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

Interpretation 1
Interpretation of Chapter One
The Intervarsity Press Commentary outlines chapter one as greeting, prayer,
theology on the foundation of faith, new exodus, new creation, new age, and
Paul's defense of his ministry.
Paul's Greeting (1:1-2)
Paul's Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:3-12)
The Foundation of Faith: God's Grace in Christ (1:13-23)
The New Exodus (1:13-14)
The New Creation (1:15-20)
The New Age (1:21-23)
Paul's Defense of His Ministry (1:23--2:3)
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Daniel Wallace summarizes Colossians as outlining the sufficiency of
Christ, arguing against heretics and christological heresy, and calling for
Christians to live in the light of Christ's sufficiency:
http://crain.english.mwsc.edu/colossians/interpretation_1.htm (1 of 20)6/17/2003 8:17:40 AM
The apostle Paul, with Timothy, begins the letter with a
greeting to the saints at Colossae (1:1-2).
The body of the letter begins at 1:3. 27 Paul begins on a positive
note in which he outlines the sufficiency of Christ (1:3–2:7). He
follows this with a negative statement in which he argues against
the views of the heretics at Colossae, who especially imbibe in
christological heresy (2:3–3:4). The body is concluded with a call
to live the Christian life in light of Christ’s sufficiency (3:5–4:6).
The first major section, on the positive presentation of the
sufficiency of Christ, involves four parts. (1) Paul’s