Genuine Christians can be deceived by false teaching, even teaching concerning Christ. Is there some concept that you have about Jesus Christ, salvation, or the Christian life that is not based on Scripture but on man-made tradition or philosophy? Will you give it up and accept the prescription for healthy living presented in God’s Word—Jesus Christ is above all powers and authorities, in all believers, and is all we need for earth and heaven! Dwelling in truth you can know leads to healthy living! Will you choose “healthy living?”
This study guide consists of 12 lessons covering Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Most of the lessons are short. However, if you cannot do the entire lesson one week, please read the Bible passage(s) covered by the lesson.
Process of Bible Study: Each lesson includes core questions covering the passage narrative. These core questions will take you through the process of inductive Bible study—observation, interpretation, and application. The process is more easily understood in the context of answering these questions:
Deeper Discoveries (optional): Embedded within the sections are optional questions for further research of subjects we don’t have time to cover adequately in the lessons or contain information that may enhance the basic study. If you are meeting with a small group, your leader may give you the opportunity to share your “discoveries.”
To aid in proper interpretation and application of the study, five additional study aids are located where appropriate in the lesson:
The New Testament opens with the births of Jesus and John (known as “the baptist”). About 30 years later, John challenged the Jews to indicate their repentance (turning from sin and toward God) by submitting to water baptism—a familiar Old Testament practice used for repentance as well as when a Gentile converted to Judaism (to be washed clean of idolatry).
Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son, publicly showed the world what God is like and taught His perfect ways for 3 – 3½ years. After preparing 12 disciples to continue Christ’s earthly work, He died voluntarily on a cross for mankind’s sin, rose from the dead, and returned to heaven. The account of His earthly life is recorded in 4 books known as the Gospels (the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John named after the compiler of each account).
After Jesus’ return to heaven, the followers of Christ were then empowered by the Holy Spirit and spread God’s salvation message among the Jews, a number of whom believed in Christ. The apostle Paul and others traveling with him carried the good news to the Gentiles during 3 missionary journeys (much of this recorded in the book of Acts). Paul wrote 13 New Testament letters to churches & individuals (Romans through Philemon). The section in our Bible from Hebrews to Jude contains 8 additional letters penned by five men, including two apostles (Peter and John) and two of Jesus’ half-brothers (James and Jude). The author of Hebrews is unknown. The apostle John also recorded Revelation, which summarizes God’s final program for the world. The Bible ends as it began—with a new, sinless creation.
Heresy is an infection in the Body of Christ. It is an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious TRUTH. And like an infection in the human body, heresy always affects one’s spiritual health (as well as emotional, mental, and sometimes physical health). So, heresy must be addressed. It cannot be ignored. The medical treatment for all heresy is found in the New Testament!
The infection in Colosse afflicted the believers there regarding their view of the identity and deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote the letter of Colossians to contradict this infection. In Colossians, we find through Paul the greatest declaration of Christ’s deity found in Scripture. What Paul wrote then seems written expressly for our own day when so many are trying to rob Jesus Christ of his deity and sufficiency.
Genuine Christians can be deceived by false teaching, even teaching concerning Christ. Is there some concept that you have about Jesus Christ, salvation, or the Christian life that is not based on Scripture but on man-made tradition or philosophy? Will you give it up and accept the truth about Christ presented in God’s Word? Will you choose “healthy living?”
© Copyright, 2018.
Heresy (an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious TRUTH) is an infection in the Body of Christ. It’s not just error; it is anti-truth! And like an infection in the human body, it always affects life so it must be addressed. Thankfully, the answer to all heresy is TRUTH! Knowing truth gives us a spiritual immune system that fights and prevents infection. That is the prescription for healthy living. Here’s how we will see it work throughout this study of Colossians and Philemon:
To “dwell” means to make your home in. It’s what dominates your thoughts and attitudes, governs your life, has the most influence on you. God gives us plenty of truth in the Scriptures that we can know and trust. There are 66 books of revelation given. 1189 chapters. If we just took 1 chapter per day and wrote down all the truths about God and our relationship with Him that is revealed to us, it would take us more than 3 years to get through the whole Bible! God wants us to know the truth He has revealed. He wants us to make our home — to dwell — in that truth. It is for our own good!
Paul writes in Ephesians 1:17-19,
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing KNOWLEDGE of Him, —since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you may KNOW what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of His immense strength.”
Look at all that God says we can KNOW. Each passage we read or study has plenty of truth that we can KNOW with certainty and allow to govern our lives. At the end of each lesson, you’ll get to list all the TRUTH from that lesson that you can KNOW about God and His relationship to you. Throughout this study, you will DWELL in truth you can know.
In the midst of all those 1189 chapters in the Bible are verses we just don’t understand. Perhaps you don’t understand it now but will in the future as you learn more through Bible study and hear great teaching that helps you understand. But, there are things we will never know or understand.
Deuteronomy 29:29 says this,
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
Notice the emphasis on the things revealed — we can KNOW them. But, there are “secret things” the Lord has not revealed yet. As we study the Bible, we can do our best to try to understand what is written—examining the original words to see what the writer meant and what the audience understood, looking at cross-references to let the Bible interpret itself, and ask the Spirit for understanding. But, you may never understand something that you read. Don’t let that unnerve you.
In this study, after you list all the TRUTH from each lesson that you can KNOW, you’ll get to write the things that you just can’t seem to understand from the lesson or things you might not know. Then, you can make the choice to HUMBLY ACCEPT the “I don’t know or understand.”
To dwell in the truth of God’s Word, we must discern what we read and hear by comparing it with the complete revelation of God’s Word (the whole Bible). We can’t extract pieces of it (that is, a verse or group of verses) and build our foundation on that. Nor should we build our faith on experiences and feelings. There’s junk out there about God so it’s important to really get to know the God of the Bible.
Avoid the “look-imagine-see” way of looking at any verse, which leads to error. What do I mean by “look-imagine-see?” Someone looks at a verse or passage, imagines what they want it to say, and then sees in their mind what they have imagined through twisting word meanings and interpretations.
Cultural influence on Bible study feeds this “look-imagine-see” process. You look at the passage, imagine a way for it to fit a particular cultural slant, then you see what you want to see. Many types of false teaching through the years have started with this kind of “look-imagine-see” process. Avoid doing that by following the inductive process of Bible Study: observation (what the text says), interpretation (what was the author’s intended meaning—to him and to his audience that would read or hear it), and application (how to live this out in your life). That is the best way to study the Bible. Look at what’s there. Learn what it means and teaches you. Then, live it out in your life.
You want to make sure you are basing your faith on what is in God’s Word, not something you have heard before and not something you are imagining to be there. So, avoid that “look-imagine-see” way of looking at the Bible.
We will never know all there is to know about God. There’ll always be some mystery about Him. But, there’s plenty enough revealed in the Bible that we CAN KNOW HIM TRUTHFULLY and know how to live our life in Christ truthfully. The Holy Spirit uses the Scripture we read and study to teach us about our God so we can know TRUTH and DWELL in that truth. Dangerous teaching comes from picking and choosing what you consider to be “truth.” All false teachers through the centuries have taken advantage of people who were not dwelling in the truth portrayed in the whole Bible.
At the end of each lesson, I will ask you to evaluate something you have read or heard in light of the TRUTH you are learning—books, social media, billboards—things that sound nice and comfy but may actually lead to or be based upon error in biblical thinking. I may even throw one into the lesson for you to evaluate and discern truth or error. DISCERN TEACHING through the complete revelation of God’s Word.
The prescription for healthy living has three parts:
1. DWELL IN TRUTH You Can Know
2. HUMBLY ACCEPT the “I Don’t Know or Understand”
3. DISCERN Teaching through the Complete Revelation of God’s Word
Enjoy healthy living!
© Copyright, 2018.
Paul identifies himself as the author of this letter written to the church at Colossae. Paul, whose Hebrew name was Saul, was born in Tarsus, a major Roman city on the coast of southeast Asia Minor. Tarsus was the center for the tentmaking industry, which may have influenced Paul to choose that craft as his occupation (his primary paying profession). His religious profession was that of a Jewish Pharisee.
Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5) and trained at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), a well-respected rabbi of the day. He was an ardent persecutor of the early church (Philippians 3:6, Acts 8:3, 22:4-5, 26:9-11) until his life changing conversion to Christianity (Acts 9:1-31, Galatians 1:11-24).
After believing in Jesus Christ as his Savior, Paul was called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). This was an amazing about-face for a committed Pharisee like Paul who ordinarily would have nothing to do with Gentiles (Acts 10:28). Paul wrote 13 epistles in the New Testament. Tradition has it that Paul was beheaded shortly after he wrote 2 Timothy in 67 AD. (Information adapted from The Woman’s Study Bible, p. 1834)
The country village of Colosse lay in the beautiful Lycus Valley about 100 miles east of Ephesus. It was 1 of 3 ancient towns situated close to each other—Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea—along a major trade route between the big city of Ephesus to the west and the Euphrates River to the east. What each city did affected the others. The population of Colosse was mostly Gentile of Greek descent. A large Jewish group lived there, having been relocated from Mesopotamia by Antiochus in the second century BC, bringing with them eastern influence. Because of being near a major trade route, the town was influenced by ideas and practices from both the east (Mesopotamia) and the west (Rome). So, the mindset was mainly Greek with influx of new ideas from the East and other parts of the Roman Empire. Over time, the road system changed, and Colossae lost its importance. Laodicea became the greater city. In the 7th-8th centuries, the people moved to a fortress south of the city and in the 12th century, the Turks destroyed Colosse. Today, Colosse is composed of uninhabited ruins. Motorist guides to Turkey point out Laodicea’s ruins but do not even mention Colosse. Archeologists have unearthed ruins of the ancient church.
On his third missionary journey, Paul spent 3 years in Ephesus (~54-57 A.D), a large city of 250,000 people. While there, Paul held classes every day for anyone wanting to learn about Jesus Christ, having their sins forgiven, and gaining a new way to live. The gospel spread throughout that part of Asia Minor. One of Paul’s students named Epaphras traveled 100 miles east back to his hometown of Colosse to bring the gospel to the people living there.
A few Jews believed the message about Jesus, but it was mostly the Greeks and Romans who listened and trusted in Jesus to take away their sins. They started worshiping God together as a church. Epaphras also started churches in Hierapolis and Laodicea. The churches grew larger. And, false teaching began to infiltrate them.
While Paul was imprisoned in Rome for 2 years, Epaphras headed to Rome to discuss what was happening with his mentor Paul. The church was now about 5 years old. Paul had never met the Colossians, but he loved these young Christians very much. So he wrote a general letter to pass around to the whole region (the letter to the Ephesians) as well as a letter specifically to the 3 churches in the Colossian area. He wrote a third letter, a personal one, to a rich landowner named Philemon about his runaway slave Onesimus. These three letters plus the one to the Philippians are called the “Prison Epistles” since Paul wrote them while he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul’s co-worker Tychicus delivered the letters to Ephesus and Colossae. Onesimus delivered the personal letter to his master, Philemon.
The heresy (an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious TRUTH) that Paul discovered in Colosse was like an infection in the Body of Christ there. It afflicted the believers regarding their view of the identity and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. False teachers taught that Jesus was not the Lord, just a lord. They were teaching them that faith in Jesus was not enough for them to be spiritual. They needed to add other “experiences” to the mix. This is the root error of false teaching today. The place that Christ holds in any religious teaching determines whether it is true or false—healthy food or heresy. The Colossians were infected with heresy.
Paul wrote the letter of Colossians to contradict this infection. In Colossians, we find the greatest declaration of Christ’s deity and sufficiency found in Scripture. What Paul wrote then seems written expressly for our own day when so many “teachers” and “groups” are trying to rob Jesus Christ of His deity and sufficiency for our salvation through grace alone and our acceptance to God apart from works.
It’s always time to check for infection in our thinking. You may discover that you have a concept about Jesus Christ, salvation, or the Christian life that is based on man-made tradition or philosophy instead of on Scripture. For “healthy living,” you will need to recognize that “infection” and give it up to accept the truth about Christ presented in God’s Word. That is the prescription for “healthy living.”
The prescription has three parts:
1. DWELL IN TRUTH You Can Know
2. HUMBLY ACCEPT the “I Don’t Know or Understand”
3. DISCERN Teaching through the Complete Revelation of God’s Word
It is good for us to read the Colossian letter, examine our own belief and see that we always put Jesus Christ in His rightful place in our thinking and glorify this wonderful One.
I love this truthful phrase regarding Jesus Christ and our salvation through Him that was so aptly worded by a dear Bible teacher (Vickie Kraft) in the 1980’s:
Jesus Christ is above all powers and authorities, in all believers, and is all we need for earth and heaven!
We are going to hang onto that truth!
© Copyright, 2018.
When you check your mailbox or your email messages, what do you open first? Bills? Official looking stuff? Personal notes? Well, you’ll want to open this one!
This lesson will take a little longer than most because we ask you to read through the entire letter of Colossians—twice! Reading through the whole letter (only 4 chapters long in our Bible form) is the best way to see the entire message and get the “big picture” before we divide it into smaller pieces to enjoy it more slowly.
For your convenience, the letter to the Colossians is provided for you in the pages before this lesson.
Read Colossians 1:1-8.
From the Greek: Whereas older translations used the all-inclusive word “brothers” in verse 2, the Greek word (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family. The NIV translators have chosen “brothers and sisters” to use here for clarity. You will also see this in Colossians 4:15.
Scriptural Insight: The Holy Spirit had created love for Paul in the Colossians. This is the only reference to the Holy Spirit in this epistle. In Colossians Paul ascribed the activities of God that he normally associated with the Holy Spirit to Christ. He probably did this to glorify Jesus Christ before the Colossians who were being taught that Christ was less than He is. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 12)
Summary:
Think About It: Heresies (such as the one at Colosse) are local and harmful; but truth is universal and helpful. One of the unmistakable characteristics of the true gospel is God’s grace in all its truth. Some preach a “different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Gal. 1:6-7). This is because it is a gospel of grace plus works, or faith plus works. But the true gospel is one of grace alone (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 670)
Heresy (an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious TRUTH) is an infection in the Body of Christ. Heresy is not just error; it’s anti-truth! And like an infection in the human body, heresy always affects one’s spiritual health (as well as emotional, mental, and sometimes physical health). So, heresy must be addressed. It cannot be ignored. Thankfully, the answer to all heresy is TRUTH! Knowing truth gives us a spiritual immune system that fights and prevents infection. That is the prescription for healthy living. Here’s how it works:
To “dwell” means to make your home in. It’s what dominates your thoughts and attitudes, governs your life, has the most influence on you. God gives us plenty of truth in the Scriptures that we can know and trust. There are 66 books of revelation given. 1189 chapters. If we just took 1 chapter per day and wrote down all the truths about God and our relationship with Him that is revealed to us, it would take us more than 3 years to get through the whole Bible! God wants us to know the truth He has revealed. He wants us to make our home — to dwell — in that truth. It is for our own good!
Look at all that God says we can KNOW! Each passage we read or study has plenty of truth that we can KNOW with certainty and allow to govern our lives. DWELL in truth you can know.
In the midst of all 1189 chapters in the Bible are verses we just don’t understand. Perhaps you don’t understand it now but will in the future as you get more confident in Bible study and hear great teaching that helps you understand. But, there are things we will never know or understand.
Notice the emphasis on the things revealed — we can KNOW them. But, there are “secret things” the Lord has not revealed yet. As we study the Bible, we can do our best to try to understand what is written—examining the original words to see what the writer meant and what the audience understood, looking at cross-references to let the Bible interpret itself, and ask the Spirit for understanding. But, you may never understand something you read. Don’t let that unnerve you.
DWELL in truth you can know (the list you made in Question 14). And, HUMBLY ACCEPT the “I don’t know or understand.”
To dwell in the truth of God’s Word, we must discern what we read and hear by comparing it with the complete revelation of God’s Word. We can’t extract pieces of it and build our foundation on that. Nor should we build our faith on experiences and feelings. There’s junk out there about God so it’s important to really get to know the God of the Bible.
Avoid the “look-imagine-see” way of looking at any verse, which leads to error. What do I mean by “look-imagine-see?” Someone looks at a verse or passage, imagines what they want it to say, and then “sees” in their mind what they have imagined through twisting word meanings and interpretations.
Cultural influence on Bible study feeds this “look-imagine-see” process. You look at the passage, imagine a way for it to fit a particular cultural slant, then you see what you want to see. Many types of false teaching through the years have started with this kind of “look-imagine-see” process. Avoid doing that by following the inductive process of Bible Study: observation (what the text says), interpretation (what was the author’s intended meaning—to him and to his audience that would read or hear it), and application (how to live this out in your life). That is the best way to study the Bible. Look at what’s there. Learn what it means and teaches you. Then, live it out in your life.
You want to make sure you are basing your faith on what is in God’s Word, not something you have heard before and not something you are imagining to be there. So, avoid that “look-imagine-see” way of looking at the Bible.
We will never know all there is to know about God. There’ll always be some mystery about Him. But, there’s plenty enough revealed in the Bible that we can KNOW HIM TRUTHFULLY and know how to live our life in Christ truthfully. The Holy Spirit uses the Scripture we read and study to teach us about our God so we can know TRUTH and DWELL in that truth.
© Copyright, 2018.
Read Colossians 1:1-14.
Summary: What is Paul asking God to do?
