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.
(Rev 19,10; 22,8-10)90. While this does not need to be a direct response to Colossians, it is clear that the author of the Apocalypse wants to avoid charges of angel worship against his prophetic community even while privileging revelation from angels. The heavenly visions and descriptions of angelic worship are more than major literary aspects of the Apocalypse. For John, these heavenly visions legitimate his role as a prophet and his authority in the church and provide the content of his moral and theological instruction (see Rev 1,19; 5,4-5; 10,8-11; 14,13; 19,10; 21,5; 22,8-10.16-20). The ascent to heaven described in Rev 4–22, moreover, was almost certainly not John’s first vision91. His prophetic authority within the Asian Christian communities was based on a long series of visions, probably going back to Palestine, and certainly to the time of the composition of Colossians.
Col 2,16-23 also describes an intimate relationship between the opponents and the Colossian community. The verbs in 2,16 and 2,18 are telling in this regard. The opponents are able to condemn (krine/tw) and disqualify (katabrabeue/tw) other Christians in Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea on the basis of whether they eat or drink certain items, celebrate festivals or Sabbaths, or have mystical visions of angels in heaven. It is unlikely that someone outside the Christian community would be able to judge or condemn in the manner implied here. The opponents must therefore have authority within the Christian community. Col 2,16 is the only use of kri/nw in Colossians, but Paul’s use in Romans and 1 Corinthians provides analogies for how the verb functions in Colossians as part of intra-communal judgment. While God is frequently the agent of judging or condemning (e.g. Rom 2,1-16; 3,6-7; 1 Cor 4,5), when Paul discusses internal disagreements over food and idol-meat (similar to the problem in Colossians), he uses the verb kri/nw to describe the acts of judging to be avoided within the community (see Rom 14,3.4.5.10.22)92. While certainly not a