Colossians 1:1-2
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We are going to spend weeks, perhaps several months studying the book of Colossians.
Before we get into interpreting the Scripture, we need some background understanding.
We need to ask several questions:

Who is writing?
Who is the recipient of the letter?
What is the history of the church Paul was writing to?
What is the situation in the city where the church is located?
What is the occasion for the letter?

Picking up from yesterday…
When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote the letters of Colossians along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. These letters are therefore referred to as the Prison Epistles.

Paul dispatches Tychicus to deliver three of these letters, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

Ephesians 6:21-22 “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.”

Colossians 4: 7-9 “Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.”

Someone else traveled with Tychicus to Colossae. His name was Onesimus. Onesimus (which means “useful”) was a slave of a believer named Philemon in Colossae. Apparently, Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and fled. At some time while Paul was under arrest, Onesimus met him and became a Christian. Paul apparently wrote this letter at the same time as Colossians and gave it to Tychicus and Onesimus to carry back to Philemon. Paul appealed to Philemon to accept Onesimus back into his household, but as a brother in the Lord rather than a slave. In Paul’s estimation, Onesimus was far more “useful” (v. 11) now that he was a Christian. Paul even promised to pay whatever debt Onesimus might owe Philemon.

Philemon 10
“I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.

Picture the excitement among the believers in Colossae when these two brothers arrived with the Letters from Paul! Doubtless they sat up late in the evening, asking questions about conditions in Rome and hearing of Paul’s courage in the service of his Savior.

Epaphras returns to carry on ministry in the three cities.