Colosenses 1:1

Paul cited his apostolic calling and office to lend authority to what follows.

"Here, right at the outset of the letter, is the whole doctrine of grace. A man is not what he has made himself, but what God has made him. There is no such thing as a self-made man; there are only men whom God has made, and men who have refused to allow God to make them." [Note: Barclay, p. 123.]

"Paul" was the name the apostle used of himself in the Hellenistic-Roman world in place of his Jewish name, "Saul."

"Jews in the Greek-speaking areas took names which closely approximated to the sound of their Hebrew and Aramaic names, e.g. Silas:Silvanus; Jesus:Jason . . ." [Note: O’Brien, p. 2. Cf. Adolph Deissmann, Bible Studies, pp. 314-15]

Timothy was not an official apostle but simply a Christian brother. He was with Paul when the apostle wrote this letter, though he was not a co-author (cf. Colossians 1:23-25; Colossians 1:29; Colossians 4:18, et al.).

Dunn argued from some small stylistic features of Colossians that differ from Paul’s other writings that Timothy wrote this epistle having received an outline of Paul’s thought from the apostle. [Note: Dunn, pp. 35-39.] Dunn could write that this was a Pauline letter, even though he believed Timothy was the writer, because he believed that Timothy interpreted Paul’s theology and that Paul was the primary influence over Timothy in his writing. Some other modern scholars hold a similar view, but most believe that Paul was its writer.

Paul linked Timothy with himself in the introductions to 2 Corinthians, Philippians , 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. He also mentioned Timothy in Romans, 1 Corinthians , , 1 and 2 Timothy. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also referred to Timothy.