 4:10.
Answer:
Paul became very fond of Mark who spent time with Paul during his last imprisonment in Rome. At the end of his first letter, probably from Rome which he compares to the sinful city of Babylon, St. Peter writes: The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son (1 Pt 5:13).1
Colossians 4:15-18 ~ Message for Nearby Christian
Communities and Farewell
15 Give greetings
to the brothers in Laodicea and to Nympha and to the church in her house. 16 And when this letter is read before you, have
it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and you yourselves read the one
from Laodicea. 17 And tell
Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you received in the Lord." 18 The greeting is in my own hand, Paul's.
Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Apparently, Tychicus also had a letter written by Paul for the Christians in Laodicea. Unfortunately, this letter has been lost to history. Laodicea was another city in the Lycus Valley of Phrygia in Asia Minor (Col 2:1; 4:13, 15). The Greek Seleucid ruler Antiochus II founded the city in the third century BC and named after his wife, Laodice. The city's location on the main trade route between the Eastern and Western Roman Empire made it a leading commercial and banking center in Asia Minor. It was one of the seven churches to receive letters from the resurrected Christ in the Book of Revelation (Rev 3:14-22) probably a decade after Paul wrote his letters to Laodicea and Colossae.
Question: How does Jesus describe the spiritual
state of the community and what command does He give them in Revelation 3:14-22?
Answer: Jesus described their spiritual state as
"wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev 3:17). He told them He knew
the tepid condition of the faith of the community whose works were "neither
cold nor hot" (Rev 3:15). Jesus told the community to prepare themselves for
divine judgment, saying: "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he
with me" (Rev 3:20).
Paul sends his greeting to a woman named Nympha. Woman
consistently held hospitality leadership positions in the 1st
century AD Church.
Question: Name some women from Acts of Apostles
and Paul's other letters who opened their homes for communities of Christians
and held leadership positions in the early local churches? See
Acts 12:12; 16:14-15, 40; 18:2, 26;
Rom 16:1-5;
1 Cor 1:11; 16:19;
Phil 4:2-3;
Col 4:15.
Answer: Some of those women included:
Paul also names several other women in his letters including eight (some unnamed) in his Letter to the Romans (16:8-15). Their leadership was not in leading the liturgy of worship but in providing their homes as a meeting place and taking on the responsibility for providing what the community needed materially for worship and charity for the poor. Women did not serve in a ministerial capacity.
17 And tell
Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you received in the Lord."
Archippus receives a personal message reminding him of
his commitment to fulfill the ministry to which the Lord called him.
Question: Who was Archippus? See The Letter to
Philemon verse 2.
Answer: Archippus was one of three individuals to
whom Paul addressed his Letter to Philemon. Paul called him a "fellow
soldier."
Since Paul mentioned "a calling," it is possible he is the pastor or a deacon in the Colossian community.
18 The greeting
is in my own hand, Paul's. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Verses 15-18 are in Paul's handwriting and not Timothy's,
who was probably acting as Paul's scribe/secretary and listed as a co-sender of
the letter (1:1). Paul frequently included a personal note at the end of his
letters written by his hand (i.e., 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; 2 Thes 3:17). When
Paul writes "Remember my chains" he is asking his Christian brothers and
sisters to pray for him in his present circumstances and for his release so he
can perhaps, one day, come to express his affection for them in person instead
of by letter. His petition for them is that God will continue to bless them
with His grace on their journey to salvation.
Questions for reflection or group discussion:
Jesus had both male and female disciples. Jesus was not
bound or limited by human conventions and could have accepted priestesses and
well as priests, common in pagan worship, but He did not. In fact, what Jesus
established as the ministerial order in the New Covenant Church was consistent
with the Old Covenant but contrary to the norms of His times. Why, by God's
command, did the Old Covenant and the New Covenant limit ordained ministers to
males, unlike other religions? What did Jesus say about a celibate priesthood
after discussing His ruling against divorce in Matthew 19:1-12? Do we have the
authority to change what Jesus established in the male/female division of labor
in the hierarchy of His Church? Who does the ordained male priest represent and
what does the unity of the covenant body of believers that is the Church represent
in the liturgy of New Covenant worship? Keep in mind that our liturgy of
worship on earth is a foretaste of what we will experience in our heavenly
worship. See Rev 19:5-9; 21:9.
Endnote:
1. According to Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, Mark was an
interpreter and secretary for St. Peter in Rome, and it was there that he wrote
down Peter's account of Christ in the Gospel According to Mark (Eusebius, Church
History, 2.15; 3.39). Bishop Eusebius also wrote that Mark later went to
Egypt after the death of Peter to serve as the Bishop of Alexandria where he
was martyred (Church History, 2.16, 24). His relics were later taken to
Venice, Italy in 829 AD and placed in the church that bears his name, Saint
Mark's Basilica.
2. Bishop Eusebius records in his 4th century Church History that St. Luke was born in Antioch, Syria and was a member of Paul's home church there (Church History, 3.4).
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2018 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
| Colossians Chapters 3-4 (CCC 1971*) | 3:16 (CCC 2641) |
| 3:1-3 (CCC 655*) | 3:18-21 (CCC 2204*) |
| 3:1 (CCC 1002) | 3:20 (CCC 2217) |
| 3:3 (CCC 665*, 1003, 1420, 2796) | 3:21 (CCC 2286*) |
| 3:4 (CCC 1003, 2772*) | 4:1 (CCC 1807) |
| 3:5-8 (CCC 1852) | 4:2 (CCC 2638*, 2849*) |
| 3:5 (CCC 2518) | 4:3-4 (CCC 2632*, 2636*) |
| 3:10 (CCC 2809) | 4:11 (CCC 307*) |
| 3:14 (CCC 815, 1827, 1844, 1156*, 2633*) | 4:12 (CCC 2629*, 2632*) |
| 3:16-17 (CCC 156*, 2633*) |
Mortal sins: CCC 1033, 1055, 184-555, 1858-59, 1861
Venial sins: CCC 1414, 1458, 1472, 1862-63
| Topics | Catechism citations |
| The sin of homosexuality | CCC 2357-59 |
| The sin of divorce | CCC 1650, 2384 |
| The definition of fornication | CCC 2353 |
| The immorality of fornication | CCC 1755, 1852, 2353 |
| Insults against the dignity of the Sacrament of Marriage | CCC 2380-81 |
| The gravity of sexual sins | CCC 1756, 1856, 1858, 2380, 2400 |
| Desire/lust | CCC 2336, 2528 |
| God's commandment concerning purity versus sexual sins | CCC 2052, 2055, 2196 |