The Letter to the Colossians: Where Was It Written, When, and to Whom?

The letter is addressed to the saints in Colossae which was a Roman province in modern-day Turkey in the Lycus Valley. The city was close to two other places mentioned in the letter, Laodicea and Hierapolis. The church in Colossae appears not to have been founded by Paul but by his follower, Epaphras. In fact,

Introduction to Colossians: Did Paul write it?

The early church accepted Paul as the author of the letter to the Colossians but, since the 19th century, there has been a great deal of debate about whether Paul actually wrote it. It shows significant differences from the letters that everyone agrees Paul wrote, so some people are convinced that Paul was not the

The Conclusion of the Letter (Philemon 21-25)

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. 22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The

Debts (Philemon 17-20)

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have

The Center of Paul’s Appeal to Philemon (Philemon 15-16)

15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. In

Sending Onesimus Back (Philemon 12-14)

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but

The Appeal (Philemon 8-11)

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while

Thanksgiving and Prayer (Philemon:4-7)

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love

Grace and Peace (Philemon:3)

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse three, Paul adds the greeting that appears in all of his undisputed letters, wishing the reader grace and peace. Charis, the Greek word for grace, resembles the typical greeting in a Greek letter while peace, “shalom” was the typical greeting

Other Members of the Church (Philemon:2)

2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home: In verse two, Apphia is mentioned and described as Paul’s sister. Traditionally she is identified as Philemon’s wife although there is no evidence for this in the letter. She certainly is an influential figure in the local church.