slogan of the empire is that Caesar is Lord), is the one in whom they should walk. The language of “walking in the Lord” is rooted in Torah observance, in the story of Israel. Moreover, the Colossians not only walk in him but also are rooted and built up in him. These are images from the empire, usually applied to the way in which Nero gives root to, binds together, and builds up the whole of Roman society (Maier, 328). Rather than Nero, however, the Colossians are rooted and built up in a different