The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, usually referred to simply as Colossians, is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy to the Church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Ephesus in Asia Minor. During the first generation after Jesus, Paul’s epistles to various churches helped establish early Christian theology.
According to Bruce Metzger, it was written in the 50s while Paul was in prison. Colossians is similar to Ephesians, also written at this time. Some critical scholars have ascribed the epistle to an early follower of Paul, writing as Paul. The epistle’s description of Christ as preeminent over creation marks it, for some scholars, as representing an advanced Christology not present during Paul’s lifetime. Defenders of Pauline authorship cite the work’s similarities to Philemon, which is broadly accepted as authentic.
Book of Colossians: [1] [2] [3] [4]