INTRODUCTION TO PAULINE LETTERS

The Structure of Paul’s Letter

Opening

In the salutation of Paul’s letter he identifies himself as an Apostle “By the will of God” the essence of this according to Gorman is to give acceptability and reverence to his letter among the people of Collosae. In the same vein, he identified Timothy as a brother who is the co-sender of the letter, while he addressed the people of Collosae the receivers, with the phrase “holy and faithful” brothers and sisters. This is because they have been set apart for God, and have not endeared themselves to the false philosophy pervading the City of Collosae.

Liturgical Introduction: Christ Preeminent

Gorman observed that embedded in the letter to the Collossians is a liturgical ambience. This explains why prayer of thanks and petitions precedes the focal point of the letter.

Thanksgiving

The continual thanksgiving to God by Paul and Timothy was based on the tripod spirituality exhibited by the people of Collossians. This spirituality is hinged on their unwavering faith, firm hope, and charity. Again, Paul and Timothy appreciated their constant quest for the truth. This truth has enabled them to accept and adhere to the real Gospel, and disprove false ascetic mystics pervading the city of Collosae.

Intercession

Full knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and understand was basically Pauls and Timothy’s prayer for the Collosians as noted by Gorman. Thus, he says  “For this reason, we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his spirit gives”. Collosians ch 1 vs 9. This implicitly Christocentric prayer has become explicit. In otherwords, full Knowledge of Christ. However, Gorman was of the view that the understanding of the full knowledge of God’s will according to the Jewish tradition transcends beyond mere intellectual exercise but rather has an ethical and practical implication. They need to bear fruit in their life.

Hymn

As noted by Gorman, many think that collosians chapter 1 vs 15-20 is an ancient Christian hymn, a poem or a poetic imagery. The passage tells of the story of creation and reconciliation through Christ. It is a narrative hymn rooted in Wisdom tradition.

Exhortation

Collosians are the beneficiary of Christ reconciliation because they have been alienated from God no thanks to their evil deeds. This is diametrically opposed to God’s will.  Thus for Gorman, the essence of this reconciliation is that all may be holy, blameless and irreproachable before God. Thus faithfulness to the Gospel that Paul preaches is paramount.

Narrative Introduction: Paul’s Ministry

Collossians ch1 vs 24 begins with the ministry of Paul. Paul emphasises on suffering and joy as Gorman stated. He points to the fact that since Christ suffering and death depict self revelation and His activity in the world, they must be continued in the life of the apostles.cf cor 1;5. According to Gorman Paul shares in the suffering of Christ through his preaching and teaching ministry. Paul recognises Christ as the source of wisdom and the means to perfection. Thus in the letter, he desires a community characterised by faith and love culminating to a full understanding of Christ as the wisdom of God in whom all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.pg 447

Life in Christ as freedom from the powers

The main focus of Pauls letter come into play here .This is to persuade the Collosians to reject false philosophy of the mystical ascetics.

Christ not philosophy

This chapter set out the theme of Paul’s letter. Firstly, noted that since the Collosians have received Christ through faith, they have to grow spiritually and be more committed to the Lord. Secondly, they should not be seduced by any vain philosophy stemming from empty human tradition contrary to the teaching of Christ. For that which is not Christ is not the Gospel. P447

Experience of Christ

Gorman gave reasons why Paul warned the people of Collossians against false philosophy. This is because Christ who the all sufficient. If Christ is all sufficient, believers need not fear or worship any powers because having defeated all powers through his death on the cross, believers share in Christ’s victory. Three images are portrayed by the share in Christ victory namely: circumcision, burial and resurrection, and debt forgiveness (2:11-14a). The circumcision that Paul describes is spiritual, not physical (2:11; cf. Rom. 2:26-29), removing not a piece of flesh but “the body of the flesh”  i.e the inner anti-God force.448-449 that manifests itself in trespasses (2:13). This spiritual circumcision is equated with, or perhaps assumed to lead to, the public act of baptism, in which believers faith allowed them to move from death in trespasses, through burial, and into new life - resurrection (2:12-13).  The human situation outside of Christ, then, was one of guilt, death, and hostility to God.pg 448

