hed over evil angels (ii. 13-15).
The apostle then directly condemns the practices of the false
teachers--their anxious and mechanical conduct with regard to food and
seasons, their intrusion into celestial secrets and their doctrine of
angel-worship, their loose hold on Christ the Head, symptoms of an
affected humility which is no real check against the indulgence of the
flesh (ii. 16-23).

He then turns to practical exhortation. In the bracing words made
familiar to us by the Epistle for Easter Day, St. Paul bids the
Colossians leave the gently stimulating exercise of intellectual
theorizing and listen to the stern demands made by Christ on life and
character. They have risen to a life hid with Christ in God; they must
make dead the faculties of sensual action, angry thinking, and evil
speaking: this is implied in forsaking heathenism for the universal
Christ (iii. 1-11). Live quietly in peace and love, show a gracious
life in a gracious worship, consecrate your words and deeds by doing
all in the name of the Lord Jesus (iii. 12-17).

Then the special duties of wives and husbands, children and fathers,
slaves and masters, are dealt with. Prayer and thanksgiving are
enjoined on all alike, and the Christians are bidden {176} to "buy up
the opportunity" of furthering the cause of God in their dealings with
the outer world, having their speech seasoned with the salt of
wholesome wisdom (iii. 18-iv. 6). A few words are said about Tychicus,
Onesimus, and other friends, including "Luke, the beloved physician,"
and the Epistle ends with a farewell which St. Paul wrote with his own
hand. Before writing it, the apostle directs that this letter should
be read at Laodicea, and that the Colossians should procure another
letter which had been left in that city. This was probably the
so-called Epistle to the Ephesians.

ANALYSIS

Salutation, thanksgiving, the apostle's prayer for the readers (i.
1-13).

Christ, who redeemed us, is pre-eminent in Person, being the Head of
the natural creation, and of the spiritual creation, because the sum of
divine attributes dwells in Him (i. 14-19). He is pre-eminent in work,
having reconciled us to God (i. 20-23).

St. Paul's own commission and his anxiety (i. 24-ii. 7). Warning
against the delusion of a false philosophy. The "fulness" is in
Christ, therefore the Colossians must avoid semi-Jewish practices and
also avoid the worship of angels (ii. 8-19). The converts have d