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COLOSSIANS, EPISTLE TO THE

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Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 726 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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COLOSSIANS, See also:EPISTLE TO THE , the twelfth See also:book of the New Testament, the authorship of which is ascribed to the Apostle See also:Paul. See also:Colossae, like the other Phrygian cities of See also:Laodicea and See also:Hierapolis, had not been visited by Paul, but owed its belief in Jesus See also:Christ to Epaphras, a Colossian, who had been converted by Paul, perhaps in See also:Ephesus, and had laboured not only in his native See also:city but also in the adjacent portions of the Lycus valley,—a See also:Christian in whom Paul reposed the greatest confidence as one competent to interpret the See also:gospel of whose truth Paul was convinced (i. 7; iv. 12, 13). This Epaphras, like the See also:majority of the Colossians, was a See also:Gentile. It is probable, however, both from the See also:letter itself and from the fact that Colossae was a See also:trade centre, that See also:Jews were there with their synagogues (cf. also See also:Josephus, See also:Ant. xii. 149). And it is further probable that some of the Gentiles, who afterwards became Christians, were either Jewish proselytes or adherents who paid reverence to the See also:God of the Jews. At all events, the letter indicates a sensitiveness on the See also:part of the Christians not only to See also:oriental See also:mysticism and See also:theosophy (cf. See also:Sir W. M. See also:Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of See also:Phrygia, and See also:Church in the See also:Roman See also:Empire), but also to the Judaism of the Diaspora.

Our first definite knowledge of the Colossian Church See also:

dates from the presence of Epaphras in See also:Rome in A.D. 62–64 (or A.D. 56-58), when Paul was a prisoner. He arrived with See also:news, perhaps with a letter (J. R. See also:Harris, Expositor, Dec. 1898, pp. 404 ff.), touching the See also:state of See also:religion in Colossae. Paul learns, to his joy, of their faith, See also:hope and love; of the See also:order and stability of their faith; and of their reception of Christ Jesus the See also:Lord (i. 4, 8; ii. 5-7). He See also:sees no sign of an attack upon him or his gospel.

On the contrary, See also:

loyalty to him and sympathy with him in his sufferings are everywhere See also:manifest (i. 9, 24; ii. 2; iv. 8); and the gospel of Christ is advancing here as elsewhere (i. 6). At the same See also:time he detects a lack of cheerfulness and a lack of spiritual understanding in the Church. The joy of the gospel, expressing itself in songs and thanksgivings, is damped (iii. 15, x6), and, above all, the See also:message of Christ does not dwell richly enough in them. Though the believers know the See also:grace of God they are not filled with a knowledge of his will, so that their conduct is lacking in that strength and joy and perfection, that richness of the fulness of knowledge expected of those who had been made full in Christ (i. 6, 9-11, 28; ii. 2, 7, 10). The See also:reason for this, Paul sees, is the See also:influence of the claim made by certain teachers in Colossae that the Christians, in order to attain unto and be assured of full salvation, must supplement Paul's message with their own See also:fuller and more perfect See also:wisdom, and must observe certain See also:rites and practices (ii.

16, 21, 23) connected with the See also:

worship of angels (ii. 18, 23) and elementary See also:spirits (ii 8, 20). The origin and the exact nature of this religious See also:movement are alike uncertain. (T) If it represents a type of See also:syncretism as definite as that known to have existed in the See also:developed gnostic systems of the 2nd See also:century, it is inconceivable that Paul should have passed it by as easily as he did. (2) As there is no reference ootCrys.,:ool s. See also:Chinese See also:Wall a. Entrance to New See also:Discovery 3. Entrance to See also:Wild See also:Goose See also:Chase and See also:River Region e. See also:Uncle Tom's See also:Pool g See also:lizard See also:Spring 6.Twin Pits 7. Ruins of See also:Carthage 8.8001 See also:Island •.8 g.Randstons Tumbledown ed W. Ruins of See also:Martinique sn See also:Register See also:Avenue U. Stany Heavens and Milky Way ts.Bearskin Robe te.

Phosphate See also:

Mountain uy.Null of the See also:Great Westyn ab.Catacornbs 16 \ Dining a7.

End of Article: COLOSSIANS, EPISTLE TO THE

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