Books of the Bible

The Book of Colossians

New Testament · Pauline Epistles · Genre: Epistle · Author: The apostle Paul · Chapters: 4

Colossians exalts the supremacy of Christ over everything, written to a church tempted by teachings that diminished him. Paul insists that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, that in him all the fullness of God dwells, and that in him believers are complete.

Start reading: Colossians chapter 1

A key verse

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:Colossians 1:16 (KJV)

The setting and background of Colossians

Colossians is one of Paul's prison letters, written to a church he had not personally founded, in the city of Colossae. It was being unsettled by teachers who mixed the gospel with human philosophy, mystical experiences, angel worship, and rule-keeping, and Paul wrote to answer them by lifting up a towering vision of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.

At the heart of the letter is one of Scripture's greatest passages about the person of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the creator and sustainer of all things, in whom all the fullness of God dwells. Because believers are complete in him, Paul warns against man-made rules that cannot change the heart, and calls them to set their minds on things above and to clothe themselves in love.

Colossians was written to guard a church against teachings that would diminish Christ or add to his sufficiency. In the sweep of Scripture, its hymn to the supremacy of Christ remains a bulwark against every attempt to make him one savior among many or to supplement the gospel with human wisdom, and its vision of Christ as supreme and sufficient has anchored the church's faith and worship.

The story and structure of Colossians

Colossians was written by Paul from prison to a church he had not personally founded, which was being unsettled by teachers who mixed the gospel with human philosophy, mystical experiences, angel worship, and rule-keeping. Paul answers not by attacking each error in detail but by lifting up a towering vision of Christ that makes every rival seem small.

At the heart of the letter stands one of Scripture's greatest passages about the person of Christ. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the one by whom and for whom all things were created, who is before all things and in whom all things hold together. In him all the fullness of God dwells, and through his blood on the cross God reconciles all things to himself.

Because believers have died and risen with Christ and have been filled in him, they are complete and need no supplement, no secret knowledge, no ascetic rules, no religious rituals, to be fully accepted by God. Paul warns them not to let anyone disqualify them or bind them with regulations that have an appearance of wisdom but no power to change the heart.

Since they have been raised with Christ, Paul calls them to set their hearts and minds on things above, where Christ is seated at God's right hand. They are to put to death what belongs to the old life and to put on the new self, being renewed in the image of their Creator, where there is no division but Christ is all and in all.

Paul clothes this new life in the virtues that flow from Christ: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and above all love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. He applies it to the home and to work, and urges believers to let the peace of Christ rule their hearts and the word of Christ dwell in them richly, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

The great themes of Colossians

Key passages in Colossians

Colossians in the sweep of Scripture

Colossians is a compact but profound letter, and its great hymn to the supremacy of Christ is one of the New Testament's clearest statements of who Jesus is. Written to guard a church against teachings that would diminish Christ or add to his sufficiency, it remains a bulwark against every attempt to make him one savior among many or to supplement the gospel with human wisdom. Its vision of Christ as supreme and sufficient has anchored the church's faith and worship through the centuries.

Where Christ is in Colossians

Colossians is a hymn to the supremacy of Jesus, the image of the invisible God, in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily and in whom believers lack nothing. He is the creator and sustainer of all things, the head of the church, and the reconciler who made peace by the blood of his cross, so that in everything he might have the preeminence.

How to read Colossians well

Read Colossians to see Christ in his greatness, letting its towering vision of him as supreme and sufficient free you from the endless striving of man-made religion. When you feel that you must add something to Christ to be acceptable, hear its assurance that you are complete in him. And since you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above and clothe yourself in the love and peace that flow from him, doing everything in his name.

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