Episode 1: Reading someone else’s mail

Have you ever noticed? Twenty-one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are letters,  and thirteen of the twenty-one are traditionally attributed to Paul. Letters have their own kind of style and content, and we need to read them against the background of the relationship between the writer and the recipient. In this first episode, therefore, we’ll begin exploring the who, what, when, where, and why of the letter to the Colossians.

What is Chunks: Paul's Letter to the Colossians?

The church in the city of Colossae had recently been founded by one of the apostle Paul's colleagues; he had never met them personally. But he had heard of their faith and of some of the challenges that threatened to undermine that faith, including what seems to be the presence of false teachers who were leading them astray. Paul therefore writes to them from prison, lovingly encouraging them to realize the treasure they already have in the gospel. In so doing, he paints a magnificent and cosmic portrait of the Christ in whom they've already believed, and in whom they've been given a new and transformed nature. His words should help remind believers of every time and place that the Christ we worship is supreme. (Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages will be read from the New International Version.)