The Epistle to the Colossians, famous for its great expression of cosmic Christology, is also, in the words of the author, "one of the first Christian apologies or defensive statements of the faith over against its rivals that we possess". The main purpose of the Epistle is to refute certain teaching which denied the supreme importance of Christ. Due attention is given to the background against which this heresy developed, and to evidence which has been discovered in recent years.