Waraka kwa Wakolosai

wa kwanza wa waraka huu katika gombo Minuscule 321.]]
**Waraka kwa Wakolosai** ni kati ya vitabu 27 vya Agano Jipya ambalo pamoja na Agano la Kale linaunda Biblia ya Wakristo.

Kama vitabu vingine vyote vya Biblia, hiki pia kinatakiwa kisomwe katika mfululizo wa historia ya wokovu ili kukielewa kadiri ya maendeleo ya ufunuo wa Mungu kwa binadamu.

## Muda wa uandishi 
Barua hiyo ni mojawapo kati ya zile za mwishomwisho za Mtume Paulo na inaonyesha maendeleo ya teolojia yake, hasa kutokana na muda mrefu wa kutafakari aliojaliwa kifungoni.

## Mazingira 
Kanisa la Kolosai, mji wa biashara karibu na Efeso lilianzishwa na mwanafunzi wa Paulo, labda Epafra, halafu likaingiwa na mafundisho ya ajabuajabu yaliyochanganya mambo ya Kiyahudi na ya Kipagani na yaliyozingatia mno ukuu wa malaika juu ya ulimwengu.

Ndiyo sababu huenda Paulo, akiwa kifungoni Roma kati ya miaka 61 na 63, akawajibika kuliandikia barua inayoonyesha kuwa Yesu Kristo ni mkuu kuliko wote: vyote kabisa viliumbwa kwa njia yake na kwa ajili yake, tena katika ubinadamu wake umo utimilifu wote wa Mungu.

Yeye ndiye “fumbo” kwa kuwa Mungu ametimiza mpango wa wokovu kwa njia yake.

Hakuna sababu ya kutafuta kwingine hekima na maarifa, wala ya kujiwekea masharti ya kibinadamu yasiyosaidia kuokoka (Kol 1:13-29; 2:6-3:4; 3:5-17).

## Mpangilio 
Mpangilio wa barua ni kama kawaida ya barua za Paulo: utangulizi, mafundisho ya imani, maonyo kuhusu uzushi, mawaidha na hatima.

## Marejeo
* R. McL. Wilson, *Colossians and Philemon* (International Critical Commentary; London: T&T Clark, 2005)
* Jerry Sumney, *Colossians* (New Testament Library; Louisville; Ky.: Westminster John Knox, 2008)
* TIB = The Interpreter’s Bible, The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard versions with general articles and introduction, exegesis, [and] exposition for each book of the Bible in twelve volumes, George Arthur Buttrick, Commentary Editor, Walter Russell Bowie, Associate Editor of Exposition, Paul Scherer, Associate Editor of Exposition, John Knox Associate Editor of New Testament Introduction and Exegesis, Samuel Terrien, Associate Editor of Old Testament Introduction and Exegesis, Nolan B. Harmon Editor, Abingdon Press, copyright 1955 by Pierce and Washabaugh, set up printed, and bound by the Parthenon Press, at Nashville, Tennessee,  Volume XI, Philippians, Colossians  [Introduction and Exegesis by  Francis W. Beare, Exposition by G. Preston MacLeod], Thessalonians, Pastoral Epistles [The First and Second Epistles to Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus], Philemon, Hebrews
* TNJBC = The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Edited by Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Union Theological Seminary, New York; NY, Maurya P. Horgan [Colossians]; Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm. (emeritus) The Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC, with a foreword by His Eminence Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini, S.J.; Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990

## Viungo vya nje 
### Tafsiri ya Kiswahili
* http://www.intratext.com/IXT/SWA0013/_INDEX.HTM Agano Jipya kwa lugha ya Kiswahili

### Vingine
* *Online Bible* at GospelHall.org
* Collection of translations and commentary on Colossians
* Colossians at Bible-book.org 

Kol
Jamii:Mtume Paulo