“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father — Paul addresses 'saints' (hagioi, holy ones) and 'faithful' (pistoi, believing ones), emphasizing both divine calling and human response. Colossae was a small Phrygian city; Paul had not visited them personally, yet they are his pastoral concern. 'In Christ' (en Christō) establishes their identity-location. The dual greeting (charis kai eirēnē) combines Greek and Hebraic blessing. Grace precedes peace: favor enables reconciliation.
Church Fathers on Colossians 1:2
Holy indeed are all the Epistles of Paul: but some advantage have those which he sent after he was in bonds: those, for instance, to the Ephesians and Philemon: that to Timothy, that to the Philippians, and the one before us: for this also was sent when he was a prisoner, since he writes in it thus: “for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.” Colossians 4:3-4 But this Epistle appears to have been written after that to the Romans. For the…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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