The Colossian Heresy Essay -- essays research papers fc

The city of Colossae Located on the South bank of the Lycus River in the province of Phrygia stood Colossae. Before the Christian era, Colossae was a principle city in the Lycus Valley . Part of a major trade route in Asia minor from Ephesus to Miletus, the city was most known for its production of textiles, especially its purple wool . With other large cities such as Laodicea and Hierapolis, this was a well-populated and high business area in the Lycus Valley. Yet, with changes in the road system, Laodicea became a more important trade city than Colossae. And though once a city of great prominence, by A.D. 61, Colossae had suffered a great deal. An earthquake shook the city that year, Eusebius writes, and had disappeared from the literature of its day . However, there is much more to the story of this once prominent city. For instance, the city is written to by the Apostle Paul in the late 50’s A.D., concerning what was considered to be dangerous teachings that might be infiltrating the church in that city. What was this false teaching that Paul was concerned enough to write about? Was there truly a danger? What did this teaching consist of? These questions will attempt to be answered in the following pages. It would be wise to first begin with the church in Colossae. The Church in Colosssae had a problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The church in Colossae was not planted by Paul. Rather, many believe that one of his students, Epaphras, was the man who built this Gentile church . It is believed that Epaphras is the man who first sent word to Paul about the problems facing the church there. And while it is generally agreed that Paul writes to a specific problem affecting the church in Colossae, it is not agreed upon what exactly the problem was. There are as many possibilities as there are scholars who have written on the subject. For the time being, some of the more likely views will be briefly examined. The heresy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often referred to as the â€Å"Colossian Heresy†, many debated as to who might be the ones responsible for the false teachings and wrong influences that Paul was so concerned about. Arnold writes that though Paul had probably not visited the church in Colossae before he wrote, he believed the teaching to come from a Pagan and Jewish style of thought and law . This would imply that two different groups were responsibl... ...rand Rapids, Michigan 1996. Baird, Cliff. What Was nailed to the Cross. Memphis 1989. Barclay, William. The All Sufficient Christ: Studies in Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, Westminster Books, Philadelphia 1974. Furnish, Paul Victor. Colossians, Paul’s Epistle to the Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. Freedman, David Noel. Doubleday, New York 1992. Gray, Crete. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians and Philemon, Lutterworth Press, London 1948. Jones, Allen H. Essenes, University Press of America, Lanham, Maryland 1985. Kachelman, John L. Jr. Studies in Colossians: The Saviors Supremacy, Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas 1985. Lewis, C.S. Colossians, Paul’s Epistle to the, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Orr, James, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids 1952 Lightfoot, J.B. Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, Macmillan and Co., London 1900. Robertson, A.T. Paul and the Intellectuals, Broadman Press, Nashville 1959. Schweizer, Eduard. The Letter to the Colossians, Ausburg Publishing House, Minneapolis 1982. Simon, Marcel. Jewish Sects at the Time of Jesus, Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1967.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Colossian Heresy Essay -- essays research papers fc The city of Colossae Located on the South bank of the Lycus River in the province of Phrygia stood Colossae. Before the Christian era, Colossae was a principle city in the Lycus Valley . Part of a major trade route in Asia minor from Ephesus to Miletus, the city was most known for its production of textiles, especially its purple wool . With other large cities such as Laodicea and Hierapolis, this was a well-populated and high business area in the Lycus Valley. Yet, with changes in the road system, Laodicea became a more important trade city than Colossae. And though once a city of great prominence, by A.D. 61, Colossae had suffered a great deal. An earthquake shook the city that year, Eusebius writes, and had disappeared from the literature of its day . However, there is much more to the story of this once prominent city. For instance, the city is written to by the Apostle Paul in the late 50’s A.D., concerning what was considered to be dangerous teachings that might be infiltrating the church in that city. What was this false teaching that Paul was concerned enough to write about? Was there truly a danger? What did this teaching consist of? These questions will attempt to be answered in the following pages. It would be wise to first begin with the church in Colossae. The Church in Colosssae had a problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The church in Colossae was not planted by Paul. Rather, many believe that one of his students, Epaphras, was the man who built this Gentile church . It is believed that Epaphras is the man who first sent word to Paul about the problems facing the church there. And while it is generally agreed that Paul writes to a specific problem affecting the church in Colossae, it is not agreed upon what exactly the problem was. There are as many possibilities as there are scholars who have written on the subject. For the time being, some of the more likely views will be briefly examined. The heresy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often referred to as the â€Å"Colossian Heresy†, many debated as to who might be the ones responsible for the false teachings and wrong influences that Paul was so concerned about. Arnold writes that though Paul had probably not visited the church in Colossae before he wrote, he believed the teaching to come from a Pagan and Jewish style of thought and law . This would imply that two different groups were responsibl... ...rand Rapids, Michigan 1996. Baird, Cliff. What Was nailed to the Cross. Memphis 1989. Barclay, William. The All Sufficient Christ: Studies in Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, Westminster Books, Philadelphia 1974. Furnish, Paul Victor. Colossians, Paul’s Epistle to the Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. Freedman, David Noel. Doubleday, New York 1992. Gray, Crete. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians and Philemon, Lutterworth Press, London 1948. Jones, Allen H. Essenes, University Press of America, Lanham, Maryland 1985. Kachelman, John L. Jr. Studies in Colossians: The Saviors Supremacy, Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas 1985. Lewis, C.S. Colossians, Paul’s Epistle to the, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Orr, James, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids 1952 Lightfoot, J.B. Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, Macmillan and Co., London 1900. Robertson, A.T. Paul and the Intellectuals, Broadman Press, Nashville 1959. Schweizer, Eduard. The Letter to the Colossians, Ausburg Publishing House, Minneapolis 1982. Simon, Marcel. Jewish Sects at the Time of Jesus, Fortress Press, Philadelphia 1967.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