COLOSSIAN HERESY COLOSSIANS.

WHILE PAUL WAS A PRISONER IN ROME, HE WAS VISITED BY EPAPHRAS FROM COLOSSAE, A CITY OF ASIA MINOR ABOUT 125 MILES EAST OF EPHESUS. EPAPHRAS BROUGHT NEWS ABOUT THE PROGRESS BEING MADE IN THE GENTILE CHURCH. THERE; POSSIBLY HE HAD OVERSIGHT OF IT 1: 5-8. THOUGH HIS REPORT WAS POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING (1:6), HE FELT SOME ANXIETY. THE CHURCH IN COLOSSAE WAS UNDER THREAT.. A "NEW TEACHING" WAS GAINING A FOOTHOLD, AND ENDANGERING THE GOSPEL.  EPAPHRAS SOUGHT PAUL'S HELP TO ANALYZE AND COMBAT IT.  IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE PRECISELY  WHAT THE HERESY WAS, FOR PAUL DOES NOT DEFINE IT, BUT CONFRONTS IT WITH THE GOSPEL: INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE HERESY INVOLVED THE FOLLOWING:  IT ATTACHED IMPORTANCE TO THE POWERS OF THE SPIRIT WORLD. IN REFERRING TO THESE, IT USED TERMS SUCH AS " THRONES, DOMINION, PRINCIPALITIES, NAMES, AUTHORITIES, POWERS."  POSSIBLY IT ALSO INVOLVED ANGEL WORSHIP., 2:18.  THE FALSE TEACHERS ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO RITUALISTIC OBSERVANCES IN RELATION TO FEASTS AND FASTS, FOOD AND DRINK, NEW MOONS AND SABBATHS, AND PROBABLY ALSO CIRCUMCISION, 2:11, 16ff. OF. THEY PROCLAIMED THEIR IDEAS AS THE TRUE WAY OF SELF- DISCIPLINE AND SUBJECTION OF THE FLESH., 2:20ff. AN ASCETIC ELEMENT WAS ALSO INVOLVED, "DO NOT HANDLE,"  "DO NOT TASTE," "DO NOT TOUCH (2 :21), " A RIGOR OF DEVOTION AND SELF-ABASEMENT AND SEVERITY TO THE BODY, " 2:23. THE FALSE TEACHERS DECLARED THAT THEY POSSESSED A HIGHER, MORE PROFOUND OCCULT KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM GOD., 2:4, 8, 18. WHEN PAUL USES TERMS SUCH AS KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM,UNDERSTANDING AND MYSTERY, MOST LIKELY HE IS USING WORDS THE HERETICS THEMSELVES USED, BUT INJECTING INTO THEM THEIR GOD-INTENDING MEANING. COLOSSIANS DOES NOT TELL US HOW THESE THREE ELEMENTS WERE RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER..
 "PAUL HAS THE ANSWERS TO THE HERESY!"  CHRIST IS THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE AND WHATEVER POWERS EXIST WITHIN IT. HE IS HE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH,  THE CONQUEROR OF EVERY EVIL FORCE OPPOSED TO GOD AND HUMANITY., 1:15ff; 2:9ff. ALL THE "FULLNESS" OF THE GODHEAD DWELLS IN HIM. ( MOST LIKELY THE TERM "FULNESS" WAS ONE OF THE FALSE TEACHERS USED;    PAUL MAKES IT SERVE HIS OWN PURPOSES.) HE WHO EXALTS ANGELS, EMPHASIZING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GOOD SPIRITUAL POWERS AND THE FEAR OF THE EVIL " PRINCIPALITIES" IS MISGUIDED. CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL; ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN PLACED BENEATH IS FEET.  THE WAY TO HOLINESS AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS NOT THROUGH ASCETICISM OR BY SELF-CENTERED EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE PASSIONS. THESE PRACTICES LEAD TO SPIRITUAL PRIDE. THE WAY TO HOLINESS AND FELLOWSHIP IS THROUGH PUTTING ON CHRIST., SETTING ONE'S WHOLE AFFECTION ON HIM, AND PUTTING OFF ALL THAT IS CONTRARY TO HIS WILL,
 2:2O ff; 3:1ff. PAUL INSISTS THAT IT IS VAIN TO SUGGEST THAT ANY EARTHLY PHILOSOPHY CAN BE THE TRUE WISDOM, 2:8. TRUE WISDOM IS FOUND ONLY IN THAT MYSTERY, THAT "OPEN SECRET" WHICH IS CHRIST. HE DWELLS IN ALL WHO RECEIVE HIM AND MAKES NO DISTINCTION OF PERSONS, 1:27; 3:1ff. PAUL  SAW THAT THE COLOSSIAN HERESY CALLED INTO QUESTION THE WAY OF SALVATION IN CHRIST.
IT OBSCURED HIS UNIQUE GREATNESS AND DENIED THE COMPLETE SUFFICIENCY OF HIS ATONEMENT. IT PROCLAIMED AND INVOKED OTHER POWERS AND PRACTICES
 AS MEDIATORS BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY. IT WAS ALL THE MORE DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT CLAIMED NOT TO SUPPLANT, BUT TO SUPPLEMENT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.  PAUL'S AWARENESS OF THIS LED, HIM TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT THE COLOSSIANS  WERE FULL AND COMPLETE IN THE GOSPEL THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT AND THAT THE TREASURES OF DIVINE WISDOM ARE TO BE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE,   2:2,3,9, 1O. THE LETTER PROCLAIMS THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST REPEATEDLY, MAJESTICALLY AND TRIUMPHANTLY. NOTE: BECAUSE MANY PARALLELS EXIST BETWEEN EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS, NO FURTHER COMMENT IS OFFERED.