Introduction

The Epistle to the Colossians is one of the prison epistles written from Rome during Paul’s imprisonment. This church may have been founded by Epaphras and other converted Christians during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus.  Colossae was located in Asia Minor about 700 miles east of Ephesus. Today it remains in ruin. This church is not mentioned in the book of Acts.  It was largely a gentile church.  After Paul’s departure from Ephesus, false teachers had entered the church and led believers away from the truth. The scholars suggest that these false teachers tried to influence the church with heresies such as Gnosticism and mysticism, ritualism and intellectualism.  The purpose of writing this letter was to warn Colossians against these false teachings  that deny the supremacy of the person and work of Christ.  Paul portraits Christ as the preeminent one in everything. In Christ dwells all the fullness of deity bodily.  He is the preexistent, omnipotent and eternal Son of God (Colossians 1:15-23).  The  believers are alive and complete in Him.  In Ephesians the emphasis is the dignity of the church but in Colossians the emphasis is the deity of Christ.  Ephesians deals with the oneness of the church with Christ but in Colossian the emphasis is the completeness of church in Christ.  In Ephesians, Church being in Christ; but in Colossians, Christ being in the Church (Colossians 1:27). In Ephesians the emphasis is on the body of Christ, the church. In Colossian the emphasis is on the Head of the church, Jesus Christ.  The Author claims to be apostle Paul and the letter was written from Rome. The writing must have taken place during the A.D 60 period.  Tychicus was the bearer of both the letters of Colossians and Ephesians (Colossians 4:7-8; Ephesians 6:21-22).  Paul also wanted this letter to be read in the neighboring churches (Colossians 4:16).