Annotations for Colossians
Annotations for Colossians
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holy people . . . Grace and peace. See note on .
We always thank God. Letters sometimes included thanksgivings and usually included a prayer, blessing, or at least mention of prayer (cf. also v. ).
Speakers and writers often began by praising their audience, thus expressing appreciation and building rapport. we have heard of. Paul had heard from Epaphras (v. ), who was from their region (); when Paul ministered in cosmopolitan Ephesus, many who learned from him probably returned to their home areas to spread the message (cf. ).
hope stored up for you in heaven. Jewish people sometimes spoke of heavenly rewards as treasure in heaven.
bearing fruit. Many Jewish sources used the image of fruit bearing (e.g., ; ; ; see note on ).
Epaphras. This is probably the same Epaphras as in , but although Epaphras was a contraction of Epaphroditus, we cannot be certain that this Epaphras is the same Epaphroditus as in . The Epaphroditus of that letter may have been from Philippi in Macedonia, far from Colossae, and Epaphroditus was a common name. See note on .
knowledge . . . wisdom and understanding. Both ancient Israelite idiom (; ) and flowery Asian rhetoric (see 
bearing fruit . . . growing. These echo , the passage that follows humans being created in God’s image (cf. ). knowledge of God. See note on .
strengthened with all power . . . might. Both ancient Israelite idiom () and flowery Asian rhetoric could pile up related terms such as these.
giving joyful thanks. See note on . inheritance of his holy people. Scripture and Jewish teaching promised a future inheritance for God’s people, which here includes Gentile believers in Jesus as well as Jewish ones (see notes on , ). kingdom of light. This image would be easy for first-century hearers to grasp; e.g., people often contrasted light and darkness as figures for good and evil. (Thus the Jewish sect that composed the Dead Sea Scrolls contrasted themselves as children of light with the rest of humanity, children of darkness under the dominion of Satan.) kingdom. See the article “
from the dominion of darkness . . . into the kingdom of the Son. Some Jewish people envisioned their deliverance from Egypt as redemption from light to darkness and viewed proselytes as adopting a new divine allegiance. Being transferred from one kingdom to another also made sense in a world where people could come under new rulers or some achieved Roman or local citizenship.
redemption. Meant releasing someone from captivity or slavery; the concept often included paying a ransom or price. This image evokes God redeeming his people from Egyptian captivity (cf. v. ; ; ; ). For sacrifices and God’s forgiveness, see, e.g., , , , .
Many Gentiles deemed divine or partly divine a range of spirits, in nature, e.g., or among the deceased. Addressing here some who emphasized intermediate spirits and the forms of rigorous human spirituality found in their culture (see and notes; cf. , and notes), Paul insists that Christ is supreme (cf. ). Paul here describes Jesus in the language that Judaism normally reserved for personified Wisdom. This Wisdom tradition, now developed far beyond , was the most exalted image that Judaism had available to depict divine personality distinct from God the Father. Diaspora Jewish sources (such as the essays of Philo, an Alexandrian Jewish philosopher) often depicted this intermediary or power as the logos, God’s reason or word (see note on ).
Many scholars believe that Paul in incorporates two stanzas of an early Christian hymn (for dividing the stanzas, note the repetition of “firstborn” in vv. , ); other ancient sources often quoted poetry unannounced. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that Paul simply waxes poetic here; speakers often shifted to “grand rhetoric,” using exalted and even rhythmic prose, especially when praising deities. ◆
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image of the invisible God. Jewish tradition portrayed divine Wisdom as God’s archetypal image by which he created the rest of the world (see note on ); some Diaspora Jewish authors so depicted God’s logos, his reason or word (see note on ). firstborn over all creation. In v. , “firstborn” applies to Jesus’ resurrection as head of a new creation; here, however, the context is the first creation. “Firstborn” designates Jesus not only as God’s Son, but also as the preeminent one and heir (), a title for the Davidic ruler (). (It thus does not imply that the Son was created.) Greeks sometimes called deities firstborn, but more relevantly the Diaspora Jewish author Philo applies the title often to the logos. Paul’s audience would recognize it as exalted language.
