Colossae is located in the region of the seven churches of Revelation 1-3 and this is Paul’s letter to the church there. There is mention of some of the other churches in the region in chapter 4 verse 13 where Paul mentions the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and Hierapolis. Laodicea was around 12 miles from Colossae, and Hierapolis around 14 miles.

Paul begins his letter by setting out the total supremacy of Jesus. It seems he might be seeking to combat paganism and alternative spiritualism that has been sneaking into the church. With the rise of new age spiritualism and the competing claims to truth that we are exposed to regularly, this letter serves as a challenge for us to hold Jesus as the ultimate source of everything good and holy.

The second half of the letter addresses holy living, which is of course always relevant to us no matter where we live or when we live – looking at what life in Jesus looks like as well as what we should strive for in our home lives as Christians.