So what
is the purpose of the letters which make up most the rest of the New Testament?
Having looked at the Gospels and Acts which tells the story of the beginnings
of the spread of the message, we turn to the early writings of some of the
apostles. Most of the letters are written by Paul but they do not appear in any
particular order. The letter to the Philippians
and the personal letter to Philemon,
like the letters to Ephesians and Colossians, were probably written around AD60
to 61 while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. He received visitors during that time;
people who kept him informed of all that was going on in the churches in Greece
and Asia Minor. It is worth remembering that these letters are often only one
side of a conversation or a reaction to a problem. As you read ask yourself
what may have prompted the responses you are reading.
As usual a cross-reference Bible
may be useful.
Thoughts about Ephesians and Colossians
The two
letters under consideration here are quite different in presentation and yet
there are distinct similarities in some of the content. The opening sentences
of Ephesians depart from Paul’s normal greetings which followed a pattern
common in letter writing of that time. The more impersonal opening may indicate
that the letter was intended to for a number of audiences in the area. Paul was
well acquainted with the area having spent three years there. In this letter he
does not address any specific issues but concentrates on teaching which was
intended to build up the church in Christ. To this end the overarching of theme
of unity in the Spirit threads its way through the letter.
The
letter begins with an affirmation of the supremacy of Christ and the privileged
position which belongs to his followers because of their relationship with him.
This was all planned beforehand. Several times in this letter Paul alludes to
our being chosen through pre-destined plans. He makes no attempt to address
directly the conflict this causes with the notion of free-will and the choice
to follow or turn away.
Instead
he prays for wisdom and enlightenment for his readers. The ability to
understanding the riches of God’s gifts and deal with the tensions which arise
out of the many different interpretations we put on the scriptures require an
enlightened attitude which church history reveals has been sadly lacking. We
are heirs to the kingdom through being part of the body but Paul is concerned
that the body should hold together.
Our
journey from sin to salvation is emphasised in both letters. Because of the
Cross we are no longer separated from God. It is not of our doing but we are
the beneficiaries of God’s plan and action through Jesus and then the Holy
Spirit. The majestic language at the end of Ephesians 2 describes a process
which has been set in motion; a process which defines our purpose and the
nature of our inheritance.
Rooted
in the love which surpasses all knowledge (Eph 3:19) we are to reflect what has
taken place inn our relationship with God by adopting a new relationship with
one another. Love is the key to unity. In love all the other ‘ones’ of
Ephesians 4 hold together. Love is the power which creates our light and it is
in love (Eph 4:29) that we are charged to build one another up.
Often we
have struggled with the reference in Ephesians 5 to different relationships,
particularly the instruction for wives to submit to their husbands (Eph 5:22
& Col 3:18).For such tensions we require his prayer for wisdom and
enlightenment (Eph 1:17-18). We need to contrast the times in which he wrote
with the nature of today’s world where we have hopefully made some progress
along the road to better relationships that God wants from us. The fact that we
are still struggling after nearly two thousand years with many of the issues
which Paul highlights should underline the need for the cautionary words of
chapter 6 about wearing the full armour of God, and persisting in the faith.
Paul closes with an exhortation to pray – another thing which these two letters
have in common.
Where
the letter to the Colossians differs is that there is a specific problem of
which Paul had been made aware of through Epaphras, one of the founder members
of the church in Colosse. It is not entirely clear what the ‘heresy’ was but as
we read Paul’s words we gain some idea of what concerned him most. Because of
the strong Greek influence in the area there was much academic debate and a heavy
emphasis on the power of human thought and knowledge. As in the letter to the
Ephesians Paul wants to emphasise Christ’s supremacy and the sufficiency of his
actions for us. ‘See that no-one takes you captive..’ (Col 2:8)
What
follows in the Colossians letter is similar in emphasis to the principles laid
out in Ephesians butin shorter form. There is also reference to the way the
Colossians have already expressed their faith in baptism (Col 2:12) and how
they should understand the importance of this. In many ways Paul’s message is
that they should keep their observance simple. He recognises the need for laws
for living but insists that these should be for the good of the individual in
community. Living in harmony is the underlying message in chapter 3 with the
need for breaking down barriers reiterated.
Because
Colossians follows the more conventional pattern, it ends with messages to and
from individuals. Some of these names crop up again elsewhere so keep an eye
out for them…
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