in him . . . through him . . . for him. Using different prepositions, ancient intellectuals often distinguished kinds of causation, including the material something was created “from,” the agency “through” which something was caused, the mode “in” or “by” which it was caused, and the purpose for which it was created. all things. Many philosophers, including Philo, taught that all things derived from and were held together by the logos, divine reason. visible and invisible. Some Greek and Diaspora Jewish thinkers believed that the Creator used an invisible pattern to shape the visible world. thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. Most Gentiles viewed stars as divine, and Jews saw them as angelic; these could be visible created things in heaven. Invisible heavenly beings could include angelic powers and rulers, which were often viewed as angels over the nations (see note on ). (Jewish people also thought of angels ruling various forces of nature; e.g., 1 Enoch 60:12–22; Jubilees 2:2; Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QM 10.11–12; cf. perhaps .) Jewish people recognized God as the Creator of both the visible and invisible, but many, including Philo, gave angels or subordinate divine powers a role in creation. Like some other Jews, Paul here argues against exalting angels too highly (see the article “Background of Colossians 1:15–20”). for him. Jewish people believed that God created everything through and for God’s Word or Wisdom.
the body. See note on ; ancient thinkers often combined this image with the head. When used figuratively, “head” most often connoted authority (cf. ) but in some contexts could refer to a particularly honored part or even a source (). the beginning. In Jewish sources, “the beginning” could be a title for God (as in ), for Wisdom, and for the logos; it can naturally apply to the originator of creation (though in this context it applies to the new creation). firstborn. See note on v. . Because Jesus’ resurrection anticipated the promised resurrection of all the righteous, the former was the firstfruits of the latter ().
God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. In the OT, God was pleased to dwell, e.g., among his people or in Zion (e.g., ; ; ), though the verse here goes beyond these examples. fullness. Pointing to various Jewish sources (including the OT), some suggest that this may refer to God’s wisdom or glory filling the world; others, pointing to other Jewish sources (including Philo) explain it as the fullness of God’s presence or attributes (cf. ).
peace. Ceasing enmity; this means that heavenly powers (cf. v. ) will be subjugated, not that they will be saved (). Thus when the emperor’s troops subjected his enemies to him, he claimed to have established peace. The powers remain active () but Christ’s kingdom has already triumphed. (Ancient Jewish hearers might have understood well: in some traditions, God sent Enoch to announce to fallen angels under judgment the final doom that awaited them.)
proclaimed to every creature under heaven. May use hyperbole (ancient sources often use such language) or mean that the message has been preached in a representative way among different peoples (cf. ; see note on ). This public proclamation might contrast with merely personal mystic experiences of the false teachers ().
I am suffering for you. Speakers who could point to what they had suffered for their hearers could arouse more respect. Athletes (cf. v. ) also competed to achieve honor not only for themselves but also for their cities. Many Jewish traditions warned that a requisite amount of affliction would need to precede the end (see note on ). Some scholars thus argue that Paul here embraces an extra share of these sufferings, sometimes called “the Messiah’s birth pangs” because such sufferings presaged the Messianic era. Others instead or also connect it with sharing Christ’s sufferings as part of union with Christ (a concept widespread in Paul’s letters, with few strong possible non-Christian parallels). (Paul clearly believes that Christ’s own sufferings are sufficient for redemption, however; cf. v. ; , .)
commission. This Greek term often meant being a household manager, a role often given to particularly skilled slaves or freedmen (see note on ).
mystery. See notes on ; . now disclosed. That the mystery has now been revealed would challenge false teachers claiming private revelations that conflicted with it (). Scripture had long noted God’s word spreading among Gentiles, but only now was it being proclaimed and increasingly fulfilled (see note on ).