The error of Philosophy

Things to be avoided include the worship of angels, the observance of Jewish diet and calendar law as a requisite and symbol of covenant membership, self abasement, fixation of visions. These does not promote true wisdom and piety. Moreover, they lead to judgmentalism and arrogance (2:16, 18) about who is truly “in” and truly “spiritual” or “wise:  He noted that all of these cherished means to wisdom and practices of piety take the focus off Christ as the true source of wisdom and growth in God (2:19). Paul urged them to embrace Christ alone (2:19).  For him, Christ alone is the “head” (Lord; 2:19; cf. 1:18) and the substance, the reality, to which all Jewish symbols ultimately point (2:17).

Moreover, it is pertinent to note that no spiritual experience is needed. What is necessary is the experience of receiving Christ the Lord (2:6). Others include, dying with Christ in victory over the elemental spirits (2:20), and then continuing to “walk” in him (2:6). pg448

The shape of life in Christ

If embracing Jewish symbols of covenant membership, extreme asceticism, angel veneration, and visions does not constitute true wisdom and piety, what does true wisdom constitute? The answer to this question occupies the remainder of the letter (3:1-4:6) according to Gorman. Pauls answer seeks to address the same concerns that might lead to the practices of the mystical ascetics. It is to have a resurrection experience of Christ that is, paradoxically, also a death experience that deals with the sources of human sin and embodies the virtues of Christ on the cross. It is to express covenant membership, not in symbolic ritual boundary markers like calendar observance and self abasement, but in substantive ethical ones like compassion and humility. It is not to refrain from living in the body and the world by escaping from its realities and into heaven, with its various cosmic powers, but to live a life of heavenly inspired thanksgiving and praise here and now, in the body and in the world.pg 450

INTRODUCTION  (3:1-4)

Paul begins with a brief meditation on the central experience of believers: their resurrection to new life with Christ (3:1). Believers have been raised: “above,” that is, with Christ at the right hand of God - the seat of power (3:2). This focus on the “vertical” dimension of believing existence likely stems from the mystical ascetics preoccupation with heavenly powers and with visions.  He was of the view that believers do not need these things. Indeed, such things are ultimately (ironically) earthly and very human (2:20-22). Rather, believers are to set their minds on things above (3:2), for they have died and their true life is hidden with Christ, ready to be revealed on a future day of glory (3:3-4).pg 450

Renewal in Christ

Gorman observed that Paul continued with the exhortation “put to death”. He noted that Paul calls for a radical surgery i.e a call to avoid certain practices which is not in line with the tenet of Christ’s teachings. The sins that they are called to avoid are of two categories. Firstly, is the thought life (e.g., impurity, passion, lust, anger, wrath, malice). Secondly is that which emanates or evolves from our actions (e.g., fornication/sexual immorality, slander, abusive language, lying). But why the focus on sexual sins and sins of speech Gorman asked?  He answered that these are ordinary passions that destroy households and communities but are largely unchecked by ascetic disciplines. Therefore what will put check to such practices is the participation in restoring the divine work of creation to its intended harmony. This work has begun in the community called the Church. Of particular importance as viewed by Gorman is the Jewish- Gentile unity as well as the slave- free equality.

Three final general admonitions about life together conclude this section of Paul’s description of renewal in Christ. First is an exhortation to allow Christ’s peace - the source of reconciliation – to rule in his body (3:15). Second is an exhortation to allow Christ's word and wisdom to permeate the community through mutual instruction and grateful songs (such as 1:15-20?) of praise (3:16; cf. Eph. 5:19). Finally, we could also see a  Pauline slogan about doing everything in a manner consistent with Christ and honouring to God (3:17; cf.1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 5:20).

 Relationships in the household

The Philemon- Onesimus issue led Paul to writing this. Special guidelines were needed for the mutual treatment of believing masters - plus the master's wife and children - and believing slaves in the same household so that they would live together as a household in Christ, a kind of “domestic church.” Paul's primary interest, then, is not in the preservation of the Greco-Roman patriarchal household but in the application of appropriate “in Christ,” or christocentric, norms to an institution that was a given of life in the world - the household, which often included slaves. This household code focuses on one individual that is the Paterfamilia.

