Colossians Series

Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

Jan 25, 2026 By: Andrew N. Seeley Topics: Christian Living, Scripture, Union with Christ, New Testament, Series: Colossians Scripture: Colossians

– 5 min read

Introduction

Here are some quick, fun facts about Colossians: The author of Colossians was the Apostle Paul (1:1). Colossae would have been located in modern-day Turkey. It was in the region of Phrygia, in the Roman province of Asia Minor. It is fascinating to note that Paul never visited Colossae (2:1). The gentleman named Epaphras, who is introduced in the letter, was likely the one who planted the churches in Colossae (1:7, 4:12). Epaphras likely heard the gospel first from Paul while Paul was in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). Colossians and Philemon are so similar and appear to have been written during the same time. This leads us to the question, “Where did Paul write the letter to the Colossians?“

Where did Paul write the letter to the Colossians?

One theory is that Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon from Ephesus. This theory is newer and is promoted by some scholars, such as N.T. Wright. This would go against the mainstream theory that Paul wrote these letters from Rome. Colossae was 120 miles from Ephesus, which would make sense concerning the traveling back and forth of Epaphras (4:12). It also would make more sense that Onesimus would travel to Ephesus instead of Rome. It would be a lot for Paul to ask that Onesimus return to Colossae (Philemon 1:12) and then need him to return right back to Rome to continue ministering to Paul (Philemon 1:13-14). There are some minor issues with this minority, yet rapidly becoming popular, theory. First, there is simply no record of Paul being imprisoned in Ephesus (Colossians 4:18; Philemon 1:1,9,13,23). Second, it fits best with Acts to assume that Paul penned this letter while imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28:16).

Another theory is Rome – as mentioned above, Acts ends with Paul imprisoned in Rome. The majority view is that Paul wrote to the Colossians and to Philemon from Rome, while under house arrest there. One issue with this view is Paul’s reference to his “chains” in these letters (Colossians 4:18; Philemon 1:10). Most would acknowledge that Paul was more under a light house arrest than locked in shackles in a Roman prison. Some would take issue with the idea of Paul indulging or exaggerating details of his situation (the issue of Paul being dishonest about his condition). Nonetheless, it is still a form of imprisonment, and the Ephesus side of the debate should seek not to claim that in order for Paul to be writing from Rome, he is somehow bearing false witness. It is best not to say where Paul is writing these letters (Colossians & Philemon), but instead focus on the content of the letters themselves. Without a place, it can be difficult then to determine when (time) the letter was written as well. If written in Ephesus, then early 50s A.D. If written in Rome, then the early 60s A.D.

Additional Fun Fact

Paul’s letter to the Colossians was also for the Laodiceans (4:16).

What is the main theme and purpose of Paul’s letter to the Colossians?

The point of Paul’s letter to the Colossians is indeed multifaceted. However, one could argue that it is primarily to remind believers of their new identity in Christ and, from there, encourage them in their new life in Him. This is the view that I have adopted. From this broad idea, one can see others at work underneath, such as reminding believers of their union with Christ (2:10-12), warning against man-made doctrine (2:16-23), discussion on the mortification of sin (3:5-9), explaining how to live in the Church (3:12-17), and commenting on Christian living in the home and at work (3:18-4:1). Colossians contains 95 verses and 4 chapters. There are no Old Testament citations in the book of Colossians. Many struggle to see any Old Testament allusions in the letter, while some claim they are there. This will mainly depend on how one defines “allusion” or “echo” and how to apply it. It will be presented that Paul is indeed alluding to Old Testament Scripture in this epistle as we study through this letter.

Helpful Outlines for Colossians

There are many outlines of Colossians offered. Some helpful outlines are provided by Douglas Moo, Scot McKnight, and John MacArthur (see below). While Moo’s may be too simplistic, McKnight’s may be overwhelmingly detailed. A happy median is found in MacArthur.

Douglas Moo

Scot McKnight

  1. Introduction (1:1–2:5)
  2. Doctrinal Correction (2:6–3:4)
    • The Essential Exhortation (2:6–7)
    • Correction of False Religion (2:8–19)
      • Philosophical Problems (2:8–15)
        1. The Opening Warning (2:8)
        2. The Solution of Fullness “in” Christ (2:9–10)
        3. The Solution of Baptism “in” and “with” Christ (2:11–13a)
          • The Assertion of Circumcision in Christ (2:11)
          • The Reassertion of Circumcision in Baptism (2:12)
          • The Rearticulation of Circumcision in Baptism (2:13a)
        4. The Solution of Victory in Christ (2:13b–15)
          • New Creation…in Forgiveness (2:13b)
          • New Creation…in Cancellation (2:14a)
          • New Creation…in Taking It Away (2:14b)
          • New Creation…in Making a Spectacle (2:15)
      • Practical Manifestations (2:16–19)
    • Exhortation to True Religion (2:20–3:4)
      • In Light of Corporate Death (2:20–23)
        1. The Question about the Rules (2:20)
        2. Clarifying the Rules (2:21)
        3. Deconstructing the Theology of the Rules (2:22–23)
      • In Light of Corporate Resurrection (3:1–4)
        1. The Exhortation (3:1–2)
        2. The Reason (3:3)
        3. The Promise (3:4)
  3. Practical Exhortation (3:5–4:6)
  4. Conclusion (4:7–18)
    • Messengers (4:7–9)
    • Greetings (4:10–15)
      • Aristarchus, Jewish Co-worker #1 (4:10a)
      • Mark, Jewish Co-worker #2 (4:10b)
      • Jesus Who Is Called Justus, Jewish Co-worker #3 (4:11)
      • Epaphras: Gentile #1 (4:12–13)
      • Luke and Demas: Gentiles #2 and #3 (4:14)
      • Greet Laodicea and Nympha (4:15)
      • Directions (4:16–17)
      • Superscription (4:18)

John MacArthur