К Колоссаям послание Апостола Павла

Colossae was a city in Roman Asia, once famous and rich, but much impoverished at the time of the epistle. The Apostle Paul himself apparently did not visit him, but his preaching became established in Colosse and in neighboring regions. This scripture was written as a story by Epaphras, who arrived at Colossae, where he was constantly active, about a new heresy that had penetrated another Christian community. This heresy apparently had the character of Gnostic mysticism, which dreamed of seeing some kind of angelic intermediaries between the Divine and man. This was the basis for the doctrine of the worship of angels and the need for strict exhaustion of the flesh, in which the original beginning of evil, hostile to God, was believed. To refute these superstitious teachings, the Apostle in his letter seeks to restore to the Colossae the basic idea of ​​Christianity, in the person of Jesus Christ, the only mediator for man before God and the head of every creation. Written probably around 61 A.D. from imprisonment in Rome. Paul, by the will of God an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timothy brother. To the saints and faithful brothers who are in Colossae in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We always pray for you and thank God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hearing about your faith and love for all the saints, in hope of what has been prepared for you in heaven. You have heard about this hope before in the true word of the gospel. It has reached you, as it did to the whole world, and it bears fruit and grows, just as it did with you, from the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. This is what you learned from Epaphras, our beloved colleague, a faithful servant of Christ for you, he informed us of your love in spirit. Therefore, from the day we heard about this, we have not ceased to pray and ask for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; May you walk worthily before God, pleasing Him in everything, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. And you will be strengthened with all strength, from the might of His glory, to endure everything with patience and generosity, with joy, giving thanks to God the Father: He has called us to share in the inheritance of the saints, in the light; He delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Him we have redemption through His blood and remission of sins. Christ the Lord is the source of life, the Head of the church, the reconciler of God and man And Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn before all creation, For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, and thrones and dominions and principalities and powers, all things were created by Him and about Him. He is before all things, and everything consists in Him, and He is the Head of the body of the church, He is the firstfruits, the firstborn from the dead, that He may be first in everything. For it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, pacifying by the blood of His cross, both earthly and heavenly. You were once alienated and enemies, with feelings inclined to evil deeds: and He has now reconciled you in the body of His flesh by His death, that you may appear before Him holy and blameless and blameless, if you remain established and unshakable in the faith, without falling away from the hope revealed to you in the gospel. Apostle minister of the gospel You heard it, and it was preached to every creature under heaven, and I, Paul, became his servant. And now I rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill in my flesh, which is not sufficient, the sorrows of Christ for His body, which is the church. I became a minister of that church according to the will of God, who entrusted me with fulfilling the word of God in you, a secret hidden from centuries and generations of men. Now she appeared to His saints, to whom God was pleased to show what the riches of glory are in this mystery for the pagans. This mystery is: Christ in you, the hope of glory! And Him we preach, instructing every man and teaching him in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. In this I labor and strive according to His influence, acting in me by His power. I want you to know what a struggle I am here in, both for you, and for those in Laodicea (and in Hierapolis), and for everyone who has not seen my face in the flesh. May their hearts be comforted, united by love, and may they be enriched by the perfection of understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and Christ, in Nemzha are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will deceive you in conversation with crafty speeches. For, although I am absent in body, I remain with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your good practices and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, So walk in Him - rooted and established in Him, strengthened in the faith, as you were taught, increasing in yourself faith and thanksgiving. Beware, brethren, lest anyone seduce you with philosophy, with the emptiness of deceptive teachings, according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead incarnate, and in Him you will be filled with it. He is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were circumcised with a circumcision not at the hands of men, when you put off the body of sin of the flesh and received the circumcision of Christ. In baptism you were buried with Christ; in Him you were also raised with faith in God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, who were once dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him. I have forgiven you all your sins. He destroyed the handwriting of the lawful commandments that was on us and was hostile to us, taking it from the environment and nailing it to the cross. Having taken away power from the principalities and powers (dark ones), He imperiously subjected them to shame in the victorious triumph of His power. Warning against superstitious teachings So let no one judge you for food or drink, or for the sake of celebrating the days or the new moon or the Sabbath, all this is a shadow of the future, but the body is Christ. Let no one deceive you with an unauthorized feat of humility and angelic service. Such people imagine to see what they have not seen, and only without reason are they puffed up with their carnal mind, but do not hold on to the Head, from Whom the whole body, contents and nourished by the union of members, receives strength to grow with the age of God. So, if you and Christ died to the elements of the world, why do you, as those living a worldly life, Do you set rules for yourself: “don’t touch”, “don’t taste”, “don’t touch”? All this is perishable, decays from use, according to the commandments and teachings of men. And it has only the appearance of wisdom in voluntary service, humility and neglect of the body, in neglecting the saturation of the flesh 35. Chapter 3. New life in Christ If you have been raised with Christ, then seek what is above: there Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above and not on earthly things, for you are dead, but your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members that are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness - this is idolatry. For all this, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. In all this you also addressed yourself when you lived for this. Now put aside all that: anger, rage, malice. slander, slander, from your lips. Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new; and the new one is renewed in the mind, after the image of Him who created it. And in that new life there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but everything is Christ and Christ is in everything. Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, accepting each other with good will and forgiving each other when someone has a reproach against someone; just as Christ forgave you, so forgive you. Above all, let there be love in you: perfection is associated with love. And let the peace of God be in your hearts: you are called to peace in one body; and be grateful. And let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teach and edify one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with tenderness in your hearts to the Lord. And everything that you do in word or deed, all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father for Him. Instructions on Family Life Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, be obedient to your parents in everything: this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Servants, obey in everything your masters according to the flesh, not merely working in front of your eyes to please man, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord, and not for men: You know that you will receive your reward from the Lord in an inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. And whoever commits unrighteousness will receive it according to his unrighteousness: there is no respect of persons with God. Gentlemen, give truth and justice to the slaves: you know that you also have a Lord in heaven. Do not cease in prayer, being awake with all your soul, thanking God. Pray for us too, that God will open the door of the word for us to proclaim the mystery of Christ - For her sake I am now in chains—God would give me the word as to how I should proclaim her. Treat outsiders judiciously, consider the time. Let your word always be favorable, diluted with salt, so that you know how to answer everyone. And what is happening to me, Tychicus, beloved brother and faithful servant and co-worker in the Lord, will tell you everything: That's why I sent him to you, so that he would know about you and comfort your hearts 36 - with him is Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother - he is one of yours. They will tell you everything that happens here. Greetings to you from Aristarchus, who was imprisoned with me, and from Mark, Barnavin’s nephew (about him it was indicated to you - when he comes, accept him). And from Jesus, who was called Justus, both were of the circumcision, and of such they alone labored with me for the Kingdom of God and were my delight. Greetings from your own Epaphras: he is a servant of Jesus Christ and always strives for you in prayer, so that you may remain perfect and full of faith in everything that is the will of God. Of him I testify that he has great zeal and concern for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Greetings to you from Luke, the beloved physician, and from Demas. Our greetings to the brethren who are in Laodicea, and to Nymphas and his home church. And when this letter is read among you, arrange for it to be read in the church of Laodicea; and what will happen from Laodicea, then you will read. And tell Archippus: see that you fulfill the service that you have accepted in the Lord, so that you can complete it. Greetings to you by my hand, Pavlova. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you all. Amen. The meaning is unclear. Maybe he is like this: “but it is not important for nature, which requires the saturation of the flesh”? It seems closer to the Greek text: “so that he may know about our affairs and comfort your hearts.” You might be interested in: