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.
Christianity76. The author of Colossians never directly calls his opponents Jews or accuses them of "judaizing" (cf. Gal 2,14). Nevertheless, a close relationship with Judaism is implied; perhaps the opponents claim the title of "the true Jews" or at least consider their beliefs to be the fulfillment of the promises to the Jewish people. This latter possibility corresponds to the identities evoked by the author of the Apocalypse. The messages to Smyrna and Philadelphia portray an intense struggle with other groups over the rights to the title of "Jews"77. Here, Christ calls these opponents "so-called Jews" and "the synagogue of Satan" (Rev 2,9; 3,9). The derogatory and polemical description of these other, "false", Jewish groups shows that John and his followers claimed the titles of the "true Jews" and "the true synagogue" for themselves. John laid explicit claim to the symbols of Jewish identity. Since the author of Colossians opposes such a group, we have another correspondence between the opponents in Colossians and the Apocalypse.
The second main characteristic of the opposition discernible in Col 2,16-23 is the privileging of apocalyptic visions as a source of authority. The description by the author of Colossians of what his opponents advocate (qe/lwn e)n tapeinofrosu/nh| kai_ qrhskei/a| tw=n a)gge/lwn, a# e(o/raken e)mbateu/wn, Col 2,18) has caused numerous interpretational difficulties. There is general agreement on qe/lwn e)n, a Hebraism that corresponds to hapes9 be and means to delight or take pleasure in78. The noun tapeinofrosu/nh which recurs in Col 2,23, clearly marks an aspect of the opponents’ piety. The meaning in