Epistle to the Colossians in the context of "Philippians"

The Epistle to the Ephesians is a Pauline epistle and the tenth book of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It stands among the canonical writings that shaped early Christian identity and is traditionally grouped with the letters attributed to Paul the Apostle.

The text is traditionally believed to have been written by Paul around AD 62 during his imprisonment in Rome. It closely resembles Colossians and is thought to have been addressed to the church in Ephesus (now in Turkey), another Pauline epistle whose authorship is debated. As such, many modern scholars dispute the attribution and date the work to AD 70–100 as a circular letter.

Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figures in early Christianity such as Jerome and Eusebius later reaffirmed his authorship, although a lack of conclusive evidence as to the identity of the author of the works has led to discussion in scholarly circles, both secular and religious.

The New Testament mentions Luke briefly a few times, and the Epistle to the Colossians refers to him as a physician (from Greek for 'one who heals'); thus he is thought to have been both a physician and a disciple of Paul.

Pleroma (Koine Greek: πλήρωμα, literally "fullness") generally refers to the totality of divine powers. It is used in Christian theological contexts, as well as in Gnosticism. The term also appears in the Epistle to the Colossians, which is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. The word is used 17 times in the New Testament. In Valentinianism it represents as virtualities of the Son

Papyrus 46, also known as P. Chester Beatty II, is an early Greek New Testament manuscript written on papyrus, and is one of the manuscripts comprising the Chester Beatty Papyri. It is designated by the siglum 𝔓 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Manuscripts among the Chester Beatty Papyri have had several provenances associated with them, the most likely being the Faiyum. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been dated to between 175 and 225, or to the early 3rd century CE. It contains verses from the Pauline Epistles of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Hebrews. Some leaves are part of the Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri, and others are in the University of Michigan Papyrus Collection.

In November 2020, the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) in conjunction with Hendrickson Publishers released a new 1:1 high-resolution imaged facsimile edition of 𝔓 on black and white backgrounds, along with 𝔓 and 𝔓.

Colossae (/kəˈlɒsi/; Ancient Greek: Κολοσσαί), sometimes called Colosse, was an ancient city of Phrygia in southern Asia Minor (Anatolia), Turkey.

A significant city from the 5th century BC onwards, it had dwindled in importance by the time of Paul, and was notable for the existence of its local angel cult. The Epistle to the Colossians, an early Christian text which identifies its author as Paul the Apostle, is addressed to the church in Colossae. It was part of the Roman and Byzantine province of Phrygia Pacatiana, before being destroyed in 1192/3 and its population relocating to nearby Chonae (Chonai, modern-day Honaz).