Relation to Ephesians
Relation to Ephesians
Doubtless Ephesians and Colossians stand in close relationship. Some scholars argue that one person would never produce two such similar writings: the resemblances mean that the author of one of these letters has written in imitation of the other. This is a very subjective argument. It may be countered by saying that the two epistles are best understood as the expressions of the one writer, more or less repeating some of the same thoughts on two occasions not very far removed from one another. In any case it is a curious argument that we should reject a writing as Pauline because of its resemblances to another writing in the Pauline corpus.
It seems, then, that the arguments against Pauline authorship are not decisive. They do not reckon sufficiently with the fact that a mind like Paul’s was capable of adaptation to new situations and to the adoption of new vocabulary and new concepts where older ones do not meet the need. 7They also fail to give a reason for addressing the letter to the unimportant town of Colossae. Surely an imitator would have selected a city of some importance, such as Laodicea or Hierapolis. In view of the letter’s claim and of the many undoubtedly Pauline features it manifests, we should accept it as an authentic Pauline writing. This is supported by a number of links with Philemon, which is surely a genuine letter of the apostle. In both epistles, greetings are sent from Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas who plainly were with Paul when he wrote (Col. 4:10-14; Phlm. 23-24). Onesimus, the slave at the center of the letter to Philemon, is sent with Tychicus and referred to as "one of you” (Col. 4:9). Archippus, "our fellow soldier” (Phlm. 2), is given a message to "complete the work” he has received in the Lord (Col. 4:17). In the light of such references it is difficult to argue that Colossians was not written by Paul.