Colossians, The Letter of Paul to the

Colossians, The Letter of Paul to the

▪ work by Saint Paul
also called  The Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Colossians 

       New Testament writing addressed to Christians at Colossae, Asia Minor, whose congregation was founded by Paul's colleague Epaphras. The developed theology of the letter, many believe, indicates that it was composed by Paul (Paul, the Apostle, Saint) in Rome about AD 62 rather than during an earlier imprisonment. Some question Pauline authorship on the basis of vocabulary.

      The Colossians were apparently adopting proto-gnostic (Gnosticism) and syncretistic (religious syncretism) views and practices that were incompatible with “the knowledge of God's mystery, of Christ (Jesus Christ), in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:2–3). Though there are references to such things as philosophy and empty deceit (2:8), Jewish-like practices (2:16), visions (2:18), and “rigour of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body” (2:23), the source of these teachings is not quite clear. The author strives to curb such tendencies by recalling the preeminence of Christ in everything (1:18), because Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (1:15), who reconciled man to God “by the blood of his cross” (1:20). Paul then exhorts the Christian community to put away anger, malice, and foul talk and to show kindness, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love in imitation of Christ. Every Christian, according to his state in life, should fulfill his duties.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ephesians, Letter of Paul to the — ▪ work by Saint Paul       New Testament writing once thought to have been composed by Paul in prison but more likely the work of one of Paul s disciples, who probably wrote the text sometime before AD 90 while consulting Paul s letter to the… …   Universalium

  • The Blessed Trinity —     The Blessed Trinity     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Blessed Trinity     This article is divided as follows:          I. Dogma of the Trinity;     II. Proof of the Doctrine from Scripture;     III. Proof of the Doctrine from Tradition;… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Paul, the Apostle, Saint — ▪ Christian Apostle Introduction original name  Saul of Tarsus  born 4 BCE?, Tarsus in Cilicia [now in Turkey] died 62–64, Rome [Italy]  one of the leaders of the first generation of Christians, often considered to be the second most important… …   Universalium

  • Colossians, Paul's letter to the — In the NT, the seventh letter of Paul. Religious teachers had come into the Lycus valley and were disturbing the tranquillity of the Church at Colossae. There has been much scholarly discussion about their identity. Were they Gnostics of the kind …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • Paul, the Apostle — A formidable theologian sometimes even regarded as the founder of Christianity inasmuch as it was Paul, apostle to the Gentiles, who laboured that the Church should be an authentically international and intellectually coherent community whose… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • The Incarnation —     The Incarnation     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Incarnation     I. The Fact of the Incarnation     (1) The Divine Person of Jesus Christ     A. Old Testament Proofs     B. New Testament Proofs     C. Witness of Tradition     (2) The Human… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Bible and homosexuality — is a contentious subject that influences how homosexuality and homosexual sex are regarded in societies where Christianity has made a strong impact. The Bible is generally considered by believers to be inspired by God or to record God s… …   Wikipedia

  • PAUL OF TARSUS — (d. c. 65 C.E.), the Apostle to the Gentiles. The sources for Paul s life and doctrines are in the New Testament – in the Acts of the Apostles and in the seven Pauline epistles known to be genuine (which are the oldest part of the New Testament) …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • The Logos —     The Logos     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Logos     The word Logos is the term by which Christian theology in the Greek language designates the Word of God, or Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Before St. John had consecrated this term… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Second Epistle to the Thessalonians — The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul, because it begins, Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”