Barbarians and Scythians? An Exposition of Colossians 3:11

As I commented in my last post, I was absolutely clueless when I came across “Scythians” in Colossians 3:11.  I went straight to a few commentaries to find out what relevance the Scythians had to Paul’s discussion, and decided to translate it as a paraphrase.  In this post, I want to take a look at the verse as it really is and give an explanation for what it means.  Here it is with the two preceding verses:

“Do not lie to one another, since you have stripped off the old man with his practices and have clothed yourselves with the new man which is being renewed into a knowledge according to the image of the one who created it, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and in all.”
Colossians 3:9-11, verse 11 bold.

Context
In order to fully grasp the thrust of chapter 3, I want to quickly give the basic context. Paul, writing while imprisoned, wrote to the church at Colossae in order to counteract a growing heresy found within the church. Commentators are divided over what the heresy consisted of, and, in fact, we will probably never know the full extent of what the false teachers were teaching. Some issues can be deduced from the letter itself: there were definite Jewish elements to the teaching; it may have included some pagan syncretism (the blending of ideas and beliefs); and there is some possible traces of a type of proto-gnosticism involved as well.

The majority of chapter 2 is Paul’s direct counter-attack to the false teaching (vv. 6-23). He calls the teachings “empty, deceitful philosophy” which are according to “traditions of men” and “not of Christ” (v. 8). He explains to the Colossians that they have died and been raised with Christ (vv. 11-13, 20), which is a theme that will carry over into chapter 3. “Therefore,” says Paul in 3:1, “since you have been raised with Christ-” Paul begins to explain that Christians, through the death and resurrection of Christ, now take part in the new creation. This is an incredible mystery, and is in fact something “hidden” at the present time (v. 3), but will be revealed when Christ returns and the new heavens and new earth are also revealed. In Christ’s resurrection, the future new creation has burst onto the present scene, and Christians share in that new creation through their being united with Christ in His death and resurrection by faith. Truly, the Christian is now a new creation himself, which Paul explains in images of “stripping off [the clothing] of the old man and being clothed with the new [man]” (vv 9-10). Colossians 3:1-11 is then Paul’s exhortation to put to death our old sinful nature, in light of the truth of our being united with Christ. This is the context in which we find verse 11.

Comments on verse 11
Because of the reality that the Christian is a new creation, a taste in the present of the future new creation, Paul tells us that certain distinctions that we find in human relationships are now abolished in the new community.

Where there is no - ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι - This verse starts out with phrase of location and a negative. Because Paul is continuing his thought that starts in verse 9 and flows through verse 10, we should look there to see where exactly this location is that Paul is referring to. It is most likely referring to the “image of the one who created it.” This still sounds a little vague, but we must remember that Paul is using language here that he used in the Christ-Hymn in Colossians 1:15-20 in reference to Christ. So, it seems most likely that Paul here means, “in the ‘new community’ which is in Christ.” The phrase used here in 3:1 is also especially strong- it could be translated, “where [that which follows in the verse] does not exist” (Robertson’s Word Pictures, electronic version). So, the following distinctions that Paul spells out for us does not, and cannot, exist in the body of Christ who is united to Him through death and resurrection. So what is it that cannot and does not exist in Christ?

Greek nor Jew - Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος - Paul here uses a typical biblical formula for dividing people into two basic camps: Jew and Gentile (Greek). This division goes back to the Old Testament, where the Jewish nation were the chosen people of God out of all the nations. Paul uses the phrase here (reversed due to the large amount of Gentile believers at Colossae), to say that in Christ, that distinction is no longer valid. All are able to join the new community by faith. The “people of God” is no longer one nation out of many, but is expanded to every tribe, nation, and tongue (Revelation 7:9). This phrase is a broad reference of ethnic and racial reconciliation, specifically in regards to Christ and the Church. No one nationality has more of a chance to be saved than others. For other examples of this (and the following distinctions), see Ephesians 2:11-22, Galatians 3:28.

circumcision nor uncircumcision - περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία - The phrase “circumcision nor uncircumcision” is another way of saying “Greek nor Jew.” Only this time, Paul does not have in mind merely the ethnic division, as he does religious practice. In the old covenant, circumcision was applied to Jewish male infants as a sign of entrance into the covenant, that is, a mark that one was part of the covenant community. This practice as a covenant sign is now abolished in Christ because the covenant has now expanded to include all nations (see above). Entrance into the new covenant community is not through national or ethnic lineage, but in union with Christ and baptism (see Colossians 2:11-12). Gentiles (non-Jews) do not need to be circumcised to be a part of the community, but need to be united to Christ through faith.

barbarians nor Scythian - βάρβαρος Σκύθης - This is where what was so clear to Paul’s original audience is lost on us today. Why does Paul say that there is neither barbarians nor Scythians in Christ? In order to understand “Scythian” we must understand who was considered a barbarian. In the ancient Greek world a barbarian was a culturally derived derogatory term. To the Greek, a “barbarian” was someone who did not speak the Greek language- and thus was considered to be part of a lesser culture, inferior to the powerful Greeks. The “Scythians” were a subset of the barbarians, and were considered to be the lowest class of barbarians. O’Brien quotes Josephus as saying, “they are little better than wild beasts” (Colossians, Philemon, WBC, pg 193). Vincent’s NT Word Studies (electronic version) says “[t]he distinction is from the Greek and Roman point of view, where the line is drawn by culture” and describes Heroditus as saying they “[live] in wagons, offering human sacrifices, scalping and sometimes flaying slain enemies, drinking their blood, and using their skulls for drinking-cups” among other atrocities. Because the church at Colossae was predominantly Greek, who would recognize such powerful cultural distinctions, Paul’s language that such barriers are also abolished in Christ would be extremely powerful. Due to our present removal from that culture however, such powerful ideas are often lost. In my translation, I have decided to paraphrase this part of the verse as “cultural barriers.” Though it does not give the strength of Paul’s language, it does make it somewhat more accessible to our understanding.

slave, or free - δοῦλος ἐλεύθερος - Paul has said that ethnic and racial distinctions as well as cultural distinctions have been abolished in Christ. He now moves to class distinction. Regardless of whether one was a slave or free, they are still able to be united to Christ through faith. As O’Brien says, “distinctions of social position are irrelevant” (pg 193).

but Christ is all and in all - ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός - There is a danger here of thinking that Paul is teaching some form of Christian pantheism or panentheism. However, if we look at the context, we will see that this is not at all the case, but instead, as O’Brien says, “[t]he concluding triumphant words… contrast the centrality of Christ with the divisions that separate people in the world” (pg. 193, emphasis mine). By saying “Christ is all,” Paul is asserting the supremacy of Christ (cf. Colossians 1:15-20), and by saying that “[Christ is] in all” he means that regardless of any distinction, Christ dwells in everyone who is united to Him by faith. Whether Greek or Jew, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, when united with Christ by faith, Christ dwells in them equally.

Paraphrase
Having seen what Paul addresses in verse 11, here is my paraphrase of the verse.
“where there are no racial or ethnic distinctions, cultural barriers, or class distinctions, but Christ is all and in all.”