Colossians - Hooker

O'Brien notes that scholarship has posited 40 different theories for the "Colossian Heresy" See [Colossians and Philemon, pg. xxxi]. But Hooker responds:

What was the situation in Colossae, and what was the relevance of what he says in this letter to that situation? Is Colossians an exception to the general rule, written by Paul when he was perhaps occupying his time in prison in writing pastoral letters without any particular or pressing purpose in mind? [316]

If false teaching exists, then it cannot be serious, either in character or magnitude; one glance at Galatians reminds us of the way in which Paul reacts when he feels that faith in Christ is being undermined. [316]

Exhortation to avoid a certain course of action certainly does not necessarily indicate that those addressed have already fallen prey to the temptation, as ever preacher and congregation must be aware. [317]

Even if the letter is written out of a general pastoral concern for the Christians in Colossae, rather than because of some dangerous error there, we may expect Paul’s words to reflect knowledge of the state of the church. Aspects of the gospel which he includes in his thanksgivings, as well as points which he emphasises in his exhortations, may well indicate tendencies within the community, new of which has obviously reached Paul. [320]

To suppose that belief in such forces can only be the result of explicit ‘false teaching’ in the Colossian Christian community is to underestimate the pressures of the pagan environment, and to forget the background of these converts. [323]