Christ in you. In the OT, God chose to dwell among his people (e.g., ) and promised to do so forever in the future (, ). Here, however, he dwells even “among the Gentiles” who trust him. Paul may also envision Christ dwelling within them personally (see ; , ; cf. ; ). Some Greek thinkers and the OT occasionally spoke of God dwelling in some special persons (; ; , ; , ; cf. ), though “filled” and “rested on” were more common OT idioms.
everyone. See note on v. ; for Gentiles, see note on v. . mature. Cf. note on .
strenuously contend. Cf. ; the Greek term is often an athletic image; teachers often used such images figuratively to make points. Christ so powerfully works in me. Paul’s experience of Christ empowering him is consistent with God’s Spirit working through some people in the OT (e.g., ; ).
for those at Laodicea. Colossae was in the Lycus Valley and not on an easy route from Ephesus. Like Colossae, Laodicea was in Phrygia; it was roughly ten miles (16 kilometers) west of Colossae.
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Ancient sages often spoke of wisdom as the true wealth (including in the OT: ; ; , , , ; ; ).
fine-sounding arguments. The two advanced disciplines were philosophy (v. ) and, more popular, rhetoric; although even most urban people lacked advanced training of any sort, the public sphere accustomed them to voices shaped by these disciplines. Philosophers sometimes criticized professional speakers for not caring about truth and rhetoricians sometimes criticized philosophers for worthless logic. Rhetorical training valued skill in persuasion irrespective of truth claims.
absent from you in body, I am present with you. Ancient letters used expressions such as these to communicate intimacy (cf. note on , ). They are not intended metaphysically.
just as you received. Paul might possibly be preparing a contrast with “tradition” in v. (see note there); teachers passed on teachings and disciples received them to pass on to others.
rooted and built up. Planting and building were among Biblical images used for restoring or strengthening God’s people (e.g., ; ). overflowing with thankfulness. Gratitude for gifts received was considered a paramount virtue in antiquity.
hollow and deceptive philosophy. Philosophy often addressed cosmology and ethics; outsiders thus sometimes viewed Jews and Christians, whose gatherings discussed ethics, as philosophic schools. Educated Diaspora Jews naturally identified with philosophy, sometimes using it as a vehicle to communicate noble ideas to intelligent Gentiles. Paul uses the language of philosophy (e.g., ; ), but only where he deems it compatible with divine wisdom in Christ (). Some Diaspora Jews (and later Christians) absorbed philosophies less critically, meanwhile sometimes claiming that the philosophers had stolen their ideas from Moses. human tradition. Schools passed on their teachings as tradition (cf. note on v. ); among Jews, Pharisees were particularly known for this, but Jesus critiqued their human tradition (, using the same Greek expression as here). elemental spiritual forces. This phrase may refer to the veneration of nature or perhaps angels over nature (see note on ); this fits the context here (cf. vv. , ; ). Alternatively, the phrase may mean what is elementary (e.g., the alphabet), by comparison with Christ’s true wisdom.
the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. Some philosophers claimed that all things filled the (pantheistic) deity. Some Diaspora Jewish thinkers used “fullness” for all the powers that are agents of God’s rule, or to mean that God rules all things. Following the OT, some other Jewish thinkers used such language simply to depict God’s Spirit, wisdom or glory filling the world. In any case, Paul claims that Christ is the only full revelation of God, a function that ancient Jewish sources often attributed to divine Wisdom.
every power and authority. May refer to the angelic rulers of the nations (see ; , ; see also note on ).
circumcision not performed by human hands. Many Gentiles despised circumcision as a form of mutilation; conversely, most Jews required Gentiles to embrace it for conversion to Judaism. It was spiritual circumcision, however, that delivered from sin (; ; see note on ). by human hands. See note on . the flesh was put off. Jewish people were circumcised in the “flesh” (see ). Some Greek thinkers complained that the body (sôma) was a tomb (sêma); Paul says that the old life has been removed in Christ. flesh. See the article “
buried with him in baptism. See notes on , .
dead in your sins. Some other ancient sources speak of figurative or spiritual death, or being under the sentence of death. forgave us all our sins. Jewish prayers regularly requested God’s forgiveness.
canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness. Language such as this was used for handwritten notes, usually certificates of debt. Jewish tradition also portrayed sins as “debts” before God; they came to believe that these were canceled on the Day of Atonement. Another Greek term in this phrase was often used for God’s laws as his decrees (the same Greek term is translated “regulations” in ); decrees were often posted in public locations. nailing it to the cross. Although victims could be hanged on crosses with rope, nails were sometimes used, as for Jesus (; cf. ).
powers and authorities. Probably refer to the spiritual powers behind the earthly ones (including behind the earthly ones that held Paul in Roman custody!). See notes on ; . he made a public spectacle of them. Whereas in v. Paul warned believers against being taken captive (meaning enslaved as a prisoner of war), here Christ exhibits the hostile powers themselves as captives in his triumphal procession. During a triumph, the emperor, dressed as the ruling god Jupiter, would lead defeated captives behind him, showing them off before their execution (see note on ). triumphing over them by the cross. Because the cross was the most humiliating instrument of execution, Paul inverts the world’s wisdom here (cf. v. ).
The three Jewish practices for which non-Jewish Romans especially mocked Jews were circumcision (cf. vv. ), the prohibition of non-kosher food and drink (see note on ), and holy days (see note on ). Sabbaths are weekly; the New Moon celebration welcomed each month. Jewish people did not expect most Gentiles to observe their food laws or holy days but did expect Gentile converts to Judaism to do so, perhaps including Gentile Christians.
the reality, however, is found in Christ. Developing ideas from earlier philosophers, some, including some Diaspora Jewish thinkers, distinguished the “reality” (lit. “body”; cf. ) that stood behind the visible mere shadows or copies. While recognizing that God inspired OT precepts with true principles in mind, Paul suggests that such principles are fulfilled in Christ (cf. ; ). Those with the reality did not need to depend on the shadows whose function was to point to the reality.
false humility. Jewish people had long used fasting (cf. vv. ) to humble themselves (e.g., ; ), but some also used this to seek revelations. the worship of angels. Some think that this refers to worshiping “with” angels, as in some Judean circles. More likely in view, because more clearly problematic, some less educated Diaspora Jews apparently invoked and prayed to angels. Paul counters an excessive emphasis on such spirits (vv. , , , ; ). what they have seen. May imply visions; Jewish apocalyptic visionaries often spoke of what angels had shown them (cf. ), and both they and other Jewish mystics sought to cultivate visions of God’s throne. Some Gentiles and Jews influenced by Plato combined mystic experiences with philosophy (). While appreciating genuine revelations (), Paul rejects false ones (cf. ).
lost connection with the head. Ancient medical literature sometimes described the head as the source of life for the rest of the body.
elemental spiritual forces. See note on v. . rules. The verbal form of the Greek term Paul uses for Jewish “regulations” in , which also appears in the Greek of v. in this chapter.
Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch! Most Diaspora Jews abstained from foods forbidden in . They also risked impurity for touching some things (e.g., ; , ; ; contrast Jesus in ; , ). Some Jews extended such rules, e.g., opposing even touching some foods.
destined to perish. Those influenced by philosophical thought recognized that transitory, perishable things were much less valuable than what was eternal. human commands and teachings. Evokes the Greek translation of , a passage cited by Jesus ().
harsh treatment of the body. In the Diaspora, rules such as those cited in v. sometimes imposed hardships, in extreme situations reducing some to eating just fruits and nuts. Many philosophers taught people to free themselves from bodily pleasures so they could focus on the pure soul. lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Some Diaspora Jews taught that the Biblical food laws revealed principles for protecting the soul from bad habits.
Developing earlier philosophy, many of Paul’s contemporaries viewed the heavenly realms as pure and eternal, in contrast to the temporal, perishable world below. Philosophers thus became known for contemplating heavenly things. (Those who made fun of philosophers sometimes depicted them falling into pits because philosophers were always looking at the heavens.) Jewish apocalyptic writers also distinguished between heavenly and earthly realms, emphasizing the purity of God’s realm in the upper heavens.
