Colossians’ discussion of Paul’s sufferings fits well within theologies of martyrdom that appear in various Jewish and Christian (as well as pagan) sources (see the commentary on 1:24). These are martyrdom traditions that Paul knows and occasionally employs in his letters, and thus it is not surprising that his associates know and use them. While Colossians’ statements about Paul’s suffering are possible before his death, they gain power and persuasiveness if he has already met a martyr’s fate. While