Robert M. Royalty, «Dwelling on Visions.On the Nature of the so-called ‘Colossians Heresy’», Vol. 83 (2002) 329-357
This paper argues that Revelation provides a social-historical, theological, and ideological context for the reconstruction of the Colossian opposition. The proposal is that the author of the Apocalypse arrived in Asia after the Jewish-Roman war; his "dwelling on visions" and prophetic activity challenged the emerging hierarchy within the churches, provoking a response in Paul’s name from the church leadership. Correspondences and parallels between the description of the opposition in Colossians and Revelation are developed exegetically, showing that eschatology and Christology were key issues in the dispute. This paper reexamines the heresiological rhetoric of Colossians, raising methodological questions about other scholarly reconstructions of the opposition as non-Christian.
for this task, since a number of phrases are set in clear opposition to one another. I suggest the following reading:
Ble/pete mh/ ti) u(ma=j e!stai o( sulagwgw=n
dia_ th=j filosofi/aj kai_ kenh=j a)pa/thj
kata_ th_n para/dosin tw=n a)nqrw/pwn
kata_ ta_ stoixei=a tou= ko/smou
kai_ ou) kata_ Xristo/n
The structure and syntax of the verse reveals the extent to which it is unified as a polemical and pejorative description of the opponents, rather than an accurate restatement of their positions. The participle sulagwgw=n, a hunting term meaning capturing or dragging away prey, introduces a negative tone that links 2,8 to the descriptions of the opponents as deceiving (2,4) and having the "appearance" of wisdom (2,22) 51. The author connects filosofi/a and kenh_ a)pa/th as objects of dia/52. The juxtaposition of the two words makes it highly unlikely that the opponents identified themselves as a philosophy. Rather, filosofi/a is a derogatory term equivalent to "empty deceit". The author fears that the "hunting" opponents will take the audience captive (sulagwgw=n) by philosophy and deceit when they stalk their prey in Colossae.
Recent studies have taken, filosofi/a as a self-designation of the errorists. The opponents have thus been identified as Pythagoreans, Cynics, or a syncretistic blend of Hellenistic philosophy which includes some Jewish, Gnostic and "pagan" mystery elements53. But there are problems with this interpretation even beyond the exegetical evidence just presented. The word filosofi/a had a broad enough range of meanings in this period so that use of the term does not by