Reconstructing the Historical Background of Pauls Rhetoric in the Letter to the Colossians

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In approaching the debate surrounding the opponents in Colossians from a methodological standpoint, Copenhaver contends that Paul was not actually confronting active opponents when he wrote the letter. Rather, Copenhaver takes the view that Pauls letter was written to the churches in the Lycus Valley, in a desire to develop their identity as a new people in Christ and to appeal to them to live a new kind of life. His warnings in Colossians 2 function as oppositional rhetoric, contrasting the religious practices of the Lycus Valley with this new belief. Pauls warnings are therefore broadly representative of the ancient world, while at the same time focused especially on two threads of historical referents, Judaism and pagan religions. Development of the above argument demonstrates that the challenge of reconstructing a singular opponent arises not only from the limitations of textual and historical evidence, but also from the assumptions and methodologies inherent in historical approaches to the text. By modifying these assumptions and adjusting the methodology, Copenhaver can show how Pauls letter takes on a new relationship to its historical context.

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[M]akes an important contribution to the future study of Colossians and its historical embedding. * Journal of Ancient Christianity *

Author Bio

Adam Copenhaver is Senior Pastor of Mabton Grace Brethren Church and Founder of the Ezra Bible Institute, USA.