Focus on the Meaning: Paul used two key words, “fill” and “knowledge.” The first suggest a filling out to completeness, and the latter suggests a full, deep understanding. Such knowledge of God’s will does not come from a fleshly mind (which “puffs up,” 1 Cor. 8:1), but from the Holy Spirit who enlightens a believer’s inner person (1 Cor. 2:5-6, 13), and from the Word of God. God’s will, revealed in the Bible, is made known to believers by the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 670)
Focus on the Meaning: The “will” (thelematos) of God is what God has revealed in His Word to be correct, regarding both belief (faith) and behavior (works, morality; cf.
4:12; Acts 22:14; Rom. 12:2). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 14)
Read Colossians 1:9-14.
Evidence of a life worthy and pleasing to God |
How that would look in someone’s life |
1. bearing… |
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2. growing… |
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3. being… |
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4. giving… |
Focus on the Meaning: The aim of believers in all their worthy conduct should be to please Him in every way, to anticipate and do His wishes in every aspect of life (cf. Eph. 5:10). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 671)
Can you do this through your own efforts? Why not?
Think About It: Human parents raise their children to become more independent of them over time. God raises His children to become more dependent on Him over time. Dependent living is recognizing you can do nothing worthy of pleasing God on your own efforts. Dependent living is learning to say to Jesus, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own. But, you can in and through me. I will trust you.” Then, watch what He does.
Focus on the Meaning: Here Paul centered thanksgiving on the fact that God has qualified you (lit. “made you competent;” cf. 2 Cor. 3:6) to share in the inheritance of the saints…though believers are unfit in themselves, God has fitted them. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 671-672)
Scriptural Insights: Satan is not the direct cause of sin in man. However, he rules the fallen world; the unsaved are part of his domain. He is now doing all in his power to keep the unsaved from being delivered from his dominion of darkness and transferred into Christ’s kingdom of light. He energizes the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2) and blinds the minds of the unsaved so the light of the gospel can’t reach them (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Historical Insight: The verb translated “transferred” (metestesen) described the relocation of large groups of people such as captured armies or colonists from one country to another. This kingdom is probably a reference to Christ’s domain as opposed to Satan’s domain of darkness…”Darkness” is also a prominent figure in biblical symbolism where it represents ignorance, falsehood, and sin. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, pp. 16-17)
Here’s an example: After her beloved Christian mother died, a grieving woman needed comfort. To help with her grief, she drew from something she had heard in the culture—that her mother had now become an angel and was present with her, communicating with her. So, let’s work through the process of discerning truth from error and responding graciously.
Step #1: Define the issues/terms.
There are really three issues involved: 1. Do Christians become angels when they die? 2. Can our loved ones in heaven see what is happening in our lives on earth and communicate with us? 3. When grieving, how do we turn to Jesus for our comfort rather than traditions that make us feel good but draw us away from Him?
Step #2: Ask questions and support your answers with Scripture, looking for truth you can know and what you can’t know.
Continuing with the example given:
1. Do Christians become angels when they die? The biblical truth is that angels and people are clearly distinct in their creation, purpose and destiny (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:13-14). People do not become angels when they die. Our greatest confirmation of this is Jesus Himself. After His resurrection, He appeared in a human body, the same kind we will receive after we die. We will be like Him (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2). Here's the truth we can know: people become like Christ when they die, not like angels.
2. Can our loved ones in heaven see what is happening in our lives on earth and communicate with us? The Bible doesn't clearly tell us if people in heaven are able to observe what happens on earth. The witnesses of Hebrews 12:1 are those Old Testament believers who can testify that it is possible to live a life of faith because they did it. The text doesn't say they are watching us. And, that would not include anyone who died since the Old Testament ended anyway. Can people in heaven communicate with us? The Bible teaches that people on earth are not to communicate with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Loved ones in heaven are without sin and will not disobey God so they will not try to communicate with us. Feathers, pennies, etc. are normal events and can serve as reminders for us of our loved ones but are not communications from them. Here's the "I don't know" we must humbly accept: we cannot know if our dead loved ones see anything happening on earth. That is a secret thing belonging to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29). Anything else is speculation.
3. When grieving, how do we turn to Jesus for our comfort rather than traditions that make us feel good but draw us away from Him? Our God promises to be a God of comfort and fulfills that promise (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). We should turn to Jesus first for our comfort and let Him choose how He does that for us. He uses people who give us hugs, listen to us talk about our loved one, cry with us and help us when we are weak. Memories of our loved ones are stimulated by sounds, places, sights, smells, and many other reminders associated with that person in our lives. We can take comfort from those stimulated memories and thank God for them. The Holy Spirit pours out Jesus' love in our hearts (Romans 5:5) so we can inwardly feel loved by Him during those times of grief. Jesus can also use His angels who are servants of God as ministering spirits to us (Hebrews 1:14). God's angels (not people angels) are present around us and can influence things happening so as to minister to us. If you feel your loved one close to you, it is likely an angel Jesus has sent to be near you at that time. Here's the truth: Jesus uses people, memories, His Spirit, His love and His angels to comfort us in a time of grief.
Step #3: Think of a graceful response to someone holding to that type of thinking.
Continuing with the example given:
I feel how much you are hurting since your mother’s death and how much you miss her. While you loved your mom so much that thinking of her as an angel gives you comfort, the Bible teaches this truth that God is giving her a wonderful resurrected human body like Jesus has, not an angel’s body. You have wonderful memories of your mom that will crop up through places, smells, sights, and other reminders of your life with her. And, Jesus will comfort you in your grief through those memories, through people He sends to cry with you and help you, through His Spirit pouring love into your heart, and through true angles who will be near you to minister to you in amazing ways during this sad time. Stay focused on the comfort you will receive from Jesus and let your heart just be completely hugged by Him.
© Copyright, 2018.
Read Colossians 1:1-23.
Colossians 1:15-20 is called the “Christ hymn” of Colossians We will enjoy this hymn today!
Paul’s answer is to emphasize who Jesus Christ is in relation to God, to Creation, and to the Church.
“Image of the invisible God” means:
Scriptural Insight: Christ is the sustainer of creation (“hold together,” v. 17). Christ is the Person who preserves and maintains the existence of what He has created…Every law of science and of nature is, in fact, an expression of the thought of God. It is by these laws, and therefore by the mind of God, that the universe hangs together, and does not disintegrate in chaos. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 22)
Focus on the Meaning: Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the biblical world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation—priority, preeminence, and sovereignty (vv. 16-18). (NIV Study Bible, p. 1814)
Think About It: The Christ-hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 is a powerful statement about the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ’s supremacy is seen at every turn. The first portion focuses on His preeminent role in creation, while the second emphasizes His work as Redeemer. To any Christian, in Colosse then or elsewhere today, who may have been or is confused about Christ’s role in the world, these six verses testify to Christ’s absolute authority, which is not to be shared with any person, angel, or demon. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 25)
Read Colossians 1:15-23.
Scriptural Insight: “It is important to note that people are reconciled to God (“to Himself”) not that God is reconciled to people. For mankind has left God and needs to be brought back to Him.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 674)
From the Greek: In our English translations, “holy” and “sanctified” are used interchangeably to translate the Greek word hagios, meaning “set apart, separate.” For the Christian, to be holy or sanctified means to be set apart from sin and to God as His possession for His exclusive use. Paul refers to the Colossians as “holy” in 1:2 and 1:22.
Focus on the Meaning: In Lesson 2 and Lesson 3, we have covered three terms related to what Christ has done for you through His death on the cross. These are all part of your identity in Christ and the hope to which we are not to be moved (v. 23).
• Redemption = “You have been purchased by the blood of Christ out of slavery to sin and released into freedom.”
• Reconciliation = “The barrier of sin has been taken away, and a bridge has been built. You are able to be saved.”
• Sanctification (made holy) = “You are set apart as God’s possession for His exclusive use.”
Summary: What promises are included in our hope?
Focus on the Meaning: Biblical hope is not wishful thinking but confident expectation based on the character of God to back up His promises.
Read “Truth about Christ Prevents Infection” to gain additional insight and application. Reflect at the end on what you read.
Picture this scenario. It’s 2 a.m. A baby is very fussy and restless. The mother awakes, goes to pick her child up out of the crib, and realizes that her infant who was healthy the day before is now burning with fever. There’s an infection in the small child’s body! The worried parent knows she must treat the infection through medicine and/or a visit to the doctor followed by rest and patiently waiting for the treatment to take hold. The baby will hopefully soon return to healthy living.
Heresy is an infection in the Body of Christ. It’s not just error; it is anti-truth! And like an infection in the human body, it always affects life so it must be addressed. Thankfully, the answer to all heresy is in the New Testament.
Paul made a diagnosis. There was an infection in Colosse, a very serious one. It must be addressed and removed for healing to occur.
There were five aspects of this infection:
Among these false teachings, there was something for everyone, which is so dangerous! This heresy was not denying the Christian faith but lifting it to a “higher level.”
