Epistle to the Colossians

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The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians (Latin: Epistola Pauli ad Colossenses ) is a book of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is divided into four chapters since the Middle Ages.

Author, language style, dating

In Colossians 1.1 EU, together with his colleague Paul asks Timothy ago as the author. The claim is underscored by the handwritten greeting (Col 4:18 NIV ): " The salutation with my, Paul, Hand. Will my shackles! Grace be with you! " Eduard Schweizer saw Timothy as secretary of the Apostle caught on ( " Secretary hypothesis " ), which he explained the stylistic peculiarities.

The letter shows both the similarities and the unique features compared to the clearly attributed to Paul 's letters. Disputers his authorship refer in particular to 37 so-called Hapaxlegomena, ie terms that appear only once in the New Testament ( albeit sometimes in the text the author of a given material). This argument is rejected by some as not necessarily because it equally applies to the generally accepted Romans. It lacks otherwise typical formulations for Paul, while piling up for him atypical genitive compounds; also was made aware of associative reasoning. This still would be explained by the involvement of Timothy and drafting through him. Because there are in the structure and theology extensive similarities that suggest at least good knowledge of Pauline theology or a close disciple of Paul. The representatives of the Pauline authorship of the special features related to a Fronststellung against a heresy in the church in Colosse; this constellation have a different formulation of his theology requires ( Werner Georg Kümmel ). " Probably the most convincing evidence of the authenticity is the close connection to Philemon, no one doubts its authenticity " ( William MacDonald ).

Nevertheless, the Colossians has been widely regarded as pseudepigraphic font with Timothy or another disciple of Paul as the author in the recent continental European research. The letter is then counted to the deutero-Pauline letters, but with close proximity to Paul, written about 70 AD Many adhere to the authorship of Paul firmly and dated to 53-56 AD. or about 58-60 AD.

Receiver

Receiver is the church in Colossae, Paul personally but does not know (2.1 EU). Colossae was a small town 170 km east of Ephesus with a significant Jewish minority. Colossae was destroyed 60/61 AD by an earthquake. Tacitus mentions only the neighboring Laodicea:

This results in a difficulty for those who doubt the Pauline authorship and date the letter after 60 AD. Extended these " placelessness " (given the defunct recipient city) the effective range of Colossians to the small Asian mission area of Paul? The author refers its recipients to the church at Laodicea and assigns a mutual exchange of letters to (Col 4,16 EU). The letter to Laodicea is, however, not known. But perhaps the earthquake did not mean the utter end of this city - so Ulrich Luz:

Purpose

Probably the early Christian communities of Asia Minor were threatened by esoteric heresies facing now Paul warns the Christians in Colosse ( 2.4 to 9 EU). These false teachers proclaiming probably the worship of angelic powers (2.18 EU) and minderten through their teaching, the role of Jesus as savior (2.19 EU). The ascetic purity requirements of the heretics by the author the full share possessions in the " fullness of the Godhead " in Jesus Christ through baptism contrary.

Major theological positions

Christology

The Christology of Colossians stands out due to its cosmological interpretation of the remaining letters. The saving work of Christ here has significance for the entire cosmos. In Colossians 1:15-20 EU, the author quotes a hymn to Christ, which is the basis of his understanding of Christ and is divided into two stanzas. The first stanza (verses 15-16 ), the creation of the subject. This is followed by an intermediate piece (vv. 17 -18a ), which carries the main message of the hymn, that Christ " above all", and " Him all things hold ". Then follows the third verse (verses 18b -20), which has the redemption theme.

" 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For in him all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, but the body is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so he has first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to dwell with all its fullness in him to reconcile all things through him. 20 Everything in heaven and on earth he wanted to lead them to Christ, by making peace through his blood on the cross. "

According to the letter determines the relationship not only between Christ and the Church, but the whole cosmos as that of a head to the body ( Much Hauer ). He is the mediator of creation as the head of all principality (Col 2,10 EU), triumphs over the cosmic powers ( Col 2:15 EU), has the powers of their importance to the community and are at this portion of his reign, in which he reconciled to God (Col. 1.22 EU), their Debenture wipes ( Col. 2:14 EU) and the Gentile world proclaim his rule leaves (Col 1.27 EU). Christ as mediator of creation and as a savior of the world is in Paul's letters quite a secondary motif, but up here on as the Running Christological basis.

Eschatology and understanding of baptism

Colossians offers a cosmologically oriented Gegenwartseschatologie. The Christians have died in baptism and risen with Christ; other powers can no longer rule over them (Col. 2:12-13 EU). Christians are called vital not to negatively qualified by the powers range (" down "), but to align with Christ " upwards ". The Paul for otherwise typical " eschatological reservation" one " already - not yet " (Rom 6,3 f EU) is dissolved in the death and resurrection of Christ here in favor of a full participation of the faithful.

Ecclesiology

Together with 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 EU EU, the Church is the Body of Christ in Colossians (Greek σῶμα Χριστοῦ ); but Christ himself is not the body but the head of the body, as he is also the head of the cosmos. The Church is the " Jesus Christ made ​​it possible and pervaded universal saving space " ( Fast with Kol 1,18.24; 2:17:19; 3.5 ), whose members mystically in the resurrection, but - so says the author of themselves - even in the still unfinished sufferings of Christ are taken into (Col 1.24 EU). This the Pauline theology of the cross contradictory thought is often seen as an indication against a Pauline authorship.

Content

  • Start of the letter Prescript (Col 1:1-2 EU)
  • Thanksgiving and intercession (Col 1:3-14 EU)
  • The hymn to Christ (Col 1:15-20 EU)
  • Application to the church ( Colossians 1:21-23 EU)
  • The Office of the Apostle (Col. 1.24 to 2.5 EU)
  • Dealing with false teachers (Col 2.6 to 23 EU)
  • The right life of Christians: admonitions to shape the relations between men and women, parents and children, slaves and masters ( 3.18 to 23 EU)
  • General exhortations ( 4:2-6 EU)
  • Apostolic Parousia (Col 4.7-9 EU)
  • Greetings (Col 4.10 to 17 EU)
  • Handwritten Letter closing (Col 4,18 EU)
First Epistle to the Corinthians Second Epistle to the Corinthians Epistle to the Galatians Epistle to the Ephesians Epistle to the Philippians First Epistle to the Thessalonians Second Epistle to the Thessalonians First Epistle to Timothy Epistle to Titus Epistle to Philemon General epistles First Epistle of Peter First Epistle of John Second Epistle of John Third Epistle of John Epistle of Jude Saint Timothy Strophe Heide (disambiguation) Ernst Lohmeyer Udo Schnelle Klaus Berger Integrated Authority File
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