Colony (Hastings' Dictionary)

Colony (KoXwi/Io, a literal transcript of the well-known Latin designation) occurs in NT only at Ac 16'-, where it is applied to Philippi. The Roman colonies belonged to three periods and classes : (1) those of the earlier republic before 100 n.c. — the burgess and Latin colonies, which served a.

s curb fortresses and influential centres of Roman authority in conquered or annexed territory ; (2) those of the Gracchan times — the agrarian colonies, provided as an outlet for the starving and clamorous proletariat of the capital ; and (3) those of the Civil wars and the Empire, termed military colonies, intended for the reception and settlement of soldiers dis- banded at the end of their service or at the close of war.

While in the former classes the colony was initiated by a formal law (/ex), and carried out by a commission (generally of three), the later, or military colony, was established simply by the imperator, in the exercise of his imperium, nominating a legate to give effect to his will. To this latter class Philippi belonged. It had already received (as we learn from Strabo, vii. fr. 41) some- thing of this character after the defeat of Brutus and Cassius in tlie adjoining plain in the year 42 li.c.

; but its full organization as a colony was the work of Augustus, who, having to provide for his soldiers after the battle of Actiura (15.0. 31), gifted to them (as we learn from Dio Cassius, li. 4) cities and lands in Italy which had belonged to partisans of Antonius, and transferred most of the inhabitants thereby dispossessed to other quarters, esp. to Dyrrhachium and Philippi. The latter thenceforth bore, in inscriptions and on coins, the name Coloiiia Atiff. Jul. Philippi or Philippensis.

The community thus constituted possessed (Dig. 50, tit. 15, sec. 8) the privileged position known to jurists as that of the ius Italicnm, which apparently carried, in addition to the right of freedom {libfirtas), and that of exemption from poll-tax and tribute (immnnitas'), the right of Imldiiig the soil in full ownership under the forms of Unman law (ex inre Quiritittni). (On the de- velopment of the Roman colonial system, see JIar(]iuirdt, Hamlh. iv. 427 ff., on the military colonies, pp.

449-50 ; and on Philippi in particular, Mommsen, CIL III. i. p. 120.) Wu.LI.m P. DICKSOX. C0LOSS./G (KoXoffffoi) was an ancient city of Pliryj;ia (very important in early history, dwind- ling in the later centuries as Laodicea waxed greater), overhanging the river Lycus (a tributary of the Marauder) on the upper part of its couree.

It was distant only about ten miles from Laodicea and thirteen from Hierapolis ; and hence the three cities funned a single sphere of missionary labour for Epaphras, an inhabitant of C. (Col 4', "). Churches were formed in these three cities at a very early period, partly by the work of Epaphras, but also through the work of Timolliy, who had evidently come into personal relations with C. (Col 1'), and probably of other preachers.

In Rev 1" 3" the single Church of Laodicea must be taken as representative of the Churches of the whole Lycus valley. Paul himself had not been at Laodicea or at C. (Col 2i). C, like Laodicea (which see), stood on the most important route of commerce and intercourse in the eastern part of the Rom.

Empire ; it w-as therefore a place where new ideas and new thoughts were always likely to be simmering, and the new religion seems to liave developed there with feverish rapidity, and not in a direction that .satisfied St. Paul. During his first imprisonment in Rome, the report which was brought to him by Epaphras of the religious views and practices in C.

called forth an Epistle, in which he rebuked the tendency of the Colossians to stray from the straight path imder the influence partly of Judaism (observance of Sabhaths, etc..

Col 2"*; circumcision hinted at, 2'i), and partly of a species of theosophic speculation, which sought to find demonic or angelic powers intermediate between the supreme unapproachable God and human beings, — a kind of speculation springing from an attempt to express the ideas of Clu'istianity in the terms and forms of the philosophic and religious thought current in Phrygia and in Asia generally.

The Judaic elements in this Colossian development of Christianity show that Jewish teachers had visited it, and that Jewish religion and thought had influenced the population ; and from the position of the city such influence is natural, and Jewish traders had probably settled in it for com- mercial purposes (especially trade in the beautiful wool of the peculiar colour called Colossiiins, per- haps dark purple). There is, however, no evidence that an actual settlement of Jews at C.

as colonists by any of the Seleucid lungs ever occurred (as is probable or certain at Laodicea, Tarsus, etc., which see); for such a settlement was considered as a re-foundation, and was usually accompanied by change of name. Again, the semi-Gnostic style of Colossian speculation revealed to us by the Epistle shows that the Lycus valley was the seat of some philosophic activity, which had doubtless its centre at Laodicea (which see), but extended to the other cities.

The same kind of speculation long clung to the valley, as Theodorct mentions in the 5th century ; and in the 9th and 10th centuries Michael, the leader of the host of angels, was worshipped as the great saint of C. (and of its later representative Chonai), and a legend was told of his appearance to save the city from a great inundation. C. disappeared from history during the 7th or 8th cent.

