Wooo n Colossians wwwalo 1 Introduction To Colossians C olossians is perhaps the most Christ-centered book in the Bible. In it Paul stresses the preeminence of the Person of Christ and the completeness of the salvation He provides. Date Paul wrote this epistle from prison, as he did Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. COLOSSIANS Reading Plan MON AUG 31 / Colossians 1:1-14 TUES SEPT 1 / Colossians 1:15-29 WED SEPT 2 / Colossians 2:1-7 THUR SEPT 3 / Colossians 2:8-15 FRI SEPT 4 / Colossians 3:1-11. H ere is a Bible study with a summary and discussion questions over Colossians chapter three. Colossians 3: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”. Their spirit will live for ever with God. One day Jesus will return to earth (Acts 1:9-11). He will take all the Christians to live with him (John 14:1-4). The Bible promises that Christians will have many good things when they die. For example: They will be with Jesus in his.glory (Colossians 3:4).

• Colossians Qindepthonline Lutheran Bible Study Guide
• Colossians Qindepthonline Lutheran Bible Study Commentary

Colossians 1, Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary by Martin Luther, presents the justification of the sinner by faith alone.

Your best life now…is hidden.

Not inside of you—like some dormant seed that, once found, can be watered, nurtured, and coaxed into maximum fruit-production—but hidden. Your Hidden Life Now; perhaps this could be the subtitle of the letter to the Colossians.

The third chapter of Colossians describes what may seem like a bit of a paradox. The life of the Christian is. And (but?) it is hidden with Christ. This is not something that has to be earned, but it is both encouraged and expected. It is something that is a reality—if a reality that can be hard to recognize, realize, and really show forth every day.

In The Letter to the Colossians: Your Hidden Life Now, and in particular in these eleven verses from chapter three, Paul confronts ideologies that stand in opposition to the word of truth, which is the gospel (Colossians 1:5). And the reality is that the message to the Colossians, and if we preachers echo it our own message, is pointedly counter-cultural.

What is real life in Christ?
Much (if not all) of Colossians is about dealing with counter-christologies, different and—in terms of the body of what would become the New Testament—divergent ways of understanding who Jesus is and what Jesus means.

With apologies to Joel Osteen and those like him (all of whom I am willing to grant the benefit of doubt in terms of their sincerity and the genuineness of their beliefs), some of the loudest and most popular modern christologies portray Jesus as a life-giver in the daily, physical, present terms of wellness—health and wealth. Jesus came to us, died for us, rose for us, all, apparently, so that we might do well in both waste-line and bottom-line.¹ The problem is that, at least in biblical terms, all of this is simply wrong. What is most troubling about the prosperity gospel (sic) is that it sounds a bizarre combination of first century gnosticism and twenty-first century consumerism. It smacks, at least to me, of Christian Greed.

The prosperity gospel echoes all too closely another of the major voices in American culture, the secular culture’s call to a measureable success. The voice of the character Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) sounds this particular call clearly and perhaps compellingly to the tune of the late 1980’s:

“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of evolutionary spirit. Greed in all of its forms. Greed for life. Greed for money. Greed for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind….”²

Obviously the key word here is “greed,” a word used in both the Gospel reading and in Colossians 3:5. In this week’s Gospel text Jesus says that “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Jesus introduces this description of real life by saying urging us, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.” Among a catalogue of other potential misbehaviors Colossians labels greed as idolatry. In Luke Jesus calls on us to be “rich toward God” (12:21), and in Colossians we are exhorted to “seek the things that are above” (3:1)³. All of which is counter-cultural, preaching not the rewards of greed (even greed veiled in the seeking of Christian life), but the danger of it—Greed is, for lack of a better word, idolatry. Greed is wrong. Greed does not work. Greed confuses, covers up, and corrupts the Spirit of Christ. Greed, no matter its form. Greed for your best life, for spiritual wisdom, marks only human traditions and empty deceits (Colossians 2:8).

Real life in Christ, according to Colossians, is nothing like these others voices would have us believe. Real life in Christ is something different (from the old), something new (to us), and yet something to which we are already raised (in Christ), something which cannot abide the trappings of any kind of false life (i.e. our old selves).

