An Exegetical Study of Colossians 2:1-5

Translation

Comments

Verse 1

Verse 2

Translation

1 For I want you all to know [1] how much I am fighting on your behalf and for the Laodiceans, and for all those who I have not met personally. [2] 2 I am fighting so that hearts may be encouraged in the knowledge of Christ, who is the mystery of God, [3] being united in love and in the richness of a full assurance of understanding. 3 In him is secreted all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [4] 4 I am telling you this so that no one may deceive you with persuasive, but untrue, arguments. 5 For although I am not there in the flesh, I am with you in the Spirit, rejoicing, and seeing the order and the stability of your faith in Christ.

Comments

Verse 1

At this point in the letter, Paul [5] is transitioning from the greeting and thanksgiving part of the letter into the actual body, or purpose, of the letter. As we learned earlier (1:7) Paul was not directly involved in the ministry to the Colossian and associated churches, but rather served as an overseer to a broader ministry of which the Colossian church was a part. Because he was not personally responsible, however, does not imply a lack of interest or responsibility. Rather, as part of his community of churches, founded directly or indirectly by him, he earnestly seeks the welfare of the church, and is fighting on their behalf, most probably through prayer but certainly also by spending time in discussion with those directly involved, providing leadership to the leaders of the community, and by writing this letter for the purpose of aiding the growth of the church. [6] Although it appears that he does not know many of those within the church personally, he wants to pass on the fact that he is not simply a passive observer writing a nice letter, but is in fact passionately involved in their lives. This passion extends to the church in Laodicea (see 4:16), and indeed to all the churches for whom this letter is the only encounter they will have with Paul. Paul’s mission has extended beyond his abilities to be personally present, but he still is striving for all those who have become part of his mission churches. There can also be here an understanding of the universal aspect of this letter, with Paul understanding and intending this letter be kept and passed on to a broader range of churches than intentionally addressed. [7]

Verse 2

Here Paul tells us why he is fighting. He is fighting so that hearts may be encouraged. Harris sees in this verse a description of a fourfold purpose of this striving. [8]

The first purpose is for hearts to be encouraged, the second is for the church to be united in love, the third is for the church to have all the riches of assurance, and the fourth is for them to be filled with knowledge. He understands the aorist participle sumbibasqevnteV as falling under the influence of the ina clause, becoming another purpose of his work. [9] The difficulty arises in that this word does not seem to fit within the sentence. However, if we understand Paul’s main purpose for this letter to be one of encouragement, [10] we can see this participle as being modal, describing the manner in which this encouragement will be manifested and revealed. The encouragement will help to facilitate and “be facilitated by” being united in love and with assurance. [11] It is noteworthy, however, that sumbibasqevnteV can also be translated as “instructed, so that Paul could be said to be writing to encourage by instruction, hoping to mature the churches in love and in the riches of a full understanding. [12] As Bruce points out, however, 2:19 seems to indicate, decisively for Bruce, that Paul is concerned about being united in this passage rather than instruction. [13]

The encouragement is meant to promote and to be promoted by a concept which runs throughout the Pauline letters, and seems to be the major theme for much of his letters, namely a call for unity. While Paul is conscious about fighting various heresies, the main concept here seems to be that unity is found in being true to Christ. This unity can be understood as being founded simply in love, [14] or we can take the kai as connecting both en agaph and eiV pan ploutoV thV plhroforiaV thV sunesewV, thus indicating that the unity comes both through love and a full assurance of understanding. NT Wright states, “while the process of knitting together the church into a united body clearly includes the growth of love, it also includes the growth, on the part of the whole community, of that proper understanding of the gospel which leads to the rich blessings of a settled conviction and assurance.” [15] Or as Dunn puts it, “The integration between (as we would say) mind and heart is an important feature of Paul’s understanding of how the salvation process works out in the individual and group.” [16] The unity is founded on both the heart, [17] and on a firm and settled understanding of the Gospel message. The encouragement which Paul hopes to convey, then, will be manifested by unity in love and faith, and if we understand eiV epignwsin as referring back to and connected with paraklhqwsin this unity will lead to the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely a knowledge of the person of Christ. [18]

