Colossians Background
Colosse Colossians Paul background church congregation epistle
controversy
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Colosse
is located near Laodicea about 75 miles south east of Ephesus in
what is now Turkey. It was primarily a gentile congregation (Col
1:20-21, 2:11, 13). Paul heard of this group in Colossi from Epaphras (Col 1:3-4, 7-8, 2:1). Paul had apparently
never actually visited the congregation (Col 2:1). It was raised up by Epaphras (Col 1:7 see NIV, some mis-leading
text in other versions was apparently added by copyists). Likely Epaphras came into contact with Paul on one of Paul's
earlier missionary journeys.
Epaphras
was uncircumcised (Col 4:11-12). It is unlikely there were Jews in this
congregation. A gentile is highly unlikely to have influenced any
self-respecting Jew to accept Jesus, even if he called Him by His real name, Yeshua. J Why would a Jew believe what a gentile said
about the Jewish Messiah?
Verse 11 claims the
congregation at Colossi was circumcised "without hands".
Certainly this refers
metaphorically to the snipping of the tough skin of the
heart. It also hints that they were in
fact uncircumcised. Just
like no hands had circumcised their flesh, so hands had not circumcised
their
heart. Paul is not talking only to the gentile part of the group, but
the whole group.
Verse 13 specifically states that their flesh is
uncircumcised. This would not be true of
practicing Jews. They
would be offended. So it is highly unlikely there were any Jews
in this
congregation.