The last two were based upon the thought that matter is all evil and that spirit alone is good and perfect. This philosophy or system of thought developed into a full-blown epidemic called Gnosticism in the second century. Even at this early stage, the heresy said that Christ couldn’t be fully human and fully God. The religious sect called Christian Science today is a modern Gnosticism, emphasizing spirit as being perfect and flesh being evil. This kind of teaching gives credit to Jesus as a great teacher whose teaching can be applied to our lives. But it devalues His atonement because He was not the Son of God, and it devalues His resurrection. In fact, a number of theories have been concocted to disprove the resurrection.
The false teachers didn’t deny that Christ came, but they dethroned Him. They took Him off the throne of the universe and made Him something else. The infection was making the Colossians seriously ill. It will do the same to us!
Thankfully, we have a spiritual immune system that fights and prevents infection. There are 3 things upon which we who are truly believers ought to be absolutely immovable. These three things are 1) justification by faith alone, 2) the authority and inerrancy of the Scripture, and 3) the deity of Jesus Christ. The Protestant reformation was founded on these tenets of faith, what they held to be absolutely firm. If any of these three is watered down or compromised, infection results.
And Paul writes a diagnosis and a prescription for the Colossians and for us. He writes the strongest statement of the supremacy and deity of Christ found anywhere in the New Testament! The Greek words he used are specific for this infection, just like a doctor’s prescription for an antibiotic. There was no way those reading or listening to this letter could possibly misunderstand anything that Paul was telling them.
The prescribed antibiotic is TRUTH, the truth about Christ in three areas of relationship—His relationship to God, His relationship to Creation, and His relationship to the Church. There are four parallel passages. If anyone questions you about the deity of Christ, these 4 parallel passages give you a lot of information, probably anything you need to know to show that Jesus Christ is truly God. These passages are John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-6; and Colossians 1:15-19. I will draw from these in this discussion.
First, let’s look at the truth about Christ in His relationship to God.
In this lesson, you studied Colossians 1:15 that proclaims Jesus to be the image of the invisible God. He is the exact representation of His being, the exact likeness (Hebrews 1:3). In John 14:9, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” He spent His life showing us who the Father is. All of the gospels teach who Jesus is and, therefore, who God is. You should read the gospel stories to your children over and over. And read them to yourself! We should know the stories about Jesus because if you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen the Father. You know who God is.
In Colossians 1:19, Paul uses one of the very words that the false teachers were using the word “fullness.” The false teachers were claiming that if you went through special rites and ceremonies, you could get to the deeper knowledge of God. You could get a fuller understanding of God. This heresy said that Jesus was good but not enough; you needed more.
Paul writes using this word “fullness” in verse 19,
“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” (Colossians 1:19)
That word “dwell” means to be permanently at home. It cannot mean “to leave” or “to come and go.” The fullness of God permanently dwells in Jesus. The word “fullness” means the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. There is nothing missing. There is nothing more of God that they could get apart from Jesus.
About Himself, Jesus said,
“And now, Father, glorify Me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)
That phrase, “I had with you,” means completeness. Jesus the Son and God the Father had completeness together before the foundation of the world. Jesus wasn’t any less God before the foundation of the world. He had everything that God the Father had.
The false teachers distributed all the divine powers among spiritual beings. What they said was that God was 100% spirit so He was 100% perfect. He created a being that was 90% spirit, and that being created another being that was 80% spirit. This continued until you got to the bottom where you had a spirit being created that was only 10% spirit. So, you were getting closer and closer to matter. And, that last being created matter, the universe, the physical stuff that we see and feel, which was all considered to be evil. A lot of divine power was divided between all of these invisible beings, which is why they started worshiping them. But, Paul gathers them all up in Christ in this word “fullness.” It is a full and flat statement of the deity of Christ. And, as we’ll see in our next lesson, the wonderful thing is that God was pleased to put His fullness in Jesus and pleased to put Jesus in us. So, He is pleased to put the fullness of God in us. Christ in us! It was God’s pleasure to do so.
Conclusion: By looking at the relationship He had with God, we see that Jesus Christ is God!
The second relationship Paul discussed was Jesus’ relationship to Creation.
In Colossians 1:15, Paul writes that Jesus is the firstborn over all creation (“over” is a better translation than “of”). The word “firstborn” refers to the heir who has priority to and superiority over everything that the father owns. It was a term regarding privilege and rank. The people of that time understood what it meant. We have a hard time with it. We think of firstborn as being a child of mine who is not me; it has part of me but not all of me. Paul and the Colossians knew exactly what it meant. The heir. The one who had priority over everything the Father owned. And, that describes Jesus.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Jesus was the firstborn over all other things. In their Bible translation, they insert the word “other” 6 times in the passage though “other” is not found in the original Greek document! They claim that Jesus was created first then created everything else. Sound familiar? It is an attempt to devalue Christ as the supreme Creator and the Son of God but yet still give Him credit for doing something.
In Colossians 1:16, we read that Jesus created all things. Paul didn’t use that phrase just one time. Did you happen to notice that he used it several times? “All things” was a specific, well-known Greek phrase universally understood to mean “everything in the entire universe” visible and invisible. Paul clarifies his meaning for us by saying things in heaven, things on earth, the visible, and the invisible. That’s all there is! Jesus created the invisible beings; He was not created by them. This again refutes the false teaching about levels of spirit beings.
But, someone might say, “I thought God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 says so.” Where was Jesus at this time? There is no contradiction here. God created the heavens and the earth. When you turn to John 1:1-3, 14, it tells us where Jesus was.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created… Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us.” (John 1:1-13, 14)
Who was the Word? Christ. Through Christ, things were made.
In Hebrews 1:2, we read that God made the universe through Christ. Creation was planned by the Father but done through the Son and for the Son. The Son was the “Master Workman” of Creation. It was done for His pleasure. He made all these things that we know and enjoy, including our own bodies, for His pleasure.
Not only is He firstborn, not only did He create all things, but Colossians 1:17 says that He holds all things together. This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. He is why we are not floating or flying apart! He is why we continue to exist.
The phrase “holds together” means “to cohere, to hold together” like glue is holding things together. Hebrews 1:3 says that “He sustains all things by His powerful word.” Christ is the controlling and unifying force in nature. This sweeps away that early gnostic view that matter is evil and was created by a remote spirit so that the creator of the universe could not have any hands-on experience with what He created. The Son of God is the “hands-on” Creator and sustainer of the universe. Therefore, it (the universe) cannot be evil.
There are two unexplainable forces that govern our everyday lives. These forces can be described, can have mathematical equations that measure them, and can be overcome. You see their effects all over the place. But, they cannot be explained. Those are the force of gravity and the force that holds the nucleus of an atom together. Just as the north poles of two magnets will always repel one another, the protons in a nucleus should be repelling each other causing the atom to break apart. They don’t. What is holding that atom together? Scientists still do not know in spite of the many theories proposed. I know who is holding that atom together. I know who is keeping us on this ground. That is Christ.
This is why I love science. It is a visible manifestation of God’s Creative work. You cannot study any aspect of science without gaining a greater appreciation of our great God. Scientists who dismiss God are blinding themselves to what they actually see because if they acknowledge God, they must be accountable to Him. It is easier to pretend that He doesn’t exist.
You see, the fact that there is a Creator means that He owns everything. He owns each person. He has total right over our lives and has a right to set the rules (and thus tell us what is right and wrong) because He is the Creator, the Absolute Authority. We can know what is good and bad because there is ONE who is good and who can, therefore, define right and wrong. We as humans need to submit ourselves totally to the One who owns us. It is not mere human opinion.
Conclusion: By looking at the relationship He had with Creation, we see that Jesus Christ is God!
The third area of Jesus’ identity is His relationship to the Church.
In Colossians 1:18, we read that Christ is the head of the body, the Church. Ephesians 2:15 says that He (Christ) created the Church by combining Jews and Gentiles into one body of believers, and He appointed Himself head of that body. Not only is Christ sovereign over the natural universe and the invisible world, He is also sovereign over the newly created Church.
But, we also see in Colossians 1:18 that Christ is the firstborn from among the dead. Jesus received a new body. He was the first one to receive an immortal body. When Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11), he was raised in His same earthly body only to die again. The same thing was true of the widow’s son (Luke 7) and the synagogue ruler’s daughter (Luke 8). When Jesus was raised from the dead, He was raised in a brand-new body, never to die again.
In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul uses the same phrase except he uses “firstfruits” instead of “firstborn.” The firstfruits was the first part of a harvest brought by a farmer as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. This was a down payment that declared the promise of more to come. And, though not brought for sacrifice, the farmer was declaring that the rest of the harvest belonged to God as well. Christ is the guarantee of the resurrection of all of God’s redeemed people. Again, He was first in this. He is first in everything. Paul is trying to let the Colossians and us know that Jesus is first in everything!