Verse 3

Whether the w is specifically referring to the mystery or to Christ is unimportant, they are one in the same. The knowledge of the mystery of God is knowledge of Christ. This knowledge of Christ, which is the goal of the encouragement which Paul is sending to the churches is complete in and of itself. All that is true wisdom and knowledge can is contained in the knowledge of Christ, and thus anything which disputes or leads away from Christ is neither wisdom or knowledge. What is true is found in Christ, there are no exceptions. [19] The point of this is to say why then seek after things which are not of Christ, if the fullness of the revelation is found in him, and has been revealed already. We find here a possible reference to the mystery cults in which knowledge was increasingly given after going through various trials or initiations. Thus, like later seen in Gnostic thought, knowledge was never complete, but rather there was a developed hierarchy of those “in the know”. In Paul’s understanding, however, there is no developing revelation of knowledge, rather the Christ revealed fully contains the entire revelation. This wisdom is a true treasure which is given to all those who seek after Christ alone. As Wright states, “Everything we might want to ask about God and his purposes can and must now be answered – this is the force of the verse – with reference to the crucified and risen Jesus, the Messiah.” What was once a mystery has now been fully revealed for all to grasp a hold of, inferring that further pursuits of “mysteries” are now meaningless.

Verse 4

At this point we come to where many commentators find the beginning of a new section, the introduction of the specific purpose of this letter, namely to warn the Colossians against following teachings which are not in line with Christ. [20] Paul gets to the point, not letting the readers simply intuit understanding of what Paul is saying, but rather Paul directly states why he has just said what he did. [21] He does not want those in the church to follow nice sounding, but untrue arguments. He is writing so that no one will be drawn away from the church. The en in this verse is instrumental, properly translated “by” or “with”. However, there does not seem to be a sense of urgency or command in this verse which would indicate an emergency system, rather it seems that Paul is aware of the general context in which they live, and is gently steering them away. Dunn writes, “these concerns can hardly have been serious; otherwise they would have come to the fore much more quickly (as in 1 Cor. 1:10; Gal. 1:6; 1 Thes. 2:1).” [22] While Wall contends that these false teachings are a specific heresy that “threatens the faith of the Colossian believers”, [23] and beginning in this passage begins to identify and respond to the fancy rhetoric, it seems more likely that this is simply a pluralistic religious environment in which those in the church would be expected to be exposed to a variety of religious teaching, some of which were propounded by very intelligent and very eloquent followers. [24]

Verse 5

Indeed verse 5 seems to indicate that Paul does not feel worried, but indeed feels somewhat encouraged by the situation at the churches to which he is writing. He is not worried or concerned but is rejoicing at what he is hearing about the state of the church. Verses 4 and 5 together seem to indicate that while there is concern, it is not necessarily of a specific kind, nor do they reveal an immediate danger to the church. Rather as Tom Wright states:

Paul does not say that the Colossians have already been deceived, but from long experience he knows that a work of grace is followed by an attack from the enemy, and that one regular from this attack may take is the clever plausibility of teaching near enough to the truth to be apparently respectable and far enough away from it to be devastating in its effect on individuals and congregations. [25]

This concern is real but not quite dangerous, so Paul can offer gentle advice rather than harsh warnings.

In this verse Paul once again reiterates the fact that he is not with them in person, saying essentially that his “flesh is absent.” Yet, Paul continues by saying that while his flesh is absent he is with them tw pneumati. There are two ways to understand this phrase. The first is the common understanding of being with someone in spirit, namely being with them in one’s thoughts or emotions. Schweizer states that the “discussion relates to his perpetual participation in the fortunes of the community.” [26] Those who hold this view tend to see the flesh/spirit distinctions as being parallelism employed by Paul to emphasize his care even though he is not with them personally. [27] However, following the trend of 1 Cor. 5:3, one could also read this verse as implying something more than a trite statement of Paul’s thinking about and praying for the church. This verse seems to indicate that when Paul is speaking of being present with them tw pneumati he may be referencing the Spirit of God. Thus, he seems to indicate that while he is not there in the flesh, the communion and unity which only comes from the Spirit of God is uniting him with them. Gordon Fee puts forth that Paul takes very seriously the fact that his letter will be read at a gathering for worship, and because of this “Paul considers himself as truly present by the Spirit, as they gather in the presence and power of the Spirit of the reading of his letter.” [28] Paul is not simply thinking about the Colossian church, but is rather implying a real unity with them, a presence that may be even more important than a physical presence. He is united in them in the Spirit and can thus rejoice with them in what they are doing.