, being too much exposed to the terrible raids of the Saracens ; and it was succeeded by Chona; (now called Chona.s), a fortress about three miles farther south, in a lofty situa- tiim, with an impregnable castle upon the steep slope of Mount Cadmus (summit 8013 ft.) In 787 Bishop Dositheus took his title from C, but had his actual home in Chon;e (iirlffKovos KoXoo-o-ii' ^roi Xupwv) ; but in 870 and 879 Samuel was bishop (afterwards archbishop) of Chonje, and C. had been practically forgotten.

Colossa; is a grecized form of a Phrygian word (modified to give an apparent meaning in (ireek, as if connected with Ko\o(r<rds) ; and the native form was more like KoXavaal. Hence the ethnic Ko\off<rati;s occurs in the (not original) title of the Epistle, and in several Byzantine lists of bishops. KoXoo-ffTji-is is the invariable ethnic on coins. LiTERATrRE.— The exact site of C. was first deterinined by Hamiltuu. Iienearchen in A/tia Minor, i. p.

JOS ; Arundel and otlu'r travellers hud previously visited the modern C'honas. and believed it to be C. The 'situation and history of C. and Chonje are very fully described in Kamsay. Citiett and Binhojiric* of Phrt/niit. chs, i.' and vi,, and C?t. in'thfi R-im. Emp. cli. xix. W. M. R.V.MS AY. "COLOSSIANS, EPISTLE TO THE.— This Epi-stle forms one of a closely connected group of three.

It is linked on the one hand to the little letter to Philemon by the group of personal salutations "P>/ri;tlit, 1*9^. ''.V t^li'ir'rf Srrilitter^i: S'"n.i COLOSSIAXS COLOSSIAXS 455 cominon to the twu, and on the other to the Ep. to 'the Kphesiaiis' by a remarkable and intricate community of contents, by the fact that the two letters are entrusted to the same messenger (4', cf. Eph (i-i), and probably by an express refer- ence in the Colossians to the sister Epistle under the title of "the Ep.

from Laodicea' in 4'". I. Arriiocsiill" AMI Datk. — The various ques- tions which have been raised during the present cent, witli respect to the autliorship of tliis group of Epp., and the particular stage in St. Paul's first imprisonment (assuming them to have been written by him) to wliich they may be most suit^ ably assigned, can be best dealt with in conne-^ion with the Ep. to the Kphes. (which see). For the present it will be enough to say (1) that the ad- mitted differences in language, .

style, and, to a certain e.'ctent, in doctrine, between this group of Epp. and those of the central period, 1 and 2 Co, Gal, Ko, are by no means sufficient to establish a diversity of authorship ; and ('2) that two facts, (a) the conversion of Onesimus, who, as far as we know, could hardly have had access to St.

I'aul in C;esarea, and (b) the remarkable development in the doctrine of the Eoclesia, wliich marks Eph, make it on the whole most probable that the whole group was written from Rome shortly before the outbreak of the Neronian persecution. II. DErfTlNATlD.V. — The situation of Colos-saj and the chief elements in its population have already been described (see Coldss.e). It will be enough here to notice that whatever may have been the proportion of resident Jews in the place, St.

Paul treats the Church througiiout a.s specific- ally a Gentile Church (I-'). It is this fact which brings them within his sphere of influence, and explains the tone in which he addresses them. The difficult and obscure references in 2^* rh xf'pA- 7Pa0oi/ 7015 Sdyfiafftv 6 ^v vnivavrlov rj^ilv^ and in 2^ to TO. crroixfro tou kIujiwv, both of which must refer chiefly, if not excliLsively, to the law of Moses, are not really inconsistent with this.

Language of fundamentally the same import occurs in Gal 3, * 4^, esp. 4^ (tttwxo. ffTotx^ta oU irdXiv dvwdev dov- XtOtrai WXere). Before the coming of Christ the only way by which a Gentile could enjoy the privileges of the covenant people was by accepting circumci.sion and submitting to all the ordinances of the law. St. Paul's language in the Epistle leaves no doubt that the Clmrch at Colo.s.

sie had not been directly founded by him, and that he was pereon- ally unknown to the bulk of its members, though individuals among them, such as Pliilemon, may have met him during his long stay at Ephesus, and have owed their conversion to him. KAinnay'K Intt-rpretatioii of ra avujTtpiita uipit (Ac 10) would ninku il |>r<)l>ubl< thiit St. I'liiil liiui luil, evun on h\s Ibinl inisstormry Jonnii'y, traverse! the vulley of the Lycu;.