False teachers at Colossae may have been seeking these upper realms through mystical experiences (). Jewish mystics sought especially to envision God’s throne; some philosophers sought visions of the ultimate deity, who was pure, emotionless mind and separate from the world of matter. For Paul, by contrast, the object of heavenly contemplation is Christ, who is divine but not detached from humanity. In the context, this includes Christ’s character or heavenly values centered on Christ (vv. ), available because those who died and rose with Christ were also exalted with him (cf. vv. , , ; ; ). The phrase “heavenly matters” was sometimes used in similar ways.
Mystery cults, with their secret rites, flourished during the Roman period and involved the worship of deities from Greece, Egypt and the Near East. Unlike official cults (such as the imperial cult), which sometimes involved primarily pledges of loyalty, these cults provided a sense of belonging to a selective community and sometimes personal salvation. Members participated in rituals and were expected to keep both the rites and the teachings secret; hence the designation “mystery religions.” Famous examples are the Greek Eleusinian and Dionysian mysteries, the Mithras mysteries and the Egyptian cult of Isis and Osiris.
Each cult was distinct, but many mystery cults shared a motif of death and afterlife. The Eleusinian mysteries centered upon a myth of the annual descent of Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, into Hades and her subsequent return to the land of the living. The cult of Isis and Osiris was similar. In Egyptian religion Osiris, the lord of the dead, was also believed to be a source of life and renewal. Osiris had been murdered by his brother Set, but his wife/sister, Isis, had located his scattered remains and effected for him a kind of resurrection. Mystery religions that spoke of a deity returning from death normally connected this return with the annual return of life to the world in the spring, in contrast to the Jewish and Christian teaching of a once-for-all bodily resurrection of the righteous (cf. ; ).
Some cults focused on cosmic power. The Mithras cult, which became popular with Roman men around the second century AD, involves the Persian deity Mithras, but the mystery cult’s teachings were indigenous to the Greco-Roman world. Worship was carried out in a small, cave-like chamber called a Mithraeum, which contained cryptic inscriptions and symbols, the primary clues to the nature of the religion. The central motif centered around a man, Mithras, who had purportedly slain a bull. In the iconography Mithras is accompanied by a dog, a snake, a raven, and a scorpion. All of these creatures equate to constellations (Taurus, Canis Minor, Hydra, Corvus and Scorpio, respectively), and thus the cult may have been astrological in orientation and based upon the belief that Mithras was the ruler of the cosmos. Members of the cult ascended through a hierarchy of seven ranks, corresponding to the seven planets; solar and lunar icons are invariably found in a Mithraeum.
The cults frequently focused upon fertility, were often accompanied by erotic symbolism and included secret rituals that were sometimes either gory or orgiastic. The Dionysian mysteries, which involved a kind of ecstatic madness, were in fact for a time outlawed by the Roman Senate. Popular fear of and fascination with the bacchanalian frenzy is reflected in ancient literary works such as The Bacchae by Euripides and the Metamorphoses by Ovid. In many mystery religions the initiate underwent a ritual death and rebirth through either ecstatic frenzy or secret ritual. One inscription in a Mithraeum describes the initiate as having been “piously reborn.”
Some have suggested that Paul may have been influenced by these cults in his understanding of the “mystery” of the gospel of Christ. It is more likely, however, that the apostle used the term “mystery” to refer to the fact that the Old Testament prophecies, which include much that is mysterious, find their meaning and fulfillment in Christ. The language of revealing mysteries appears in Daniel and in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Converts to Christianity were not sworn to keep its tenets or practices a secret. ◆
Statue of Mithras slaying a bull, accompanied by a dog, snake, raven, and scorpion.
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Paul may have sent such instructions to multiple churches (cf. ). He may have done this directly, or he may have allowed an assistant to draft his basic instructions, which he could then adapt. Scribes were sometimes tasked with drafting material in documents based on already available material.
