257 homilies of St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of constantinople, on the epistle of St. paul the apostle to the Colossians. ———————————— Homily I. Colossians i. 1, 2 “Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossæ: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father.” Holy indeed are all the Epistles of Paul: but some advantage have those which he sent after he was in bonds: those, for instance, to the Ephesians and Philemon: that to Timothy, that to the Philippians, and the one before us: for this also was sent when he was a prisoner, since he writes in it thus: “for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.” (Col. iv. 3, 4.) But this Epistle appears to have been written after that to the Romans. For the one to the Romans he wrote before he had seen them, but this Epistle, after; and near upon the close of his preaching.690 And it is evident from hence; that in the Epistle to Philemon he says, “Being such an one as Paul the aged” (ver. 9.), and makes request for Onesimus; but in this he sends Onesimus himself, as he says, “With Onesimus the faithful and beloved brother” (Col. iv. 9.): calling him faithful, and beloved, and brother. Wherefore also he boldly says in this Epistle, “from the hope of the Gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven.” (Col. i. 23.) For it had now been preached for a long time. I think then that the Epistle to Timothy was written after this; and when he was now come to the very end of his life, for there he says, “for I am already being offered” (2 Tim. iv. 6.); this is later691 however than that to the Philippians, for in that Epistle he was just entering upon his imprisonment at Rome. But why do I say that these Epistles have some advantage over the rest in this respect, because he writes while in bonds? As if a champion were to write in the midst of carnage and victory;692 so also in truth did he. For himself too was aware that this was a great thing, for writing to Philemon he saith, “Whom I have begotten in my bonds.” (Ver. 10.) And this 690 Ed. Par. suspects that a sentence is lost here, but without reason, as he had just mentioned the Epistle to Philemon as written in imprisonment, and consequently later than that to the Romans. 691 πρεσβυτέρα. Lit. “older.” The argument allows no other sense. It may mean “written at a greater age,” or “of higher honor” (because written after longer imprisonment). 692 Lit. “while raising trophies.” Homilies on Colossians.Colossians 1:1,2 453 Homilies on Colossians.