At the same time, this “household code” focuses in a distinct way on one individual, the male

head of household, or paterfamilias. It is he who is addressed three times: about his relations with his wife, his children, and his slaves. The paterfamilias was in fact an institution within an institution. In the Roman world the members of his household - his wife, children, and slaves - were his property, and he could (in theory, and often in practice) dispose of them as he saw fit, having even the power oflife and death over them. This passage in Colossians subverts and transforms the power (patriapotestas) of the paterfamilias.

In 3:18-4:1 this conversion of the household into a domestic church and the simultaneous

transformation of the power of the paterfamilias take place in three important ways, as seen in theexistential, literary, and cultural contexts of the code.

In the existential context, it reminds reminds the household members that they are to embody the admonition of 3:17 in the household and to keep the teachings and example of Jesus ever in mind. They can certainly begin to do this with the several allusions to Christ’s ministry in 3:12-16 (e.g.meekness, forgiveness) and with the general shape of life in Christ depicted throughout chapter 3. Even the master (the paterfamilias) must recall that he is accountable to a higher Master (4:1).

In the literary context, the believing paterfamilias cannot act with impurity, greed, anger, or filthy or abusive language toward his wife, children, or slaves. He must be gentle toward his wife, kind toward his slaves, and patient with his children. He has the “patriarchal” duty of establishing a household marked by love, humility, forgiveness, and the mutual edification of its members. He will have to learn Christ not merely from his cultural peers or “superiors,” but even from his cultural “subordinates.”

In the cultural context third, the code focuses on the duties, rather than the rights, of the members of the household, including especially the paterfamilias. In this respect this household code provides an alternative to any legal code that would do just the opposite. The paterfamilias, in fact, has no explicit rights granted him. To be sure, others have duties to him, but if they fail to comply, he has no right to punish or kill them. He has only the duty to be patient with them and forgive them - to live a cruciform life before them! He, like all the m embers of the household, has the responsibility of being a sort of Christ to his neighbors.

General exhortation

 Paul concludes this part of the letter by tying together his own story with that of the Colossians. He does this by adding some further general exhortations. The major focus is on the Colossians responsibility toward those who have not yet believed the gospel.

A general call to prayer with thanksgiving (4:2) turns quickly into a request for prayer for Pau’s evangelistic mission, Paul desiring that they pray for both opportunity and clarity (4:3-4). But the Colossians cannot rely on Paul alone to spread “the mystery of Christ.” They must embody the gospel in their conduct and speech, demonstrating its wisdom and grace (4:5-6). This requires not only being prepared to answer inquiries (4:6), but also taking initiative whenever possible (4:5).

Greetings and Benediction

Pauls letter to the Collossians conclude with the naming of eleven individuals associated with Paul are named. The first two mentioned were Tychicus and Onesimus. . Tychicus was described by Pauls as  “a beloved brother, a faithful minister [ diakonos], and a fellow servant”. In the same vein, he also described Onesimus but with an appellation of a slave. Greetings, with short glosses, follow from three more of Paul's fellow laborers, Aristarchus

(also in prison), Mark (who may be coming on some mission), and Jesus (called Justus), who are identified as his sole Jewish coworkers (4:10-11) - perhaps to reinforce the appropriateness of his gospel for those with Jewish heritage or inclination. Epaphras, the evangelist from and to the Colossians, is mentioned as one who vigorously intercedes for the churches ("wrestling in his prayers," 4:12) he has founded in Colossae (1:7-8) and, proba bly, also in nearby Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:13). All these men save Justus are named also in Philemon 23-24, with Epaphras (not Aristarchus) in prison with Paul at that time. Similarly, Luke and Demas, also mentioned in Philemon 24, send greetings (4:14). Finally, Paul somehow takes up the pen, despite being in chains - no doubt after leaving the

actual writing of the letter to a secretary (Tychicus?) - to authenticate the letter and to send his word of grace (4:18), ending the letter on the note with which he began it (1:2, 6). It is a fitting summary of his message - the fullness of the grace of God in Christ.

The Story in front of the letter