Colossians [pp. 119*–122*]
[Beginning on the same printed page as the close of Laodiceans above. This is a short letter in Harnack’s reconstruction — only 4 printed pages — considerably shorter than earlier approximate estimates for it.]
TO THE COLOSSIANS
Of ch. 1 it is attested:
5 the hope which is laid up … in the heavens, which you heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6a which is present with you, as it is also in all the world.
15–17 shaped, through excisions, thus: who is the image of the invisible God, and he himself is before all things.
[p. 120*] 19 in himself all the fullness was pleased to dwell.
20 and … to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross …
21 and you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works … he has [now] reconciled …
22 in his body.
24 … I fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, in the flesh, on behalf of his body, which is the church.
Of ch. 2 it is attested:
4 (an allusion to) that no one may delude you with persuasive speech;
8 … through philosophy, as an empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world.
13 Allusion: he made you alive together with him, having forgiven
[p. 121*] trespasses.
16 let no one therefore judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast day, or a new moon, and sabbaths (a sabbath),
17 which is a shadow of things to come.
18–22 Allusions: willing in humility, worship of angels, dwelling on those things which he has seen, not holding fast to the head, do not touch, do not taste, according to the commandments and doctrines of men.
That large parts of ch. 3, or the whole chapter, were preserved follows from Tertullian’s general remark: “‘As for the rest of the precepts, it is enough to have already shown, in the same way, from what source they flow — from the creator … the creator, even then, was teaching [men] to put off the old man and put on the new.’”
Of ch. 4, verses 10–14 are attested; v. 10 and 11, 14 are quoted; vv. 12–13 are covered by “and so forth.” One need not doubt that M. also read v. 16.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas — concerning whom you received commandments, that if he comes to
[p. 122*] —you, receive (Dial.: “therefore receive”) him —
11 and Jesus who is called Justus, those who are of the circumcision. These alone are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me, and so forth.
14 Luke greets you, and Demas.
As a larger excision, only 1:15b, 16, 17b is to be noted.
Notes and Apparatus
I, 5 Tertullian (V, 19): “‘The apostle, speaking of the hope laid up in the heavens, which you heard in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, just as it has to the whole world.’” — Did M. really read “you heard” (otherwise unattested) instead of “you heard beforehand”?
15–19 Tertullian (V, 19): “‘He calls Christ “the image of the invisible God” … If Christ were not “the firstborn of all creation” … 16 if “all things were not created in him, in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,” if “all things were not created through him and in him” — for these things ought to have displeased Marcion —, the apostle would surely not have stated so nakedly, 17 “And he himself is before all things.” For how [p. 120*] [is he] “before all,” if not before all things? … 19 in like manner, how did he ‘with good reason’ cause ‘all fullness’ to ‘dwell’ ‘in himself’? For in the first place, what is this fullness, if not those things which Marcion took away?’” Tertullian continues: “‘or if our pseudo-apostles and Jewish evangelizers have brought this in of their own, let Marcion produce the fullness of his own god.’” 15b, 16, and very probably 17b as well were thus missing. Also at Tertullian V, 20, v. 15 is attested: “‘It is well that elsewhere too he calls Christ “the image of the invisible God.”’” — v. 19 “in himself” is otherwise unattested, against “in him” (tendentious).
20ff Tertullian (V, 19): “‘“To whom, finally, does he reconcile” all things “to himself, making peace” through the blood of his cross’? … 21 thus, “and us too, once alienated and enemies in mind by evil works, he restores into favor with the creator” ..’” The small omissions signify nothing; but did v. 20b also remain in place? — “unto himself” is otherwise unattested, against “him” (see on v. 19) — “‘But if anywhere (v. 22, 24) he also calls the church “the body of Christ” — as he says here, “he fills up what remains of the afflictions of Christ in the flesh, on behalf of his body, which is the church” — it is not on that account [true] that he transfers the mention of “body” entirely away from the substance of “flesh.” For also above, he says “we are reconciled” “in his body through death” — certainly in that body in which he was able to die: he died through the flesh and not through the church, plainly substituting “church” for “body” for the sake of the church — the carnal for the spiritual.’” M. therefore did not read “of the flesh” in v. 22a; hence the citation at Dial. V, 3 (where parts of vv. 22f are combined with Eph. 2:12, 16) cannot be from him, despite the unusual “he has reconciled instead” (“but now he has reconciled instead, in the body of his flesh”) — the absence of “my” at v. 24 is of no significance.
II, 4. 8 Tertullian (V, 19): “‘He warns “to beware of subtle speech” and “philosophy” as “empty seduction,” which is “according to the elements of the world” ….. “and according to the tradition of men.”’” “As” is otherwise unattested, against “and” (tendentious; the verses may also have been altered elsewhere). Also, in what follows, “empty deceit” drops out as a category (“men of subtle speech and philosophers” — “the powers of subtle speech and the rules of philosophy”). “According to the elements of the world” perhaps stood before “according to the tradition of men.”
13 Tertullian (V, 19): “‘… if God makes us alive with Christ, forgiving [our] trespasses.’”
[p. 121*] 16f Epiphanius p. 119, 181, word for word up to “things to come.” Tertullian (V, 19): “‘“Let no one judge you” in food and in drink and in the matter of a feast day and a new moon and a sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.’” — The “and … and … and” construction is otherwise unattested — “a sabbath” [singular] with D*.
18–22 Tertullian (V, 19): “‘But if he censures anyone who, out of visions of angels, said one must abstain from foods — “do not touch, do not taste” — “wishing to walk in humility of mind, not holding the head” — he does not thereby strike at the law and Moses, as if he had established, from angelic superstition, a prohibition of certain foods … Finally, this discipline he attributed, “according to the precepts,” he says, “and doctrine of men,” to those who did not hold the head.’” “Worship” (v. 18) was not missing; it lies within “superstition.” — 18 M. read “has seen” without “not,” with D*, ℵ, A, B, d, Origen, Augustine, Ambrosiaster.
III, 3. 4 Dial. V, 28 (missing in Rufinus): “for your life is hidden with Christ in God; 4 but when Christ is manifested, our life, with Christ in God, we shall be manifested in glory.” This text shows several departures from the catholic [text] (“hidden” placed first; in v. 4 the second person is changed to the first, with B, Dbc, K, L, Origen, and the Latin Fathers; “but” is otherwise unattested, and the ending [after “our”] is uniquely singular, against “then you also will be manifested with him”); but nevertheless it remains uncertain whether it derives from M.’s Bible.
IV, 10. 11. 14 Dial. I, 5 (Rufinus: 10 “that if he comes … you should receive him”; does not read “therefore”; 11 “for these,” “my fellow workers”) — 10 “that” with Ambrosiaster (“that if he comes to you, receive him”), against [omission]. 11 “are mine” with D, G, d, g, vulg., Ambrosiaster (but all after “fellow workers”), against [omission]. 14 The absence of the words after “Luke”: “the beloved physician,” is hardly accidental.