Wednesday Bible study: Peoples of the Epistles part six

 

While we learned many things about the Church at Colossae in this book, we have to go outside of it to learn something key about it- many of them would not long survive reading the letter.

In AD 60 or 61, and by my thinking, either before or not long after the letter arrived- Colossae was hit by a mammoth earthquake, which- like one not fifty years before- destroyed the place.  And besides it, it had three other enemies stalking it.  Well, four actually, if you count economics.

Colossae was in a valley that also contained two other cities, one of which you might know.  Most directly affecting them was Hierapolis, Mentioned by Paul in chapter 4.  Much of the economic good that had come from the valley being a trade route had shifted to the better-located Hierapolis by the earthquake of AD 60 or 61; but dominant in the valley was Laodicea, the "lukewarm" city of Revelation 6...

Rev 3:14  "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
Rev 3:15  "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
Rev 3:16  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 

 

What really makes this verse pop was that Nero in 61 sent his men to Laodicea to find out what they needed to rebuild; and they told them, "We're good, we are rich enough to handle it ourselves."  Mind you, I found that, and many other things about the aftermath, from secular sources, such as the reports of the Roman historian Tacitus.

 

But back to Colossae.  Did Paul warn them of the upcoming disaster?  Not that I could see, except for one thing that I'll share a bit later.  Paul was more concerned about 'defending the faith' against the three enemies arrayed to battle it.

The first of those he spends from 2:8 to 2:17 warning them about, and explaining how Christ had already defeated this foe for them; those lovely Judaizers...

Col 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ...

Col 2:15  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Col 2:16  Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.


The third of those foes, and yes, I'm skipping the middle, is similar to the first: The Gnostics, who were trying to build man-made religions out of logic...

Col 2:20  If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations--
Col 2:21  "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
Col 2:22  (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings?
Col 2:23  These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 

 

 

But in between was another enemy, born of the first two, and I believe that its attack was why the Apostle closed the letter with this warning:

Col 4:16  And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
Col 4:17  And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord." 

 

Archippus, Paul's "fellow soldier" in Philemon, was the leader of the house church in Colossae in Philemon's household.  And here is why I think it was prophetic.

First, let me expose that second enemy:

 Col 2:18  Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
Col 2:19  and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 

This Church was battling a Gnostic heresy of Angel worship, and after  the quake, they tried to "explain" what happened:

Tradition says (e.g. Bollandisti 1762) that pagans decided to destroy the sanctuary at Colossae, where the local priest, Archippus, the eye-witness of the apparition, lived. To this end, they diverted a watercourse toward the temple, attempting to submerge the area. Invoked by Archippus the Archangel appeared and, striking the rock with his staff, opened a wide fissure in the earth and channelled a new path for the flowing waters. The name of the new settlement was derived from thatfissure: Chonae (¼ funnel). This legend was strongly believed and the sanctuary at the site of the apparition became a famous destination for pilgrimages through centuries, until it was suppressedafter the collapse of the Byzantine Empire (thirteenth century).

 

-The AD 60 Denizli Basin Earthquake and the Apparition of the Archangel Michael at Colossae (Aegean Basin), by Luigi Piccardi, Italian National Research Council, January 2007

So basically, they took the natural antagonism of the city's pagans and the natural-occuring events of any large earthquake (ie water running backwards, lightnings and fires) and concocted a story that Archippus called it down- and Archippus would now have to be reminded over and over (note 4:17's "SAY to Archippus," indicating everyone in the church needed to do this) so that he didn't fall to pride and succumb to the Gnostic legend himself.

The city, regardless was going to need to rely on Christ in the aftermath.  With its own decline, and Laodicea's selfish refusal of aid from Rome, Colossae became little more than a dying village.  One source I saw suggested that, much like today, the area was plagued by scam artists from Egypt and elsewhere, who collected money "to rebuild temples" and weren't seen again.  With all of this going against them, what did Paul give them to survive these disasters?  Well, he gave them three sets of clothing...

First set:

 Col 3:9  Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old nature with its practices
Col 3:10  and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it.
Col 3:11  In him there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free person. Instead, the Messiah is all and in all. 

This set of clothing garbed them in the Word, not only helping them fight off the old sins of their old lives, but preventing divisions made by men like the Judaizers.

Second set:

 Col 3:12  Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Col 3:13  Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive.

This clothing wraps them in good deeds, especially towards each other.  "If we don't hang together, we shall surely all hang separately..."- possibly Ben Franklin.

 Third set:

 Col 3:14  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity.
Col 3:15  Let the peace of the Messiah also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful.
Col 3:16  Let the word of the Messiah inhabit you richly with wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts.
Col 3:17  And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Love unties Christ to the church, and the church to Christ, providing all the gifts they- and we- needed to get by.