Jesus is also the reconciler and the redeemer (verses 20-22). That word “reconcile” in the Greek stands for complete reconciliation, not ever to be broken again. It doesn’t leave room for breaking off that reconciliation. We are reconciled once and for all when we accept Christ, when we believe in Him. It is a completeness; it is done.
People are reconciled to God, not vice versa. It is man who left God; God didn’t leave man. We are reconciled through Jesus’ physical death on the Cross. Paul left no room for any teaching that the Christ spirit came to the body at Jesus’ baptism and left His body on the cross before death. It was the Christ who died on the cross. There is only one way!
This reminds me of two women whom I had the privilege of discipling in the early 80s. Both of them wanted God badly. They had a hunger for spiritual things, longing for them. But, they could not accept Jesus. That was a stumbling block to them. Their thinking was, “Why can’t I have God without Jesus? I believe in God. Isn’t that good enough?” It wasn’t until they understood that God made a certain plan. If you want the benefits of His plan, you are going to have to enter His plan His way. You don’t have to take His plan. But, if you want salvation, if you want to be reconciled to God, you are going to have to go through Jesus. They both took that step of faith and afterwards the Holy Spirit opened their minds to understand what God’s wonderful plan was. They both embraced Jesus as the author of life and the pioneer of our faith.
In Romans 8:19-22, we read that the whole creation groans under the corruption that sin brought into the world, as if the whole universe were somehow out of harmony. Sin has put the universe out of joint, and Christ will set it right again.
In Colossians 1:20, Paul once again declares that “all things” will be reconciled—things on earth and things in heaven. What’s left out? Things under the earth, the invisible, and demons. Those in hell are not reconciled to God. They’ve lost the opportunity.
Why does God do all this through Jesus? The answer is in verse 18,
“So that in everything He might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:18)
God wanted Jesus to be first in everything. First in creation. First in the resurrection. First in the Church. In everything, He is to be first. He became flesh to show us God (John 1:14). He humbled Himself (Philippians 2:8) to reconcile and redeem us. He was exalted by God (Philippians 2:9) to sustain us.
Gnosticism was easily identified and contained. But today, we have a virus seriously infecting the Church, not just locally either. And, most of us don’t realize how much it has already affected our minds. This virus is masquerading as a religion—the religion of evolution. It says that man is not at enmity with God and that man can get better through genetic engineering and environmental controls. Evolution rejects God as Creator and, therefore, rejects His rules. People then logically accept anti-God philosophies.
There are many Christians saying, “Why can’t we just believe that God used evolution?” This is a very common belief among the churches of today. But the Bible teaches clearly that death came into the world after Adam sinned, and not millions of years before man evolved.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12)
“World” translates a derivative of “kosmos,” a Greek word used often by Paul. We see his use in this well-known verse:
“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
It is also used in Acts 17:24:
“The God who made the world and all things in it.” (Acts 17:24)
The word “kosmos” means order, arrangement. The Greeks understood this to mean the entire universe because of the order observable in it. It was not just the world of humanity. It is not just death coming to men. Death came into the whole universe, the whole world, because of the one man’s sin. I mentioned above that the creation is groaning because of the corruption of sin (Romans 8:19-22).
In fact, the very reason for death is because God, as a God of love, provided a means for man’s deliverance from sin. When man rebelled against God, he immediately died spiritually (separated from God) and began to die physically. Consider the phrase, “ for you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). In order for that to be a curse, it had to be something new. It must not have been a natural, normal thing. Death is a curse. Mankind was cut off from God and would have remained so for eternity. But, God provided a means by which man could come back to God to spend eternity with Him.
“Without shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
God introduced death and bloodshed so man could be redeemed (Genesis 3:21). There was no death before Adam fell. In fact, if death and bloodshed had existed before Adam sinned, the message of redemption would be nonsense. God, in His love, introduced death so we could die and leave our sinful bodies. Otherwise, we would have to live forever separated from Him. But, Jesus Christ came to die and shed His precious blood on a cross and be raised from the dead so we could spend eternity with Him.
The evolutionary process is one of death and struggle over millions of years, eventually resulting in man coming into existence. The evolutionist sees today’s world of death and suffering as an evolutionary one. The Bible teaches that the world we see is a cursed one. It is a world originally created in a perfect state by God and it has suffered the degenerative effects of the curse and the catastrophic effects of a global flood. But, God is in the process of restoring His creation through the reconciliation work of Christ.
Thus, evolution and the Bible are in total conflict. The first would have us believe that death and bloodshed is the means by which man evolved. The Bible clearly teaches that death will be cancelled and man will be redeemed through belief in Christ! Therefore, evolution destroys and undermines the whole message of the Cross. Christians who believe in evolution need to recognize that they are really denying Jesus as Creator and destroying the foundations of the Gospel message they are trying to preach.
Are you holding fast to all that He is and all that we have in Him? Is there a spiritual infection in your body? In your church body? Here’s how you get back to Healthy Living.
Reflect on What you Just Read
© Copyright, 2018.
Read Colossians 1:3-2:5.
Focus on the Meaning: The Greek word translated “mystery” means something “previously unknown, but now-revealed truth.” The Greeks talked much of “mysteries.” Paul takes their very word and uses it for the gospel. This contrasted with the Colossian heretics’ notion that a mystery was a secret teaching known only to an exclusive group and unknown to the masses. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 674)
Scriptural Insight: The mystery was not that Gentiles would be saved but how they could be ‘fellow-heirs’ (Eph. 3:6, KJV), on the same level with Jews, with no middle wall of partition between them (Eph. 2:12-14) …That God would save “Gentiles” was no new revelation (Isa. 49:6), but that He would dwell in them and deal with them—on the same basis as He did Jews—was new revelation. (Dr. Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 30)
Verse(s) |
The mystery revealed |
By whom? |
To whom? |
Example: Matthew 13:10-11 |
The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven |
Jesus |
The disciples |
Romans 16:25-26 |
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1 Corinthians 15:50-54 |
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Ephesians 3:2-6 |
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Colossians 1:25-27 |
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Colossians 2:2-3 |
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1 Timothy 3:16 |
Read Colossians 1:24-2:5.
_________________ ______ ___________, ________ __________ ____ ____________
What could “the hope of glory” mean? Glean all of Colossians 1 plus 3:4 for your answer.
Focus on the Meaning: Your position in Christ is your: Acceptance before God, assurance of salvation, and identity. Christ’s presence in you is: Life (regeneration), power for living, the basis of a relationship with God, plus promise and hope. The Holy Spirit is called a “deposit” or “down payment” on our salvation, giving assurance of the completion of His work. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Think About It: The entire statement shows that through faith in Christ we can link our life with a source of strength that enables us to rise above our natural limitations. (Dr. Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 32)
Think About It: “Jesus Christ laid down His life for you so that He could give His life to you so that He could live His life through you. That is the gospel! (Ian Thomas, The Saving Life of Christ))
Think About It: “Only a love which penetrates to the heart and wells up from the heart can sustain the sort of unity that Paul sought.” (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 25)
© Copyright, 2018.
Read Colossians 2:1-23.
As you read, keep in mind what you have learned about the heresy affecting the Colossian church so you will recognize the instructions and solutions Paul gives to them.
Focus on the Meaning: “Christ Jesus the Lord,” [v. 6] a phrase that Paul used nowhere else, counteracts three false conceptions of the Savior. These are His deity (“Christ”) that Judaism denied, His humanity (“Jesus”) that Docetists denied, and His sovereignty (“Lord”) that many varieties of false teaching denied. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 36)
Read Colossians 2:6-15.
Focus on the Meaning: The “elemental spiritual forces of this world” are basic elements of religion undergirded by demonic forces and include anything that leads you to believe you can do without God. These spiritual strategies are the same used by Satan with Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3: “Did God really say…? (v. 1)”, “You will not surely die” (v. 4), and “You will be like God” (v. 5). This would also include bondage to “fate.” Before Christ, we are subject to those “elemental spiritual forces.” But through union with Christ, we die in relation to them and are no longer bound to obey them. (F. F. Bruce, “The Colossian Heresy, Part 3 of Colossian Problems,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 141, July-September 1984:196, 204-205).
Give some examples of philosophies and current trends of thought that are likely influenced by “elementary spiritual forces of this world.”
