Colossians 3:17.

Colossae was a once-important town near the cities, Laodicea and Hieropolis, in Asia Minor. Today, that area is part of Turkey. Paul never visited Colossae. He reserved his efforts for the largest places, intending to preach to the greatest number of people.

In the time of Paul, Colossae was a town chiefly known as a textile town. (Although Colossae is still unexcavated, the general area is still known for its textiles.) A man named Epaphras, who had previously heard Paul preach (probably in Ephesus), returned to his home in Colossae and started a church. After there arose problems in the church, brought on by traveling Christian preachers and representatives of pagan religions so common in the area, Epaphras traveled to find Paul.

Once he did find Paul (already imprisoned in Rome), he related to him the problems. Paul then wrote the letter we now know as Colossians. In that letter there is a section containing about 10 separate instructions for Christian living that I call, “The Other 10 Commandments.”

Blessings,

Pastor Michael