But in any case there Is no lilnt of the existence of a i'hristlnn Church in that locality at the ttine of that .iourney, and still less of any evangelistic activity of St. Paul's there, anil so, by whatever road St. PanI reached Efihestis. there is notliing in Ac Incon- sistent with the obvious meanini^ of the Epistle. III. Ob.iect and Coktents.— The object of this Ep. is to bring before the Colossians a true ideal of Christian life and practice, ba.

sed on a true con- ception of the relation of Christ to the universe and to the Church. It was occasioned by the appearance in Colossaj of a form of false teaching, which, under the garb of a ' philo.sophy ' (2"), was enticing men back to the trammels of an outward asceticism. The practices to which reference is made (2"''') are in some cases, perhaps in all, di.s- tinctively .lewish.

And it is probable that they Were put forward as the gateway to a higher state of I)urilication than that which w;us accessible to the ordinary believer. It is uncertain to what extent these practices were connected with any definitely formulated metaphysical or cosraological tlieories. The term 'philosophy,' as Ilort hits shown {Jmla- islio Christianity, p. P20ff.), does not necessarily imply more than an ethical system.

Yet the Colossians were in danger, actual or prospective (23- ■*), of doctrinal error respecting the Person of Christ. And some of St. Paul's language regard- ing Christ's relation to ' the principalities and powers' (l"- 21") would gain in point if we might suppose that a speculative justification of the 'woi-ship of angels' had already been put forward, involving expressly 'either a limitation of His nature to tlie human sphere, or at most a counting of Him among the angels.'

On the other hand, substantially similar language occurs in Eph 1-', where there is no necessity to postulate any polemic reference. And it is hard to believe that St. Paul would have contented himself with this indirect method of attack, if the error had already taken such definite shape. In any case there seems no sufficient ground for postulating a specifically Gnostic or Oriental (non-Jewish) in- fluence on the Church at Colossi. Above all, the later Valentiiuan u.

sage of nKvpuna throws back no light on the meaning of the term in llie cardinal passages in which it occurs in Col l'-' 2'-' and Eph 12a 3w 413 The key to the positive teaching of the Ep. is certainly to be found in the conception of the Person and the Work of Christ which it unfolds. Over against the false philosophy, and as the assurance of the perfect satisfaction of the genuine human need of assistance in the attainment of truth to which that philosophy appealed, St.

Paul sets the thought of Christ as the Image of the Invisible God (1'^), the perfect manifestation in human form of the Eternal Truth, ' the Mystery of (Jod' (2-), in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Did men aspire after a new ideal of moral development ? Their aspira- tions were not in vain, because the fulness of the divine perfections had found a permanent embodi- ment and home in One who had taken our nature upon Him, and borne and bears a human form (2», cf. 1'').

Did they quail befon' ♦•i" material forces of this world's potentates thr' were arrayed against them, or lose their holiJ ot tiie in- herent dignity that belonged to them, as men in the presence of the countless multitudes of the hosts of heaven ? There was no power in the univer.se but from Him. And He had revealed upon the Cross the impotence of all the powers that had set themselves in array to thwart His purposes (2"'). The evil from which they were longing to get free clung so clo.

se that il might seem almost an integral part of their being ; and they were willing to submit to any di-scipline that would .set llieni free. In the death of Christ they could attain to the reality of that di'liverance from the corruption of their nature which had been foreshadowed by circumcision (2"), as they realized the newness of life-which was theirs by union with His resurrection.

The following analysis may help to bring out the setiuence of thought, and to show how this central conception is interwoven with the whole of the Epistle. 1. The opening section, ofler tlie salutation (vv. ■. '), Is de- voted to an elaborately exiianded thanksjrivin^ (•''-*<). St. I'aul sint'les out for speeiai mention the ft-ultfniness Of the Ivnowied^'e of tlie truth aiuonk' tlie Cidosstans as witnessed by their evan- irellst Epaphras (•''-^l.

and prays f*ir a further development, s|ulni,'lnu' mini the siune source, to lake riraetleal ell'ect In waik- Int: worthily of the Lord, as they (five thanks to the Eatlier fur their deliverance from the power of darkness Into tlie kln^rdotn of the Son of His love ("-'»). This reference to tlie Son leads to a full, thouirh condensed, statement of tiie iillice of tlie Son — (lO In relation to the universe ns the source and Koal. and thu present principle of coherence for all creation (I'-t?)

^ anil (>j) In relation to the Church as being, now in Ills risen state •156 COLOSSIANS COLOURS not only tbo permanent home of all the divine perfections, but also the source of an all-eaibracinff reconciliation by His death (is-iO)^_a reconciliation the power of which the Colossians had already experienced, and which woul<l not fail of its final con- lunirn'ation if thev continued as they had benun, faithful adher- ents of the world-wide gospel, of which St.

