The Churches of the Lycns were not founded by St. Paul himself. Twice he had traversed Phrygia,-in his second missionary tour &om the Lycao- nian cities through Galatia to Troas (Acts xvi. 4-8), and in his third from Galat-ia to Ephesus (Acts xviii. 23; xix. 1). Ilnt his direct route, on both journeys, would take him through northern Phrygia, to the north-east of the Lycus valley. The language of eh. i. 7 and ii. 1 seems to us positively to exclude the supposition that this district had been evangelized by the apostle in person. But during his long residence at Ephesus (A.D. 54 or 55 to 57, 58) we are told that "all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks"· (Acts xix. 10). Epaphras, a Colossian by birth (eh. iv.12), had been the principal means of spreading the knowledge of Christ in Colosslll and the neighbouring cities, and had superintended the Colossian Church since its foundation (eh. i. 6, 7; iv. 12, 13). He had laboured from the beginning under St. Paul's direction ( eh. i. 7, "for us:" see Exposition), and with remarkaole zeal and success. The apostle has nothing but praise for his labours; nothing but approval for the doctrine that Epaphras had taught, and the discipline that had been established in the Church at Colosslll (eh. i. 5-7, 23; ii. 5-7; iv. 12, 13). He had evidently been acquainted. by report with the Churches of the Lycus for some time (eh. i. 3, 4, 9; ii. 1), and had been previously in communication with Colossre (eh. iv. 10). Now Epaphras has come to visit the apostle in his captivity, bringing a good report of the general condition of the Colossian Church, of its stability and growth in grace, and assuring the apostle of its loyal affection for him (eh. i. 8); but at the same time filling St. Paul's mind with a deep anxiety (eh. ii. 1--4), which he shared himself (eh. iv. 12), by his tidings of the new and perilous doctrine that was gaining a footing in it. 'fhe apostle's friend Philemon resided at Colosslll (comp. eh. iv. 9 with the Epistle to Philemon), where his house had become an important centre of Christian influence (Philem. 2, 4-7). He was another of St. Paul's "sons in the gospel" (ver. 19), having come nnder the apostle's influence, we may presume, when on some visit with his family to Ephesus, the metropolitan city of the province. His son Archippus was at present exercising some special "ministry " in the Laodicean Church, as we gather from the connection of vers. 16 and 17 in eh. iv. (comp. Philem. 2). The apostle had, by a singular providence, recently met with Onesimus, Phile- mon's runaway slave, and had been the means of converting him to the faith of Christ (Philem. 10, 11). He has persuaded him to return to his master, and 1s sending him back, " no longer as a slave, but a brother beloved" (Philem.16), in company with Tychicus, the bearer of the Colossian and Ephesian letters (eh. iv. 7-9; Eph. vi. 21, 22), with~ private note to Philemon, entreating pardon for Onesimus, and announcing his own hop6 of being free before long to visit Colosslll himself (Philem. l~-17, 22). iv INTRODUCTION TO
§ 3. DATE OF THE EPISTLE, When he wrote this letter, the apostle was a prisoner (eh. iv. 3, 18: comp. Eph. iii. 1, 13; iv. 1; vi. 19, 20; Phil. i. 12-20; Philem. 9, 10, 13), suffering for the cause of Gentile Christianity (eh. i. 24-2::-: comp. Eph. iii. 1--6, 13). We cannot doubt, therefore, that it was written during the long imprisonment (A.D. 58 or 59 to 62, 63)-first in Cresa.rea, then in Rome -which ensued on the attack made on his life in Jer11Salem, due to the animosity of the "Jews from Asia" (Acts xxi. 27), whose hatred was roused by the success of his ministry among the Gentiles. The Epistle to the Philippians, we know, was written from Rome (Phil. i. 13 ; iv. 22) ; and it has been generally assumed, according to the subscrip- tion of the Received Text, that the other three letters of this period date likewise from the same city. Meyer, Reuss, and others have,-however, con- tended for Ciesa.rea as their birthplace, bnt on insufficient grounds. Rome was the most likely place in the world for the rnnaway Onesimus to seek t.o hide in. There, too, St. Paul was allowed, as a prisoner, considerable freedom ; and communication with distant Churches was probably easier and less jealonsly guarded than at Cmsarea (Acts xxviii. 30, 31: comp. xxiv. 23 R.V., 26; and see note on eh. i. 6, "in all the world"). .And, what is still more decisive, the apostle's own thoughts and the guiding hand of Providence had hitherto been pointing continually to Rome as the imme- diate goal of his mission (Acts xix. 21; xxiii. 11; Rom. xv. 23-29). Till he had "seen Rome," he wonld scarcely think of returning to .Asia (Philem. 22). And while at Cresarea he had no prospect of release, we know that in Rome he cherished the hope of seeing his Macedonian friends again (Phil. i. 27; ii 23, 24); and from Macedonia it is but another step to Asia Minor. Luke and Aristarchus, who were with the apostle when he wrote these letters (eh. iv. 10, 14; Philem. 24), were the companions of his voyage to Rome (Acts xxvii. 'Z). Dating the Epistle from St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome, during the years 61 to 63 A.D.-and a later rather than an earlier point in this period is more probable-we allow to the Church at Colossm a growth of five or six years, a time not too long to account for the progress and development of Christian life in its members which the tenor of the letter implies (eh. i. 4-6, 9, 23; ii, 5-7). It is quite evident that the Epistle to Philemon and that to the Ephesians were written contemporaneously with this. The relation between Ephesians and Colossians is closer than that which exists between any other of St. Paul's writings. They are twins, too offspring of one birth in the writer's mind. Their connection we shall discuss more fully afterwards. The Epistle to the Philippians stands distinctly apart from these Epistles, both in its contents and style, though, at the same time, it has unmistakable affinities with tbem. It matters little whether we suppose it to have THE EPISTLE TO 'l'llE COLOSSIANS.
preceded or followed them in its composition. Bishop Lightfoot ably contends, on internal grounds, for its precedence; but the language of Phil. ii. 6-11 seems to indicate that the apostle's teaching had already reached the Christological stage of its progress signalized by tho Colossian Epistle. Indeed, this passage is the climax of St. Paul's Christology.