183. Clinton Arnold on Colossians

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Clinton Arnold to discuss his book The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae. The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Colossians was written at a time and to a place, in history – and as “documents of history, they give us the obligation of interpreting them historically”. That being the case, there has been much question and debate as to what is being condemned in this epistle. What does the term “embateuo” (in 2.18) mean – and what does that have to do with asceticism, dietary restrictions, and the veneration and invoking of angels? To understand this, Dr. Arnold takes us into the religious context of the region – including magic, ritual, mysteries, temples and the worship of many gods and goddesses. Indeed, even the Jews, surprisingly, practiced magic in this very syncretistic context – where the false teachers were likely affirming Jesus, and yet combining him with the religious practices and spiritual teachings that they claimed came with the authority of ancient tradition. Combining archaeology and other extra-biblical texts that help us understand Colossians, in its context, Dr. Arnold helps us see more clearly what the apostle is condemning – as well as how Christ Jesus, God and Creator of all things, is the real solution to what these religious people were seeking. Indeed, the more we understand both what was being corrected and who Paul teaches is the true solution, the contemporary relevance may become more clear - even among many who likewise claim Jesus alongside other spiritual traditions, today.

Book: The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae

Check out this beautiful new amazing commentary: Colossians, Second Edition (WBC)

Also: Colossae Excavations

Some other resources by Dr. Arnold:

- Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians

- Powers of Darkness: Principalities and Powers in Paul’s Letters

Other resources:

The Teaching of Paul in Terms of the Present Day by Sir William Ramsay (1914)

Destroyer of the Gods by Larry Hurtado

The Bible Among the Myths by John Oswalt

Shaman and Sage by Michael Horton

Envy by Helmut Schoeck

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn

The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship by David Buerger