Tradition holds that the text was written by Luke the companion of Paul ( named in Colossians ) and this traditional view of Lukan authorship is “ widely held as the view which most satisfactorily explains all the data .” The list of scholars maintaining authorship by Luke the physician is lengthy, and represents scholars from a wide range of theological opinion.

Barnabas is usually identified as the cousin of Mark the Evangelist on the basis of Colossians 4.

Although many assume that the biblical Mark the Cousin of Barnabas ( Colossians 4: 10 ) is the same as John Mark ( Acts 12: 12, 25 ; 13: 5, 13 ; 15: 37 ) and Mark the Evangelist, the traditionally believed author of the Gospel of Mark, according to Hippolytus of Rome, the three " Mark " s are distinct persons.

The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, usually referred to simply as Colossians, is the 12th book of the New Testament.

According to Metzer it was written in the 50s while Paul was in prison, Colossians is similar to Ephesians, also written at this time.

One ground is that the epistle's language doesn't seem to match Paul's, with 48 words appearing in Colossians that are found nowhere else in his writings and 33 of which occur nowhere else in the New Testament.

As it is usually pointed out by the same authors who note the differences in language and style, the number of words foreign to the New Testament and Paul is no greater in Colossians than in the undisputed Pauline letters ( Galatians, of similar length, has 35 hapax legomena ).

Advocates of Pauline authorship also point out that the differences between Colossians and the rest of the New Testament is not as great as it is purported to be.

In its doctrinal sections, Colossians explains that Christ is the firstborn of all creation and is supreme over all that has been created.

Interestingly, it is the Father in Colossians who is said to have delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son ( Col 1: 12, 13 ), not the typical way of articulating salvation today.

While in the case of 1 Corinthians, the love ' does not ' statements like boasting remind one of the criticisms of the Corinthians earlier in the book, Colossians is different.

" Then in Col 3: 16, Paul's goal is that the Colossians themselves to in some manner continue in this ministry and admonish and test each other, ' one another ' as Paul did for them.

Paul, who is in prison ( probably in either Rome or Ephesus ), writes to a fellow Christian named Philemon and two of his associates: a woman named Apphia, sometimes assumed to be his wife, and a fellow worker named Archippus, who is assumed by some to have been Philemon's son and who also appears to have had special standing in the small church that met in Philemon's house ( see Colossians 4: 17 ).

If the letter to the Colossians is authentically Pauline, then Philemon must live in Colossae.

In either case it is generally considered a " clumsy forgery " and an attempt to seek to fill the ' gap ' suggested by Colossians 4: 16.

Some ancient sources, such as Hippolytus, and some modern scholars consider that the epistle " from Laodicea " was never a lost epistle, but simply Paul recycling one of his other letters ( the most common candidate is the contemporary Letter to the Ephesians ), just as he asks for the copying and forwarding of the Letter to Colossians to Laodicea.

The writing is thought to cite or allude to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew and John, as well as 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 John and the Book of Revelation -- John's Gospel the most often.

Further, Jesus Christ himself is called the " image of the invisible God " in Colossians 1: 15, and is therefore in one sense an icon.

In the person of Jesus, one sees the last, best, and complete theophany of God ( Colossians 2: 9 KJV: For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily ).

This continued into the New Testament: Revelation apparently has only one heaven, but the Epistle to the Hebrews and the epistles to the Colossians and the Ephesians have more than one, although they don't specify how many.

Jesus Justus ( Greek Iesous ho legomenos Ioustos ) was one of several Jewish Christians in the church at Rome mentioned by Apostle Paul in the greetings at the end of Colossians 4: 11.

The Epistles of the Apostle Paul, fourteen in number: one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians < nowiki > and Second Epistle to the Corinthians < nowiki ></ nowiki >, one to the Ephesians, two to the Thessalonians < nowiki > and Second Epistle to the Thessalonians < nowiki ></ nowiki >, one to the Galatians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to Timothy < nowiki > and Second Epistle to Timothy < nowiki ></ nowiki >, one to Titus, one to Philemon, one to the Hebrews.

He additionally greets Archippus, who may also be from Laodicea ( 4. 17 ), and he instructs the Colossians to exchange his letter with one he has written to the Laodiceans ( 4. 16 ).

