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?

So, let’s try to get the big picture.

1. On Paul’s third mission tour, he makes Ephesus the center of his labors in Asia, staying there for nearly three years from A.D. 54-57. (Acts 19:1-10)

Acts 19:8-10
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Why did Paul stay in Ephesus for three years? The answer is Strategy. Ephesus was an important seaport of the Roman province of Asia, and was a commercial and banking center. Paul saw it as the central place for mission for all of Asia.

Colossae was one of three cities located about 100 miles inland from Ephesus. The other two cities were Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13, 16). This area was a meeting point of East and West because an important trade route passed through there.

At one time, all three cities were growing and prosperous, but gradually Colossae slipped into a second-rate position. It became what we would call a small town.