Put to death . . . whatever belongs to your earthly nature. Vice lists were a common literary form in the ancient world, and both Gentile and Diaspora Jewish writers warned against passions. Many also thought that what mattered was the eternal and heavenly soul, not one’s perishable, earthly body. For Paul, true heavenly mindedness (vv. ) must shape earthly behaviors. Paul speaks figuratively of killing one’s earthly “nature” (lit. “members”), perhaps evoking Jesus’ hyperbole (, , ). For Paul, one accomplishes this not by literally mistreating or neglecting one’s body (), but by embracing by faith one’s completed union with Christ ().
Ancient teachers sometimes listed obvious vices first, then offered a second list of less obvious ones. The vices listed in v. were those that Jewish observers believed characterized Gentiles, who abandoned sexual immorality and idolatry if they converted to Judaism. By contrast, here Paul lists vices found even among Jews (cf. note on ).
old self. Probably refers to humanity in Adam; Jewish people often spoke of corporate solidarity with Adam (the Hebrew term for “person,” here rendered “self”).
put on. Jewish writers could speak of being “clothed” with the Spirit or virtues (see note on ). new self. Indicates the new humanity in solidarity with Christ (see v. ). image of its Creator. As God was Creator of humanity in his image (), so also here for the new creation. God renewed people’s hearts even in the OT (; ), but promised new hearts especially for the age to come (; ). Believers have put on the new self; their hearts are renewed as they experience this newness of life.
Gentile or Jew. See note on . circumcised or uncircumcised. Although some other eastern peoples were circumcised, by “circumcised” and “uncircumcised” Jews meant “Jews” and “Gentiles.” barbarian. See note on . Scythian. The nomadic Scythians lived in much of what is today Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other parts of central Asia. Greeks often deemed Scythians the most cruel and anti-Greek people (although some ancient writers portrayed them as “noble barbarians”). slave or free. One major way of dividing humanity socially, although some household slaves wielded more authority and were more advanced socially than many free persons (cf. v. ).
chosen . . . holy . . . loved. Paul describes believers using OT language for God’s people (e.g., ; ). clothe yourselves. See note on v. . compassion . . . patience. Writers commonly listed virtues, sometimes in contrast with vice lists (cf. vv. , ; ). Sometimes they also listed assorted moral instructions (what scholars call paraenesis).
over all these virtues put on love. Although many ancient thinkers, especially among Jewish teachers, regarded love as an important virtue, Christians were the only movement where it was the chief virtue (following Jesus’ teaching, ). perfect unity. Many thinkers urged unity, i.e., harmony with one another (see note on ); in Greek this may refer to the believers.
called to peace. Many Jewish thinkers praised peace with one another, which also was part of unity (cf. ). be thankful. Gratitude was a paramount virtue in antiquity (cf. ).
psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. See notes on ; .
whatever you do. Religion pervaded daily life, but for most Gentiles this expressed itself more in rituals than in behavior toward others.
On household codes, see note on . Paranoia about minority cults undermining traditional values may provide additional incentive for instructions to household members here (cf. ; ).
Wives, submit. On the ways wives were expected to submit in many ancient cultures, see the article “
Husbands, love your wives. Although the expectation of love was common, it was not commonly expressed in traditional household codes. They instead instructed male heads of households how to rule; Paul instructs husbands here how to love.
Children, obey your parents in everything. See note on . Normally instructions for sons to obey applied only to minors.
Fathers, do not embitter your children. See note on . Fathers are addressed rather than “parents” because household codes were normally directed toward fathers (see note on v. ).
Slaves, obey your earthly masters. See the article “
work at it with all your heart. Paul encourages hard work but gives slaves a new hope and a new motive for their labor (v. ).
you also have a Master in heaven. Aristotle complained about a small minority of thinkers, presumably especially early Stoics, who believed that slaves were in principle equal to their holders; this could be Paul’s point here. No one was raising the question of abolishing slavery, so there was no reason to address it in a series of practical instructions. Nevertheless, many thinkers did emphasize right treatment of slaves, and some other Pauline passages reveal more of Paul’s views (; ).
open a door. The concept of an open door appears figuratively elsewhere in Greek for free opportunity. I am in chains. Normally those in custody had no means to wash, cut hair, and so forth. Paul’s custody is probably lighter, merely chained house arrest (). People were usually ashamed of chains; cf. further note on .
conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt. The traditional Greek meaning of “grace” included pleasant and graceful speech. Greeks often portrayed pleasant speech as “honeyed.” Salt was a preserving and flavoring agent. Cf. ; .
Tychicus will tell you . . . that you may know about. Travelers passed on news orally (see note on ).
Onesimus. If Paul wrote Colossians after Philemon granted his implicit request in , (or if Paul sent both letters at the same time), Onesimus here is probably the same person as in . An early second-century bishop of Ephesus also bore this name, although identification with the Onesimus here is uncertain.
Aristarchus. Both Aristarchus and, on the likeliest view of Acts’ authorship, Luke (v. ), had accompanied Paul to Rome, where he was a prisoner (; ). Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. Mark’s presence in Rome in this period is also suggested by (though he is absent in ).
Jesus, who is called Justus. Many Jewish people bore the name Jesus, which represents the Greek way of pronouncing Joshua’s name. Justus is Latin; many Jewish people used a second Greek or Latin name resembling their more traditional Jewish name.
Epaphras. See note on . wrestling in prayer. Athletic metaphors (here, “wrestling”; the same Greek term as in , where it is translated “strenuously contend”) were common in ancient speeches. See the article “
I vouch for him. A letter of recommendation sometimes reported the recommendee’s appreciation for the letter’s receiver; Paul likewise here notes Epaphras’s hard work on behalf of (whether for or in the place of) the Phrygian believers. For letters of recommendation, see note on . Laodicea and Hierapolis. The three largest cities of the Lycus Valley in Phrygia were Colossae, Laodicea (ten miles west of Colossae) and Hierapolis (six miles [almost ten kilometers] from Laodicea); of these, Colossae was the least significant in this period. Hierapolis hosted healing cults, a temple to the emperor and the reported entrance to the underworld; it also had a significant Jewish presence in this period. Laodicea was a wealthy commercial center, despite its somewhat remote location (see the article “
Luke, the doctor. Evidence suggests the prominence of medical interests in the Lycus Valley. Doctors were well educated but were often slaves or freedpersons, with relatively low social status. A majority were ethnically Greek. Although most physicians were men, women physicians (most often but not limited to midwives) are known. Empirically valid observations existed alongside folk traditions, superstition, and guesswork; there were no board-accredited physicians, and different schools of medical thought existed. Pagan healing cults allowed for medical practice alongside prayers to a deity; views varied somewhat in Judaism, but later hospitals evolved especially from the eventual Christian practice of caring for the sick in late antiquity. Demas. Probably a shortened form for “Demetrius,” though he apparently always went by this name.
Nympha and the church in her house. Although men held more wealth and more often sponsored meetings of associations, women could do this as well. As a homeowner and sole named patron of this house church, it is possible that Nympha might be widowed or divorced.
the letter from Laodicea. Paul’s letter for the church of the Laodiceans has not survived, unless it was the local Phrygian form of the circular letter that we call Ephesians (see note on ). Most people in antiquity were not very literate, although reading skills ranged higher among urban men. Normally one person would read to a group; even if several could read, it was not easy to transcribe copies for multiple readers. Churches that could afford scrolls read Scripture during their gatherings; by the mid-second century at the latest, apostolic works were regularly read as Scripture there also. Laodicea. See note on v. ; see also the article “
Archippus. May have been Philemon’s son or at least a colleague in his house church ().
write this greeting in my own hand. Most letters, especially those of any significant length, were dictated to scribes. One could add one’s signature at the end of the letter, however (cf. note on ). Remember my chains. People were usually embarrassed to associate with prisoners. Paul, however, cites his chains the way soldiers showed their wounds to demonstrate their sacrifices for the people.