The pathways to communal peace in Colossians 3:5-12 and their relevance to national peacebuilding

Abstract

Communal peace, which has over the years encountered natural disasters and, in particular, flouting of secular and sacred rules by humans, experiences estrangement and communal disorder in the human community, including Colossae. However, the pathways to communal peace are provided in Colossians. Previous studies on communal peace have focused on sustainable reconciliation in a divided society, cosmic reconciliation, and Paul’s proclamation of reconciliation, with little attention paid to the relevance of its pathways. This paper, therefore, examines the pathways (νεκρόω “put to death,” ἀποτίθημι “put away or put off,” and ἐνδύω “put on”) to communal peace in Colossians 3:5-12, with a view to determining their relevance to national peacebuilding. While Ralph Martin’s Grammatico-historical approach is adopted, the interpretive design is used. Data are subjected to exegetical analysis. The findings of this study will have implications for healthy relationships either between God and humans or among humans.