Colossians and Philemon

Bird

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781498273824
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Michael Bird's commentary on Colossians and Philemon in the New Covenant Commentary Series pays close attention to the socio-historical context, the flow and dynamics of the text, their argumentative strategy, theological message, and the meaning of Colossians and Philemon for the contemporary church today. Bird situates Colossians in the context of Paul's Ephesian ministry and describes how Paul attempts to persuade a congregation in the Lycus Valley to remain firm in the gospel and to grasp the cosmic majesty of Jesus Christ over and against the views of certain Jewish mystics who have thrown the Colossians into confusion. He shows how, in the letter to Philemon, Paul intercedes for a slave estranged from his master through a carefully crafted feat of pastoral persuasion from a missionary friend of Philemon. The commentary combines exegetical insight, rhetorical analysis, theological exposition, and practical application all in one short volume. Bird shows Paul at work as a theologian, pastor, and missionary in his letters to the Colossians and Philemon.

Letter Opening and Greeting (1:1–2)

1 Paul, an Apostle of Messiah Jesus through the will of God and Timothy our brother. 2 To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Messiah in Colossae. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

The letter begins with a standard epistolary prescript detailing the sender and recipient. At the head of the letter stands Paul, an Apostle of Messiah Jesus. The mention of Paul introduces the apostle as the author (or coauthor) of the communication. Paul did not establish the church in Colossae, but he would no doubt have been known to the Colossian assembly through Epaphras who was probably sent by Paul to establish house churches in the Lycus Valley (Col 1:7; 4:12; Phlm 23). Paul’s evangelistic activities and hardships faced in Ephesus (1 Cor 15:32; 16:8; Acts 18:19; 19:1–41; 20:17–38) would have been among the things for which he was known. The letter stands as a substitute then for his personal presence and is also all the more important given the current absence of Epaphras and the uncertainties surrounding the effectiveness of the ministry of Archippus (Col 4:17; Phlm 2). As usual, Paul identifies himself as an apostle, and apostolos means “one who is sent” or an authorized emissary of a third party. One can be the apostle of a church (2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25), but Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; 1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:1).

It is none other than Messiah Jesus who is the source of Paul’s commission and authority as an apostle. Unlike other Pauline letters, what is at stake here is not Paul’s authority as an apostle (e.g., Gal, 2 Cor), but the nature of the sending figure Messiah Jesus in light of the Colossian philosophy. I have rendered Christos Iēsous as Messiah Jesus, using “Messiah” rather than “Christ” for Christos in order to emphasize the Jewish and eschatological connotation of the designation for Paul (although I recognize that this was not necessarily evident to all readers).1 While the Greek word Christos may be (or is on the way to becoming) a proper name, it has not lost all of its titular significance.2 “Christ” is perhaps a cognomen like “Caesar” of “Gaius Julius Caesar.” But just like “Caesar,” “Christ” can also have a titular and regal meaning. We should not forget that Christos is often a Greek translation for the Hebrew masiah and the Aramaic mesiha from which we get “Messiah.” A reverse order of “Jesus Messiah” or “Jesus Christ” is more common in Paul (e.g., 1:3) and underscores its titular nature especially when coordinate to “Lord,” i.e., “Lord Jesus Christ.” Indeed, Christ Jesus/Jesus Christ arguably evokes a titular sense of “Jesus the Messiah” and perhaps even an implied confession of “Jesus is the Messiah” as well. Such a title or confession conjures up an implied narrative about the life, death, and exaltation of Jesus. In other words, Messiah Jesus or Jesus Messiah is essentially an encoded reference to the status and story of Jesus of Nazareth as the king of Israel and exalted Lord of the world.3

Although Paul’s apostolate is anchored in Messiah Jesus, it is also in accordance with the will of God, adding a theocentric dimension to Paul’s apostolic office. His service rendered to Jesus is ultimately operative through divine empowerment, i.e., God working through Paul. God is working out his will, plan, and purpose through the Pauline mission. Paul is looped in a circle of authority between Messiah Jesus and God, as Dunn comments: “Paul as apostle of Christ Jesus, Jesus as Christ owned and authorized by God, and God as the one God of Israel through whose Messiah and apostle good news is extending to the nations.”4 Paul is not alone in his missionary endeavors. He has a cohort of coworkers and naturally makes mention of his cosender Timothy [our] brother (perhaps the scribe and coauthor of the epistle). Timothy, a disciple from Lystra (Acts 16:1–3), is a cosender in other correspondence (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Phlm 1). Later in the epistle Paul will add mention of Tychicus as another brother who was quite likely the letter carrier accompanied by Onesimus (4:7–9).

Paul does not address the letter to the “churches” in the designated region as he does elsewhere (e.g., Corinth [1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1]; Galatia [Gal 1:1]; Thessalonica [1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1]), yet this is hardly significant since he does not mention any particular “church” in the opening prescript of Romans, Philippians, or Ephesians either. For Paul, the fact that the gospel had spread to Colossae and the fact that they had been baptized into the Messiah is proof enough of the existence of an ekklēsia (“church”) in Colossae. He describes them as holy and faithful. I have chosen to take hagioi (“saints” or “holy”) adjectivally with faithful, which modifies brothers and sisters (on translating adelphos in this inclusive way see also net, tniv, nrsv, nlt).5 The Colossians are, by reality and ideal, the holy and faithful people of God rooted in the Messiah. Holiness and fidelity describes their current state as those who are in Messiah, but it also designates the goal of their conduct as those who seek to live worthily of Messiah (see 1:10). The letter opening rounds up with a greeting of grace and peace. Paul has replaced the regular Greek chairein (“greeting”) with charis (“grace,” “favour,” “generosity”) and linked it characteristically to the Jewish concept of shalom (“peace”), understood as the absence of hostilities, but also well-being, wholeness, and prosperity. The apostle greets the Colossians with a blessing of divine favor and divine embrace.

1. A good justification for this strategy is provided by Blomberg 2003.

2. Cf. Wright 1986: 46–47; Barth and Blanke 1994: 137; Thompson 2005: 18.

3. According to Barth and Blanke (1994: 146), “The meaning of ‘gospel’ is pregnantly expressed in these first two verses of Col.”

4. Dunn 1996: 47.

5. Although in other letter prescripts hagioi is used substantively and appropriately translated as “saints” or “holy ones” (e.g., 1 Cor 1:2), Paul’s only other use of hagioi in Colossians (3:12) is adjectival. See also Moule 1957: 45.

Thanksgiving and Intercession: The Prayer of Paul for the Colossians (1:3–14)

3 We always give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you in prayer, 4 since we heard of your faithfulness in Messiah Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in the heavenlies, which you first heard in the word of truth: the gospel. 6 This gospel has come to you just as in all the world it is bearing fruit and growing, just as among you from the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. 7 Just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on our behalf 8 and made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 Because of this we also, from the very day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and petitioning God so that you might be filled in the knowledge of his will with complete wisdom and spiritual insight, 10 so as to walk worthily of the Lord and pleasing him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for endurance and patience. With joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father who qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of his love, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul moves beyond his...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Introduction to Colossians and Philemon
• Colossians
• 1:1–2
• 1:3–14
• 1:15–20
• 1:21–23
• 1:24—2:7
• 2:8–23
• 3:1–17
• 3:18—4:1
• 4:2–18
• Philemon
• 1–7
• 8–22
• 23–25
• Bibliography