Laodicea receives passing mention in the epistle to the Colossians and is one of the Seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

It does not appear that St. Paul had visited this city when he wrote his Epistle to the Colossians (, ), since he tells Philemon of his hope to visit it upon being freed from prison ( see Philemon 1: 22 ).

It is generally thought that Paul wrote Colossians while in prison in Rome most likely during AD 50 ’ s.

Colossians has some close parallels with the letter to Philemon — names of some of the same people ( e. g., Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas ) appear in both epistles.

Many scholars also doubt Petrine authorship because they are convinced that 1 Peter is dependent on the Pauline epistles and that is was written after Paul ’ s ministry because it shares many of the same motifs espoused in Ephesians, Colossians, and the Pastoral Epistles.

Archippus ( Greek for " master of the horse ") was an early Christian believer mentioned briefly in the New Testament epistles of Philemon and Colossians.

The order of the epistles to the Colossians and Philippians have exchanged places ; the Epistle to the Hebrews follows after that to Philemon.

To the former class belong the Biblical Cyclopaedia, his edition of Alexander Cruden's Concordance, his Early Oriental History, and his discourses on the Divine Love and on Paul the Preacher ; to the latter his commentaries on the Greek text of St Paul's epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Galatians, published at intervals in four volumes.

17 Nov. 2010 < http :// www. britannica. com / EBchecked / topic / 284611 / Incarnation >.</ ref > Biblical passages traditionally referenced in connection with the doctrine of the Incarnation include, Colossians 2: 9, and.

The New Testament verses typically referenced are Matthew 26: 30 ; Acts 16: 25 ; Romans 15: 9 ; 1 Corinthians 14: 15 ; Ephesians 5: 19 ; Colossians 3: 16 ; Hebrews 2: 12, 13: 15 ; James 5: 13, which reveal a command for all Christians to sing.

Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

In Justin's works, distinct references are found to Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians, and possible ones to Philippians, Titus, and 1 Timothy.

: Acts 20: 28 ; 1 Corinthians 12: 13, 14, 27 ; Romans 12: 4-5 ; Colossians 1: 18 ; Acts 2: 42 ; Ephesians 2: 19-22 ; Romans 15: 5-7 ; Ephesians 4: 11-16 ; 2 Peter 3: 18 ; 1 Peter 2: 4-10 ; Matthew 18: 20 ; Hebrews 10: 24-25.

Homilies on the Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon

The New Testament urges believers to speak the gospel clearly, fearlessly, graciously, and respectfully whenever an opportunity presents itself ( see Colossians 4: 2 – 6, Ephesians 6: 19 – 20, and I Peter 3: 15 ).

Pseudo-Dionysius ( The Celestial Hierarchy ) and Thomas Aquinas ( Summa Theologica ) drew on passages from the New Testament, specifically Ephesians 1: 21 and Colossians 1: 16, in an attempt to develop a schema of three Hierarchies, Spheres or Triads of angels, with each Hierarchy containing three Orders or Choirs.

It contains ( in order ) " the last eight chapters of Romans ; all of Hebrews ; virtually all of 1 – 2 Corinthians ; all of Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians ; and two chapters of 1 Thessalonians.

Besides these there has also appeared a small volume containing Lectures on Colossians, Philemon and Ephesians ( Berlin, 1865 )

* The Epistles to the Colossians and the Ephesians.

* The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians.

Outside the Gospels, there is a reference to St. Paul encouraging the Ephesians and Colossians to use psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

* Coedited with D. W. Torrance, Calvin's Commentaries, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, translated by T. H. L Parker.

“… succeeded him ( Sosthenes, as bishop ) in that city ( of Caesarea ).” Orthodox Study Bible He delivered St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians and Colossians.

Reference to in Acts 20: 4 ; Ephesians 6: 21 ; Colossians 4: 7 ; 2 Timothy 4: 12 ; Titus 3: 12

In the New Testament the word mystery is applied ordinarily to the sublime revelation of the Gospel ( Matthew 13: 11 ; Colossians 2: 2 ; 1 Timothy 3: 9 ; 1 Corinthians 15: 51 ), and to the Incarnation and life of the Saviour and his manifestation by the preaching of the Apostles ( Romans 16: 25 ; Ephesians 3: 4 ; 6: 19 ; Colossians 1: 26 ; 4: 3 ).