Scriptural Insight: True Christian philosophy “take[s] captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Philosophy is the love of wisdom, but if one loves wisdom that is not Christ, he loves an empty idol. Such a one will be “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth (2 Tim. 3:7).” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 677)
Summary:
Scriptural Insight: The disarming of the angelic “rulers and authorities” probably refers to Christ’s defeat of Satan and his evil angelic (demonic) powers by His death and resurrection…The “public display” probably refers to Jesus’ disgracing of the powers of evil when He died on the cross, by bearing the sin that was their claim and hold on human beings. Christ “triumphed over” Satan’s hosts (“them”) at the cross (see 2 Cor. 2:14-16). (Constables Notes on Colossians, p. 43)
Jesus, in His own interest (and in the interest of His people) disarmed the principalities and powers, depriving them of their strength…Jesus, by the victory of the cross, turned the tables on His spiritual assailants; their powerlessness, not His, was publicly exposed…Christ has shown Himself to be their Master, and those who are united to Him by faith need have no fear of them. (F. F. Bruce, “Christ as Conqueror and Reconciler, Part 4 of Colossian Problems,” Bibliotheca Sacra 141, January-March 1984: 298-299)
Response:
Read “What Takes Women Captive?” after this lesson for additional insight and application. Reflect at the end on what you read.
It was July 1993. We were in Westcliffe, CO conducting summer camps for Wilderness Encounter Programs, our wilderness-based camp ministry. A group of ~30 was renting our facility the next week. It was a regional youth camp for a Colorado-based church. I was in charge of providing meals. Ron would be gone for the week.
So, the meals were planned and shopping was done. As Ron was about to leave, he commented, “By the way, we have just been informed that there are 6-10 vegetarians coming. Hope this doesn’t cause too much trouble.” (Great! Sloppy Joes were planned for the first meal.)
He also said this group is not your “typical church youth group.” (Great! Our senior staff members were on 21-day backpacking trips in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The only ones left on site were basically women & children!) A quick prayer went up, “Lord, please help us!”
Ron left. The group came. They looked like typical high school kids and adults but were very different from the usual youth groups that came to our camp. We smiled, welcomed them, and fed them. During that week, we watched as they tried to find God in inanimate things such as staring at a candle for an hour and chanting with Native American medicine men in order to get in tune with the Great Father and Mother Earth. We watched as they meditated upon the god being created in each of them and listened as they openly discussed their gender identities. We listened to the blasphemy that was being taught, and we prayed for spiritual protection and guidance.
That week, we served “prisoners,” people who had been taken captive. They were taken captive by the philosophy that God is an impersonal energy field, an “IT”—something that binds the universe together. They were taken captive by the concept that good and bad are relative. Since each person is part of the god-force of the universe, each one determines what is good or bad. The message portrayed was this: salvation comes through uniting one’s personal spiritual energy with the other-god-energy of the universe.
Sadly, most of them were females—either as teenage girls or as adult counselors. The main leader was a woman, hardened by her interaction with the world. Most had experienced some contact with legalistic Christianity in their lives, found it to be wanting, and rejected it as being insufficient to meet their needs. How did they get in such sad shape?
What opens us up to such captivity? Are women particularly susceptible? If so, why? What takes us captive as women?
The church leaders at Colosse were dealing with this same issue. Some members of their congregation were being taken captive by false teaching. Paul responded with the strongest statement of the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ found in the entire New Testament.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
Let’s unpack this verse.
Are women particularly susceptible to being taken captive? Remember who was deceived first in the Garden of Eden? Eve. Yet she was deceived for the same reasons all of us are, both men and women—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. I don’t believe women have the corner on the market for being deceived, but I do believe we are particularly susceptible to deception because of our emotional makeup.
What makes us easy prey for being taken captive? The Bible addresses this for us as well:
“But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7)
That list describing people with a lot of influence is scary, isn’t it? Let’s look more closely at them and their way of gaining influence over women.
The idea here is that of undisciplined, unsatisfied, and therefore unstable women who are:
Out of a so-called “openness to learn,” they evidently embraced as a fad whatever new heresy came along. Their problem was that they could not recognize the truth when they saw it. This is a sad picture painted here of hypnotized women powerless to cut through the fog of words and, though always learning scraps of things, never coming into “the full knowledge of the truth of Christ.” The result is that these women become victims of false teachers. Historically, many cults have led women into licentiousness under the guise of religion or liberty; cult leaders often have their own “harems.”
Many present-day cults were started by women. The New Age movement is saturated with prominent women as is goddess worship and modern mysticism.
Why are we so easily weighed down with guilt? Perhaps it stems from not being able to measure up to other’s expectations of us or our own expectations of ourselves. We feel insufficient in many areas of our lives—beauty, family expectations, societal expectations, and others.
Beauty is defined by the movie and television industry as well as the published media. Only those who measure 38-26-36 with little or no cellulite on the upper thighs can qualify. But, it’s a fact of life that aging brings on wrinkles and gray hair and rearranged centers of gravity. The culture gets us confused about what true beauty is. We see on the screen what the men are swooning over, and then look in the mirror and see that we don’t measure up.
Sometimes within our families, parents will hold up role models to emulate by what they do, not by who/what they are. Character is more important than achievements or career. But, it is not communicated that way. So, we feel we can never measure up to “that person” being touted by a parent.
The same thing happens with the subject of education and career. The cultural message sometimes seems to be that only by having a college degree and resultant career can you have value. Or, you must contribute financially to the household to be of value. Or, the opposite view that a woman must stay at home to be of value. Either way, we may feel guilt-ridden for not being the perfect woman, wife or mom.
We can also carry guilt for past mistakes done by us or for harbored anger and resentment against those who have injured us. Unresolved anger turns into self-pity then depression and despair. Not good for us! The resulting attitudes can be, “I can’t measure up, therefore I am not worthy. My life is meaningless. I should end it. Everyone would be much happier.” You have just been captured as a prisoner of guilt.
Allowing ourselves to feast on our lusts only increases our discontentment. Women have a desire to be loved and give love. In order to meet that need, the lure of sexual immorality may be strong. Give in, and you’ll be guilt-ridden unless you deal with it biblically.
Then, there is the whole desire to be married and have children. What if that right man has not come along? What if your body doesn’t cooperate to give you children? You may feel trapped because you feel you have been dealt some bad cards.
What if you have this drive to have it all, the Superwoman philosophy—husband, children, prominent career, and a home cooked meal on the table every night at 7:00? The house is always clean. Everything matches. Perfectionism. A drive to have absolute control over your environment usually makes everyone around you unhappy. You never allow yourself to feel contentment.
Paul addresses contentment in his first letter to Timothy.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge the men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs…Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is uncertain but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (selected from 1 Tim 6:1-19)
You may be exposed to truth, but you are not taking what you learn and applying it to your life. But being exposed to truth is only half the issue. You have to hold vigorously to it so you won’t be taken captive.
The best approach is to discern what you read and hear by comparing it with the complete revelation of God’s Word (the whole Bible). You can’t extract pieces of it (that is, a verse or group of verses) and build your foundation on that. Nor should you build your faith on experiences and feelings. There’s junk out there about God and “what He thinks” so it’s important to really get to know the God of the Bible and how to live your life in Christ truthfully. The Holy Spirit uses the Scripture you read and study to teach you about your God so you can know truth and dwell in that truth. Dangerous teaching comes from picking and choosing what you consider to be “truth.” All false teachers through the centuries have taken advantage of people who were not dwelling in the truth portrayed in the whole Bible.
Here’s a process to help you take captive any error in thinking and replace it with truth that is obedient to Christ. Practice these:
Hang onto this: your faith is based upon fact rather than feeling. Cling to the facts. Jesus said that we would know the truth and that the TRUTH sets us free. You will discern truth from error. You will not be in bondage. You will not be taken captive.
“Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
The answer is this: recognize who you would be without Christ, who you are now and what you have in Christ. Then, be grateful for His love and acceptance of you just as you are. Today. And, His plan for your future. It’s good!
“Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Reflect on what you just read
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Scriptural Insight: Having revealed what believers have in Christ, Paul next pointed out the errors of the false teachers more specifically to help his readers identify and reject their instruction…Sad to say, there are many Christians who actually believe that some person, religious system, or discipline can add something to their spiritual experience. But they already have everything they ever will need in the person and work of Jesus Christ.” (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 44-45)
Read Colossians 2:1-23.
The temptation of legalism (relying on keeping rules to maintain acceptance before God and/or other Christians) is affecting the Colossians. Paul began to address this in vv. 11-14 when he said circumcision of the heart done by Christ in believers is greater than the old practice of cutting the skin. We died with Christ and are raised to new life with Him. Legalism is a substitute for Christ.
The temptation of mysticism (reliant on visions, angelic sightings, or supernatural experiences to improve your relationship with God) is affecting the Colossians. Paul uses the terms “worship of angels” and “what he has seen” to identify this activity. Mysticism is a substitute for Christ.
