Introduction to Colossians: Authorship, Date, Audience - Crain Home

Home Page
4. Daniel Wallace
Most NT scholars accept the genuineness of Colossians, though it has been
assailed on critical grounds from some circles. Beginning with T.
Mayerhoff (1838) and F. C. Baur (1845) and the Tübingen school,
Colossians has found itself outside the pale of undisputed Pauline books.
http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/colotl.htm
Back to Top
Date
1. Between A.D. 61 and 63 (New Advent)
2. David Malick
http://crain.english.mwsc.edu/colossians/index.htm (3 of 38)6/17/2003 8:16:07 AM
II. LOCATION AND DATE: FROM ROME IN AD 60-61.
A. Location:11 Paul's (first) Roman Imprisonment: 1. Until
recently, Rome was considered by most to be the location
from which Paul wrote12 2. Caesarea: Some13 understand
Caesarea to be the location of writing, but this is unlikely for
the following reasons: a. It is unlikely that a runaway slave
(Philemon) would have fled to Caesarea to escape detection
and would have found access to Paul like he would have in
Rome (where Paul was under house-arrest) b. Paul expects to
be released in the near future since he requests Philemon to
prepare him lodging (Phm. 22) and this probably would not
have been the case at Caesarea where Paul knew that his only
hope was to appeal to Caesar c. It is unlikely that Caesarea
was the home of active missionary work requiring such a
large staff of Paul's co-workers of Gentile origin for Philemon
to seek refuge, and it does not seem that this small harbor city
was the center of vigorous propaganda suggested in
Colossians 4:3,414 3. Ephesus:15 Some16 understand
Ephesus to be the location of writing, but this is unlikely for
the following reasons: a. No evidence exists to affirm that
Paul was imprisoned in Ephesus (Acts 19)17 b. It is unlikely
that a runaway slave (Philemon) would have fled to Ephesus
and remained there long enough to know Paul since it was no
more than 100 miles away from Colossae c. The "we"