The New Self—Your hidden life now as the Emperor’s New Clothes?
One of the striking things about Colossians 3:1-11 is the way in which it describes the paradox of life in Christ. This life is something which we already have—if you have been raised with Christ, and you have, for you have died, and your life is hidden with God (3:1, 3); and it is something which we must strive to live into—put to death therefore whatever in you is earthly…these are the ways you once followed…you have stripped off the old self with its practices…(3:5, 7, 9).

At the end of our reading the Paul of Colossians echoes the baptismal promise of Galatians.

Colossians 3:10-11:
“[You] have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!”

Galatians 3:27-28:
“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

We who have heard the gospel are now clothed with a new self, clothed with what may appear at times and to some to be a life like the emperor’s new clothes—we still struggle with anger, slander, abusive language (Colossians 3:8) and at times give ourselves over to impurity, evil desires, and the idolatry of greed (Colossians 3:5); but we are in fact clothed in Christ Jesus, raised with him, renewed in him, clothed in the majesty of not of an emperor, but the King of Kings.

What Colossians describes is the reality of our present selves, a reality which we need to preach, hear, and as best we are able to practice—a life hidden not inside of us, but in Christ.

¹“You have the seed of Almighty God on the inside of you. You were never created to be average. You were never created to reach a certain level and then plateau. You were created to excel.” Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, (New York: Free Press, 2007), 5.
²Wall Street, Dir. Oliver Stone, 20th Century Fox, 1987.
³Compare Peter in Mark 8:33 divine things / human things.

Colossians
A Bible Study

Outline

I. Introduction (1:1-14)

A. Greetings (1:1-2)
B. Thanksgiving (1:3-8)
C. Prayer (1:9-14)

II. The Supremacy of Christ (1:15-2:23)

A. The Full Glory of Christ, the Son of God (Colossians 1:15-23)
B. The Full Glory of the Gospel (Colossians 1:24-2:5)
C. The Refutation of the Colossian Heresy (Colossians 2:6-23)

III. Life In The All-Sufficient Christ (Colossians 3:1-4:6)

A. Seek The Things That Are Above, Where Christ Is (Colossians 3:1-17)
B. Christ the Lord of the Household (Colossians 3:18-4:1)
C. Vigilance in Prayer, Wisdom Toward the World (Colossians 4:2-6)

IV. Conclusion: Personal Matters (Colossians 4:7-18)

Author, Date and Place of Writing

The fact that Colossians is a genuine letter of Paul is not usually disputed. In theearly church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to St. Paul.

In the 19th century, however, some thought that the heresy refuted in chapter two wassecond-century Gnosticism. But a careful analysis of chapter two shows that the heresythere referred to is noticeably less developed than the Gnosticism of the leading Gnosticteachers of the second and third centuries. We must remember that already in the firstcentury the seeds that gave way to this second century heresy were already at work.

Colossians is to be best dates during Paul's first imprisonment in the city of Rome,where he spent at least two years under house arrest (see Acts 28:16-31). Some have arguedthat Paul wrote Colossians from Ephesus or Caesarea, but most of the evidence favors Romeas the place where Paul penned all the Prison Letters (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippiansand Philemon.)

Colossians should be dated as close to the year 60 A.D., in the same year as Ephesiansand Philemon.

Colosse: The Town and the Church

Several hundred years before Paul's day, Colosse had been a leading city in Asia Minor(present-day Turkey). It was located on the Lycus River and on the great east-west traderoute leading from Ephesus on the Aegean Sea to the Euphrates River. By the first centuryA.D. Colosse was diminished to a second-rate market town, which had been surpassed longago in power and importance by the neighboring towns of Lacdicea and Hierapolis (seeColossians 4:13)

What gave Colosse New Testament importance, however, was the fact that, during Paul'sthree-year ministry in Ephesus, Epaphras had been converted and had carried the gospel toColosse (cf. Colossians 1:7-8; Acts 10:19:10). The young church that resulted then becamethe target of heritical attack, which led to Epaphras's visit to Paul in Rome andultimately to the penning of the Colossian letter.

