me of this epistle, though it had once been
of considerable influence. It was one of a group of three cities,
Laodicia and Hierapolis being the Other two, situated on the Lycus
river near where it flows into the famous Meander.

The Church of Colossae. It was perhaps founded by Epaphras (1:6-7;
4:12-13) who was directed by Paul in his work there "for us" "on our
behalf", (1:7). Paul though having a very vital connection with it.
had never visited the church (1:7; 2:1). He seems to have kept posted
about conditions in the church (1:3; 4, 9, 2:1), and to have approved
the work and discipline of the church (1:5-7, 23, 2:5-7; 4:12-13). He
was loved by them (1:8) and knew and loved some of them. See also
Phile 9.

Condition of the Church and Occasion for the Epistle. False teachers
or a false teacher, had come among them and had greatly hindered the
prosperity of the church. The main source of all their false teaching
lay in an old eastern dogma, that all matter is evil and its source
also evil. If this were true, God, who is in no wise evil, could not
have created matter. And since our bodies are matters they are evil
and God could not have created them. From this notion that our bodies
are evil two extremes of error arose: (1) That only by various ascetic
practices, whereby we punish the body, can we hope to save it, 2:20-
23. (2) That since the body is evil, none of its deeds are to be
accounted for. License was, therefore, granted to evil conduct, and
evil passions were indulged at pleasure and without impunity (3:5-8).

In seeking to find relief from this condition they formulated two
other false doctrines. (1) An esoteric and exclusive theory which was
a doctrine of secrets and initiation (2:2, 3, 8). By this doctrine
they declared that the remedy for man's condition was known to only a
few, and to learn this secret one must be initiated into their
company. (2) That since God could not have been creator of these
sinful bodies, they could not, therefore, come to him for blessing,
and so they formulated, in their theory, a series of intermediary
beings or Aeons, such as angels, that must have created us and whom we
must worship (2:18), especially as a means of finally reaching God.

All these false theories conspired to limit the greatness and
authority of Jesus Christ, and to limit the efficiency of redemption
in him (2:9-10). They are called by the one name, Gnosticism, and
present four aspects of error in this