Translation |
Verse 18 |
Verse 19 |
NET |
Delights in false humility, goes on at great lengths about what they’ve seen, puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind |
Has not held fast to the head (Christ, 1:18) |
NIV |
||
ESV |
Focus on the Meaning: False humility is being proud of one’s humbleness and unworthiness to go directly to God and to instead seek a mediator whom you think is easier to approach than God—angels or dead religious heroes. Or, you seek supernatural experiences that validate your emotions, making you feel closer to God. Anyone who does have such a supernatural experience can become puffed up with self-conceit because of a sense of importance and elitism. The Colossians heresy included a form of mysticism (seeking “heavenly” visions or experiences) which temped its followers to look on themselves as a spiritual elite…leaving one at risk of being so unbalanced by the experience that one could no longer distinguish truth from error. People who have mystical experiences tend to attach more importance to what they saw or heard in the course of such an experience than to the sober truth of the Word of God. (F. F. Bruce, “The Colossian Heresy, Part 3 of Colossian Problems,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 141, July-September 1984:200, 202)
Paul says that seeking mystical experiences will disqualify (deprive) you for the prize (reward). Of what are you being deprived? (Look carefully for your answer within all of Chapter 2.)
Think About It: Although the enemy cannot separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, once you are saved he delights in deceiving you so you don’t appropriate what is yours. His strategy is to convince you that whatever you need from God you don’t deserve. He wants to convince you that you shouldn’t ask Him for it or expect Him to give it to you. (Kay Arthur, Lord, Is It Warfare?)
Read Colossians 2:16-23.
The temptation of asceticism (strict self-denial as a means of personal holiness and earning merit with God) is affecting the Colossians. Asceticism is a substitute for Christ.
Focus on the Meaning: If people practice various forms of abstinence and find their spiritual health improved thereby, that is their own responsibility. But if they make their abstinence a matter of boasting, and if they try to impose it on others, they are wrong. (F. F. Bruce, “The Colossian Heresy, Part 3 of Colossian Problems,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 141, July-September 1984:205)
Think About It: Four harmful teaching emphases of these false teachers are still with us today. The first is “higher” knowledge (Gnosticism) such as so called scientific, archaeological, or paleontological “facts” that contradict Scripture, so called revelations that claim to be on a par with Scripture, and teaching that directly contradicts biblical revelation. The second is the observance of laws to win God’s love (legalism). Some examples are: salvation by works, teaching that puts Christians under the Mosaic Law, and teaching that says sanctification comes by keeping man-made rules. The third is the belief that beings other than Christ (angels, “saints,” or ancestors) must mediate between people and God (mysticism) or that certain mystical experiences can improve our relationship with God. The fourth is the practice of abstaining from things to earn merit with God (asceticism). Some examples are: fasting to force God’s hand, living in isolation to avoid temptation, and self-mutilation to mortify the flesh. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 48-49)
Think About It: When we make Jesus Christ and the Christian revelation only part of a total religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him the preeminence. When we strive for “spiritual perfection” or “spiritual fullness” by means of formulas, disciplines, or rituals, we go backward instead of forward. Christian believers must beware of mixing their Christian faith with such alluring things as yoga, transcendental meditation, Eastern mysticism, and the like. We must also beware of “deeper life” teachers who offer a system for victory and fullness that bypasses devotion to Jesus Christ. In all things, He must have the preeminence! (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 49)
The treasure we have in Jesus Christ is greater than anything we can substitute for Him.
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Scriptural Insight: Knowing that all wisdom is in Christ (2:1-5), Paul urged the Colossian Christians [and us] to continue in Him (2:6-7), not being deceived by vain philosophies (2:8-10) …We are not to live under Jewish laws (2:11-17), for that would only rob us of our rewards (2:18-19). We have died with Christ and hence need not submit to legalistic rules (2:20-23). So, we as believers are to seek spiritual values, put off the sins of the old life, and put on the virtues of the new life. This in turn should affect our relationships with other members of our families and society. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 679)
Read Colossians 2:11-3:11.
Focus on the Meaning: “‘Hidden’ implies both concealment and safety; both invisibility and security. [The believer] is not glorified, but he is secure and safe in Christ.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 680)
Focus on the Meaning: …from now on the Christian will see everything in the light and against the background of eternity. He will no longer live as if this world was all that mattered; he will see this world against the background of the larger world of eternity…He will, for instance, set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving above avenging. The Christian will see things, not as they appear to men, but as they appear to God. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 51)
Read Colossians 3:1-11.
From the Greek: Based upon the original Greek words used for these behaviors—”Immorality” refers to illicit sexual intercourse. “Impurity” is moral impurity. “Passion” means uncontrolled illegitimate desire, like an inward fire that is kindled in the heart. “Evil desire” refers to reaching out for some forbidden thing to satisfy itself. “Greed” is the desire to have more of anything materialistic, including lust, that disregards the rights of others. It is “the arrogant and ruthless assumption that all other persons and things exist for one’s own benefit. Every sin is basically selfishness, the worship of self instead of the worship of God, the substitution of self for
Christ, in one’s affections (cf. Col. 3:1-3). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 55)
Based on Colossians 3:5-6 and Romans 1:18-20, towards what is His wrath directed?
Focus on the Meaning: Since God’s first concern for His universe is its moral health, that is, its holiness, whatever is contrary to this is necessarily under His eternal displeasure. Wherever the holiness of God confronts unholiness, there is conflict: This conflict arises from the irreconcilable natures of holiness and sin. God’s attitude and action in the conflict are His anger. To preserve His creation God must destroy whatever would destroy it. When He arises to put down destruction and save the world from irreparable moral collapse He is said to be angry. Every wrathful judgment of God in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation. (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, page 106)
Focus on the Meaning: God’s holy wrath is fully satisfied by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. “Propitiation” (to appease, satisfy) is the term that has been used historically for this. Because God’s wrath against all sin is fully satisfied by what Jesus finished on the cross, God is able to extend mercy without compromise with evil. This is truth for you to know and claim. Because you have trusted Christ are now found in Christ, God is no longer angry at your sin—ever! So, how does knowing that truth make you feel?
Scriptural Insight: In the Bible, behavior is often likened to a garment, both bad and good. See Job 29:14.
Regarding those listed in v. 8, let’s take each one and define them.
Scriptural Insight: The imperative command against lying is very strong. Paul said to never lie. The reason given (v. 9) applies to all the preceding activities. The “old self” is the person the Christian was before God united him or her with Christ. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 56)
Think About It: Become in experience what you already ARE by God’s grace. (Ryrie Study Bible, notes on Colossians 3:1-2)
Focus on the Meaning: Sanctification (made holy)— Set apart as God’s possession for His exclusive use. Believers are made holy by Christ’s death on the cross in their relational status before God. Believers are also “being made holy” in their thoughts, words, and actions by the work of the Holy Spirit. This is ongoing from the moment of salvation until the Lord comes or the believer dies when our “being made holy” is complete.
Historical Insight: Jews regarded all others as Gentiles. Greeks and Romans regarded all others as barbarians. Scythians were considered the most barbarous of barbarians—wild, savage nomads. (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament)
Scriptural Insight: There is no national or racial distinction that determines one’s acceptability to God nor is there any religious, cultural, or social distinction. Jesus Christ is essentially all that we need for new birth and growth. He indwells every believer and permeates all the relationships of life. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 56)
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Read Colossians 3:1-17.
Since we are being renewed into the image of Christ (verse 10) who displayed these virtues in His life, let’s understand them and look for examples of each in Jesus’ life.
Think About It: Grudges have no place in a Christian’s life! Your capacity to love is directly tied to your capacity to get how deeply you have been forgiven. Agree or disagree?
Read Colossians 3:12-17.
Focus on the Meaning: NIV Study Bible note says the Greek word translated “rule” means literally to “function like an umpire.” When Christians need to make choices, the peace that Christ produces in our hearts should be a determining factor. We should choose what would result in peace between us and God, and between us and one another, if such a course of action lies within God’s moral will. (NIV Study Bible, p. 1817; Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 59)
Think About It: Christ’s words were recorded by Spirit-guided apostles (John 14:26; 16:13; 20:31). The words of the Bible, God’s written Words, are to dwell in believers. That is, by study, meditation, and application of the Word, it becomes a permanent abiding part of one’s life.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 682)
Focus on the Meaning: His Word should be so deeply implanted within us as to permeate our whole being so that we make all decisions and plans in its light. “He who dwells in a house is the master of the house, not just a passing guest.” (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 59)
Teaching — In what ways do you prepare yourself to be able to teach the word of Christ to others? How can you improve in your preparation to teach?
Admonishing — To admonish someone involves risk in a relationship. Do you shy away from admonishing others because of fear of rejection or loss of relationship? How could a firm grasp of Colossians 3:12-14 encourage you to admonish others from the word of Christ?
Focus on the Meaning: The basic principle is this. We should say all words and practice all deeds in harmony with the revelation of Jesus Christ, namely, under His authority and as His followers. The “name” comprehends everything revealed and known about the person bearing the name. Moreover, we are to do all with thanksgiving to God. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 61)
Think About It: An attitude of gratitude contributes to an enjoyment of spiritual tranquility, whereas grumbling makes for inner agitation. Do you agree or disagree?