Paul was in a special sense the minister. B. This personal reference forms the startinp-point of the second section of the Ep. (l"-'-'^), in which St. Paul introduces hiniseif to his correspondents, e.xplainintr his nniiiue position in relation to the con.suninuition of the divine revelation, and his etforts to brine the hearts of all men under the full power of its influence (!=-»).

This will help them to understand the interest that he takes in them and in their neifjhbours, even thoutrh thev had never mot in the flesh, and also the ground i'or his praVer for their enliuhtonment ('i'-). This section closes with a brief warning against some plausible deceiver, coupled with a renewed assurance of his close sympathy with them, and his joy in their constanc.v (-^).

C Ho passes now to a series of special exhortations and warnings, which occupy two chapters (•2''-4»), and fall Into Ave subdivisions. (((1 The lirst of these (S"-"* is in its main purpose an exhorta- tion to retain their hold on and to develop Into all its practical consequences the personal relation to Christ which the gospel hiid made known to them. As this was the point on which the Colossians liad most to fear from false teachers, the exhortation (".

") is accompanied by an explicit warning t»), and a careful statement of the grounds on which the Christian who grasps the true conception of the Person of Christ is assured of a complete moral development, and receives, by union in baptism with the death and resurrection of Christ, the reality of that separation fro[n his evil nature which had been foreshadowed by circum- cision (i^").

In the light of this thought, the attractiveness of outward observances for the attainment of purity and the necessitv for angelic mediation disapi)ear ('»-'»). (6) lit the second subdivision (i»-S«) union with the death of Christ is shown to be a deliverance from formal and material restrictions, and union with His resurrection determines the true sphere of Christian thought and life.

(c) The third subdivision develops the same thought in its present practical application to moral etfort, with relation (1) to the appetites and passions (the members on the earth) which need to be done to death, and the evil habits which must be stri[>ped off (3^1) ; and (2) to the new graces which the Chris- tian must seek to acquire i^"), and the new principles by which he should regulate his practice i}P-^'') .

(d) The fourth subdivision (8i»-4') applies the new principle to the fundamental relations of family life, husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants. («) The last ^ubrtivision (i"-) contains an exhortation to per- severance in prayer, and to discretion in their relations with the heathen world. D. The letter closes with a commendation of the messengers, Tychicus and Onesimus, by whose hands it was sent (-l^-), and a "group of personal salutations O**-^"^). IV. Integrity.

— Now, if this be a true account of the connexion between the different parts of tlie letter, there is little room left for questioning the substantial intejjrity of the document as it has come down to us, — least of all for any .such theory as that of Holtzmann, even in the modified form "proposed by von Soden, which requires us to believe that its most characteristic christological ])assages have been added by an interpolator. The letter must clearly be accepted or rejected a.s a whole.

Holtzmann's theory no doubt deserves all the respect which is due to honest and scholarly workmanship. But it has failed to find support even in the land in which it was produced. And after Sanday's criticism of it in Smith's DB- no useful end would be served by a detailed examina- tion of it here. There remains, however, the subordinate ques- tion of the intesrity of the text. And here it is by no means so easy to speak with confidence.

In one or two cases, notably in 2'* and ^, it is difficult, if not impossible, to accept any of the attested readings. We are therefore forced to accept Hort's conclusion (App. p. 127), that 'this Epistle, and more especially its second chapter, appears to have been ill preserved in ancient times.' And it may well be, as Sanday ha.s sug- gested, that some of the harshnesses which have led to suspicion of interpolation may be due to primitive corruptions in the transmitted text. T.iTEKATi'RE.

— Of Eng. Coinm. the most complete is that of I-i::litfool. whose conclusions should, however, be carefully cheeked bv reference to the sections in Jndaitttic ChviittianHij, In which flort examines minutely into the characteristics of tlie fal^e teaching prevalent at Colossae. Other commentaries :— Harrv, .1. LI. Davies, H. C. G. Moide, Alexander Maclaren : and (Oerinan) I>e Wette. Ewald, Lange. Meyer. See also Pfleiderer, rrchriKtentfiiit/i, I'iSS; von Soden tin Jahrb. f. prot. Theol. IS'.l.

i, pp. :VJii It'.. 4'J7 ff., 6T2 ff.) ; Holtzmann, Krit. d. Epk. ». Kolimxerhrieff : Weizsackcr. Apoi^t. Age. i. 2ls, ii. 240 If., 383, ayi, and refer to the Literature at end of Ei'iiksi.vns. J. O. F. Mdkrat. COLOUR is used in the sense of 'pretence' or 'pretext,' Ac 27*' 'under c. as though they wouUl have cast anchors' {ix€\\6in-uiv iKTclyem) , and 2 Mac 3" ' under a c. of visiting the cities ' (ttJ (^(piirei is ^^oSfi/ffwr). Cf.

Greene (1592) 'You carry your pack but for a coulour, to shadow your other villainies.' ■ J. Hastings.