Bible Study – Book of Colossians

 

Gordon Coulson

Vancouver, BC

www.homechristians.net

homechristian@shaw.ca

 

Colosse was a small town on the south bank of the Lycus River in the interior of the Roman province of Asia (an area included in modern Turkey).  It was about 100 miles east of Ephesus.  Its nearest neighbors were Laodicea and Hierapolis.

 

Tradition suggests Colossians was written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.  The letter should therefore be dated about A.D. 62.  Perhaps it was written before Ephesisans, but surely not much time separated the two.

 

The occasion for the letter was the arrival of Epaphras in Rome with disturbing news about false teaching at Colosse that was threatening the well-being of the Church.  The teaching seems to have been a combination of Judaism and paganism with a Christian face.  Paul’s purpose was threefold:

 

  1. To remind them of the Gospel, and the mystery—Christ in them by spirit—the source of knowledge and the centre of their walk.  The must be fully dependent on Christ and he must be central.  There is no other mediator.
  2. To warn them against teachings that would take them away from this central truth; that would try to impose legalism or false ideas based on pagan or Gnostic teachings.
  3. To give them some practical counsel regarding Christian relationships; to help strengthen their church.

 

Outline

 

  • 1:1-2 greetings from “an apostle [by] the will of God”
  • 1:3-14 reception of the Gospel, and its work in them. (read 1:9-14)

 

“He has delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love.” (v13)

 

  • 1:14-20 Christ’s supremacy [no room for other gods or angels] (read 1:16-18)
  • 1:21-23 reconciliation to God by the sacrifice of Jesus  (1:21-23)
  • 1:24-2:7 the mystery is: Christ in you; source of true knowledge (1:26-29)
  • 2:8-23 false teaching – the Law, pagan practices, “gnosis”. (2:8, 12, 16, 20-23)
  • 3:1-17 seek things above; put on Christ; resist fleshly desires. (3:1-5)
  • 3:18–4:1 relationships: subjection in true Christian love. (3:18-4:1)
  • 4:2-4:6 prayer; behave and speak wisely and graciously (4:2-6)