The participles cairwn and blepwn are describing what it is Paul’s Spiritual presence is doing with the churches. There are two ways these participles can be taken. The first is to understand these as two separate actions: Paul is rejoicing and Paul is seeing. Or they can be taken as one action, “rejoicing at seeing”. [29] Either way it is clear that these two are connected. The seeing here is obviously not a literal seeing, but rather implies more the fact that he has a general understanding of their situation. This statement serves as both a congratulations and as an encouragement for continued “right” living, as Paul is truly “with” them and is keeping track of how they are living. For now, however, he has good words to say to them, understanding that they are full of “good order” and “steadfastness.” Some commentators have understood thn taxin and to sterewma as referring to military concepts of a army prepared for battle. [30]

What is ordered and steadfast in the church is their faith in Christ. Wright states that Paul here is definitely using military language, understanding that the “church is drawn up in proper battle array with a solid wall of defence, namely, its faith in Christ.” [31] He continues by comparing Paul to a general who is inspecting and encouraging the troops before battle. But even if Paul is alluding to a military formation the language still does not imply an immediate “battle” situation, but rather is simply adding another metaphor to the list. [32] The key to all of this, once again, is the fact that the foundation is Christ. Dunn states the phrase “faith in Christ” conveys the “conviction that the whole Christian position (rank and solidity) stands or falls with faith in Christ, with the further implication, again characteristically Pauline, that anything which claims to be an advance upon that faith is in fact a retreat from it.” [33] The firmness and order of the church is based in their faith in Christ.

Summary

This passage is a transition from the introductory parts of the epistle into the main body of the epistle. This transition, rather than a clear line between the two parts of 1:1-23 and 2:6ff, seems to have a distinct purpose. Paul has apparently not visited these churches, and thus does not have the personal rapport that he has with some of the other churches to whom he writes. However, unlike the church at Romans, although he has not visited them, he still has a sense of authority over them. They were not founded by him personally, but were founded as a result of his mission, thus they fall under his personal authority and intimate involvement. While it does not appear that there is anyone or anything specifically challenging his authority, it is still necessary to help define what exactly Paul’s role is in regard to these churches. In 1:24-29 he told them of his general mission, of his calling and role that he has been given. In 2:1-5, however, Paul narrows his perspective. Although he has not visited them, he wants them to know he is fighting for them, doing all that he can so that they may be found mature in Christ.

Paul is not physically leading the church in the specifics of its day to day life, but is still intimately involved with all they are doing. He is not serving as the local shepherd of the flock, but does have a strong role to play. This role consists of prayer for them, and the sending of specific words of wisdom and insights which can help steer their situation towards a more mature relationship with Christ. The situations at the church does not seem to be in any danger, or need of personal involvement, so there is no talk about Paul visiting or sending an emissary. Rather, Paul seems to be confident in the church and is desiring to provide more “hands-off” leadership.

This is accomplished, essentially, by providing a “pep-talk” or reminder of who they are and who they serve. The church does not need intervention, but rather simply appears to need a word of encouragement for those who are struggling or are beginning to doubt. They are reminded that truth is found in Christ alone. By staying in this truth, they will find a unity of love and understanding which will be lost if they go outside the bounds of who Christ is. While Paul is not there, he reminds them in a gentle fashion that he is aware of what they are doing. His acknowledgment of being with them in Spirit, is both an encouragement to their present state of quality, as well as a strong reminder and encouragement to stick to the path they are on. In doing this he is both encouraging and offering a gentle warning.