Scriptural Insight: It has often been noticed that the Colossian passage is parallel with Ephesians 5:18-20. In the latter passage the hymns and songs are the outgrowth of the filling of the Spirit, while in Colossians they are the result of the deep assimilation of the Word of God. In other words, the Word-filled Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 60)
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We could never cover marriage and family relationships in the time allowed for this one lesson. The focus of the lesson is how an understanding of the word of Christ in Colossians 3:12-17 should direct (act as umpire) in our relationships in 2 specific relationship spheres—family and workplace—so as to foster peace (Colossians 3:15). The issue for all of chapter 3 is how Christians can live fruitful and useful lives for God in the middle of a messy world—follow vv. 12-17.
Read Colossians 3:12-4:1.
Focusing on Family Relationships
Though today’s culture includes households headed by women or men without mates and/or children, the principles of Colossians 3:12-17 that lead to maturity in private home relationships—submitting to one another and loving one another in a family—still apply.
From the Greek: Hypotasso (translated “submit”) was a Greek military term meaning “to arrange [as in troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.” Agapao (translated “love”) means to love dearly, welcome, be fond of.” (The Blue Letter Bible Lexicon)
The word translated “embitter” (NIV) means to “provoke or irritate,” something parents can do by continual agitation and unreasonable demands. Praise for well-doing rather than constant criticism will, along with loving discipline, help rear children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 683)
Scriptural Insight: Submission is an attitude that recognizes the rights of authority. This subjection rests on divinely prescribed authority, not on any inherent inferiority in spirituality, intelligence, worth, or anything else. This is “fitting” in that it is consistent with what God ordained at the creation of the human race (Gen. 2:18; cf. 1 Tim. 2:13). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 62)
If you are married:
Think About It: I heard someone say that the best marriages are those where the husband and wife take a team approach to life. That requires deciding to be teammates, not just two individuals living together. By taking the team approach to life together, the couple seeks team identification (having the same surname helps with this), team progress, and team success.
If you are unmarried:
If you are raising children:
Read Colossians 3:22-4:1.
Focusing on Work Relationships
Focus on the Meaning: The phrase “with all your heart” (verse 23, NIV) literally means “out of the soul,” i.e., genuine and from within, not merely by outward pretense…If more Christian employees today served their employers with genuine concern and as though they were serving God, quality and productivity would increase dramatically…If employers…today manifested this kind of compassionate and impartial care for their employees, certainly their employees’ motivation to work would radically improve. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 683)
Think About It: This view of work transforms a worker’s attitudes and performance. Even the most servile work thereby becomes a ministry and an act of worship. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 65)
General Relationships
Think About It: Submission to the Lord is saying, “Lord, I want your will more than I want my own way.” Is this your heart attitude?
Historical Insight: Interestingly throughout history wherever Christians have constituted a significant segment of the population and have followed Paul’s directions here, the slave system has died. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 66-67)
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Read Colossians 4:2-18.
Focus on the Meaning: In prayer, we call on God to work, and we express our faith in Him…The Christian who does not pray is demonstrating independence from God (cf. John 15:5) …The accompanying exhortation to ‘keep awake, be on the alert’ (gregoreo) is drawn from the imagery of guard duty (Nehemiah 7:3; Mark 14:34, 37). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 68)
Scriptural Insight: The repeated emphasis on thanksgiving makes this epistle one of the most “thankful” books in the New Testament (cf. 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15-17; 4:2). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 68)
Read the simple Gospel message below that you could use to share with someone about Christ.
Has anyone ever explained to you how you can know you’re going to heaven? May I?
1. The Bible teaches that God loves all people and wants them to know Him.
2. But people have sinned against God and are separated from God and His love. Draw a chasm. This separation leads only to death and judgment.
3. But there is a solution. Draw bridge. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins (the bridge between humanity and God).
4. Only those who personally receive Jesus Christ into their lives, trusting Him to forgive their sins, can cross this bridge. Everyone must decide individually whether to receive Christ.
Is anything keeping you from trusting Christ right now? Would you like to pray now and tell God you will trust His Son as your Savior?
(from the “Bridge to Life” method of sharing the gospel)
Now, write how you would say it to someone.
Summary:
From the Greek: The Greek word translated “opportunity” (kairos, lit. time) probably implies the opportune time (i.e., the best, most effectual, and most productive occasion), as it does in some other places. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 69)
Focus on the Meaning: Speech most effectively expresses what is inside the believer. The Christian’s speech should mirror the gracious character and conduct of his or her God by demonstrating love, patience, sacrifice, undeserved favor, etc. Salt probably represented both attractiveness, since salt makes food appealing, & wholesomeness, since salt was a preservative that retarded corruption in food…one should wisely suit his or her speech to each need. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 70)
Read Colossians 4:2-18.
Scriptural Insight: John Mark, [who wrote the gospel of Mark], is an encouragement to everyone who has failed in his first attempts to serve God. He did not sit around and sulk. He got back into the ministry and proved himself faithful to the Lord and to the Apostle Paul. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 72)
Scriptural Insight: Epaphras holds the unique distinction among all the friends and co-workers of Paul of being the only one whom Paul explicitly commended for his intensive prayer ministry. The passage quoted above [4:12-13] may well be called his diploma of success in this ministry. Epaphras’ “concern” for the Christians in the other towns near Colosse, “Laodicea and Hierapolis,” suggests the possibility that he evangelized these communities as well. (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 72)
Scriptural Insight: Paul normally used a secretary to write his letters, and then added a personal word at the end—in his own handwriting—to authenticate his authorship (cf. Rom. 16:22; Gal. 6:11). (Constable’s Notes on Colossians, p. 74)
An earthquake destroyed Colosse shortly after this letter was written. Tacitus recorded that Laodicea was also destroyed in the quake, but was apparently later rebuilt. Colosse lost its importance. Laodicea became the greater city.
In Revelation, Jesus wrote a letter to Laodicea, but Colosse was not mentioned because by the mid 90s, Colosse in large part no longer existed. A few people were said to have formed a small village from the ruins of Colosse. The village was totally abandoned in the 8th century.
In the 12th century, the Turks destroyed whatever was left of Colosse. Today, Colosse is uninhabited ruins. Motorist guides to Turkey point out Laodicea’s ruins but do not even mention Colosse.
Christianity survived in the Lycus Valley until 1923 when the Treaty of Lausanne, ending the Greco-Turkish war, sent Turkish Christians to Greece and Greek Muslims to Turkey.
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Day One Study
Read the letter to Philemon in one sitting. A copy is provided before Lesson 1.
Historical Insight: To help you get the big picture—Onesimus apparently stole some money and ran away from Philemon. He ended up in jail with Paul in Rome. He became a Christian, and now Paul is sending him back to Philemon to restore the relationship. The two men now share the relationship as brothers in Christ as well as master/slave.
Day Two Study
Read Philemon 1-25.
Think About It: Freedom of slaves, like all freedom, must come from the heart of Christ inspired men. Under this compulsion, slavery must ultimately wilt and die.
That it took so long for it to do so, that slavery was practiced by many Christians in America until the Civil War ended it, that it is still, in one form or another, in the world today—these humbling facts show the tenacity of socially entrenched sin and the failure of Christendom to deal with it. While all ethical behavior for Christians should arise out of love, rather than regulation or constraint, yet it takes fully committed disciples to put it into practice. (Constables Notes on Philemon, p. 15)
From the Greek: The name Philemon means “affectionate” or “one who is kind.” If the slave was expected to live up to his name, then what about the master? (Constables Notes on Philemon, p. 11)
Historical Insight: What happened as a result of this letter? Did Philemon forgive Onesimus? We have no direct record of his response to this letter. However, the fact that Philemon preserved this epistle and allowed it to circulate among the churches, strongly suggests that he did behave as Paul had requested. (Constable’s Notes on Philemon, p. 16)
By 110 AD, the bishop of Ephesus was named Onesimus. From some correspondence preserved during this time period, many scholars believe this is the same Onesimus who is the subject of Paul’s letter to Philemon.
Day Three Study: TRUTH—the Prescription for Healthy Living
Dwell in Truth You Can Know
Humbly Accept the “I Don’t Know or Understand”
Discern Teaching through the Complete Revelation of God’s Word
LIVE IN THIS TRUTH EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE:
Jesus Christ is above all powers and authorities, in all believers, and is all we need for earth and heaven!
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1. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
2. Dr. Tom Constable’s Notes on Colossians
3. Kay Arthur, Lord, Is It Warfare?
4. NIV Study Bible
5. The Bible Knowledge Commentary (New Testament), Walvoord and Zuck
6. The Ryrie Study Bible
7. Vickie Kraft quote from her Colossians teaching
8. The Woman’s Study Bible
9. Dr. Tom Constable’s Notes on Philemon
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