This passage helps to establish Paul’s role and place in the Colossian community, and other outlying churches. His mission is now too big for him to be physically connected with each church, but what is clear here is that he is still vitally connected with each church in other, maybe more important ways. His authority is not based in his physical presence, but rather in his continued fighting for them, and in his communion with them in the Spirit of God. By establishing his place and role in such a way, he can now proceed to the body of his letter, without causing some in the church to wonder who this person is giving them such advice and counsel.

[1] Probably a gnomic present, rather than an exhortational command, used in the sense of wishing to pass on general knowledge. See Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 523 and esp. 526 n.30.

[2] Lit. “all those who have not seen my face in the flesh”.

[3] Lit. “the mystery of God, Christ”. This phrase was obviously confusing to a great many scribes, with the MSS. offering a variety of different additions. Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2^nd ed. (Stuttgart: German Bible Society, 1994), 555 argues that the simple reading of tou qeou, Cristou is preferred because of a) strong external testimony and b) “it alone provides an adequate explanation of the other readings as various scribal attempts to ameliorate the syntactical ambiguity.” See also Murray J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 82.

[4] Nominal genitives of content, used in the sense of “full of”. See Wallace, 93.

[5] As questions of authorship are outside the scope of this paper, I will be using “Paul” as referring to the author without necessarily making any claims about whether or how the actual apostle was involved in the writing of this letter.

[6] And certainly in other physical and spiritual ways. Harris, 79 understands that agwn “may refer in general to Paul’s unremitting toil for the furtherance of the gospel (cf. Phil. 1:12, 30), including his intense pastoral concern (cf. 2 Cor. 11:28) and his perpetual struggle against his opponents (e.g., 1 Cor. 15:32; 16:9), here, as in 4:12, the primary ref. is to the spiritual warfare of wrestling in prayer.”

[7] James D.G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 130 quoting W. Schenk. This intentional universality can also be seen in a possible reading of 1:2.

[8] Harris, 78 and 80ff.

[9] Harris, 80. See also Robert Wall, Colossians and Philemon (Downers Grove: IVP, 1993), 96 and FF Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984), 90ff.

[10] See Dunn, 130 and Eduard Schweizer, The Letter to the Colossians, trans. Andrew Chester (Minneapolis: Augsberg, 1982), 116.

[11] Ibid.

[12] This is M. Dibelius’ view. See Bruce, 90 n. 9.

[13] Ibid. However, 2:19 also is discussing the “growth that is from God” which could fit in cleanly with the idea of Paul’s wish to teach. 1 Cor. 13 shows that Paul is willing to teach love.

[14] As in the NRSV

[15] NT Wright in his Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 94.

[16] Dunn, 131.

[17] Which Wall, 96 claims in Paul’s Jewish Psychology would symbolize “human volition rather than human emotion; the hard decisions of an embattled life are made by the believer’s heart.” See also Schweizer, 116.

[18] Cf. John 14:7.

[19] Harris, 83: “In the predicate position with an art. noun paV means “all (without exception).”

[20] esp. Harris, 85; Wall, 98; see also Dunn, 133.

[21] I disagree with the view of Wall, 101 that Paul here is emphasizing his own authority as opposed to the “false teachers”. Tauto legw does not seem to be emphasizing Paul at all. In addition, in places where Paul is asserting his authority there does not seem to be any question about what he is doing. See Galatians 1:11ff; 1 Cor. 9; 2 Cor 11-12 for example.

[22] Dunn, 133.

[23] Wall, 98.

[24] Dunn, 133 writes, “the verse need imply no more than the sort of popular religious teaching which must have often been heard in the marketplaces of that region, much of which might have been beguilingly attractive to truth-seeking young converts.

[25] Wright, 95ff.

[26] Schweizer, 120.

[27] See Harris, 87. See Gordon Fee, God’s Empowering Presence (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 646 n. 44 for more commentators with this perspective.

[28] Fee, 646. See also Dunn, 134 and Bruce, 92 for this perspective.

[29] Harris, 87.

[30] See Dunn, 135 and esp. n.11.

[31] Wright, 96

[32] See Dunn, 135.

[33] ibid.