Perhaps as a result of the efforts of Epaphras or other converts of Paul Christianchurches had also been established in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Some of them were housechurches (see Colossians 4:15; Philemon). Most likely all of them were primarily Gentile.

The Colossian Heresy

Paul never explicitly describes the false teaching he opposes in the Colossian letter.The nature of the heresy must be inferred from statements he made in opposition to thefalse teachers. An analysis of his refutation suggests that the heresy was diverse innature. Some of the elements of its teachings were...

1. Ceremonialism-It held to strict rules about the kinds of permissible food and drink, religious festivals (Colossians 2:16-173 and circumcision (Colossians 2:11; 3:11)

2. Asceticism-'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch! (Cf. Colossians 2:21; 2:23)

3. Angel worship-(Colossians 2:18)

4. Deprecation of Christ-This is implied in Paul's stress on the supremacy of Christ. (Colossians 1:15-20; 2:2-3,9)

5. Secret knowledge-The Gnostics boasted of this (see Colossians 2:18; and Paul's emphasis in 2:2-3 on Christ, 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom')

6. Reliance on human wisdom and tradition-(see Colossians 2:4,8)

These elements seem to fall into two categories, Jewish and gnostic. It is likely,therefore, that the Colossian heresy was a mixture of an extreme form of Judaism and anearly stage of Gnosticism.

Purpose and Theme

Paul's purpose is to refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this goal, he exaltsChrist as the very image of God (1:15) the Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer ofall things (1:17), the head of the church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), thefullness of diety in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) and the reconciler (1:20-22). Thus, Christ iscompletely adequate. We 'have been given fullness in Christ' (2:10). On theother hand, the Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptivephilosophy (2:8), lacking any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23)

The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with theemptiness of mere human philosophy.

I. Introduction: Salutation, Thanksgiving, and Prayer.(Colossians 1:1-14)

Paul gives thanks for the Colossians' faith and love, a loveinspired and sustained by the hope laid up for you in heaven. He assures them thatthe gospel which has produced this in them, which they had heard from Epaphras,is the true, universal, powerful, and productive Gospel, preached in the whole world,proclaiming and conveying the grace of God in truth. (This is the gospel whichneeds no supplementation by 'philosophy' and 'human tradition', cf.Colossians 2:6-8)

Paul prays that they may grow in the knowledge of this Gospel, a knowledge ofGod's gracious will (not of empty speculations) which produces a life rich in everygood work, increasing as it is employed in the service of the Lord, the beloved Sonof God, King of a kingdom whose subjects have redemption, the forgiveness ofsins, now and the hope of an inheritance in the bright future world of God.

Paul prays that God the Father, who has given them their present blessing and theirglorious future, may strengthen them to endure with patience the pressure of thepresent and that the lives of the Colossians, lived in the power bestowed by Him,may be an unbroken song of thanksgiving to Him.

II. The Sufficiency of Christ (Colossians 1:15-2:23)

A. The Full Glory of Christ, the Son of God (Colossians 1:15-23)

The mention of God's beloved Son, who is God's redemption and forgiveness in person (verses 13-14), leads over to a mighty hymn in praise of Christ in His fully glory as Creator and Redeemer. Paul holds before the eyes of the church all that they have in Him whom Epaphras (verse 7) proclaimed to them...

He is God's image, the perfect manifestation of the invisible God; the first-born of all creation, the Mediator of creation the Lord over all created beings, including all angelic powers (thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities).

As He is Lord of creation, He is also head of the church; as He is the first-born of all creation, He is also the first-born from the dead, the Lord in whom all mankind may find life everlasting.

In Him all the fullness of the God who willed man's redemption GRACIOUSLY DWELT: IN OBEDIENCE TO THAT WILL He went into the depths of a criminal's violent death (death of His cross) to restore man and all man's fallen world to God.

He is in everything...pre-eminent; in His kingdom (verse 13) they are secure--no powers of darkness have power to harm them there.

B. The Full Glory of the Gospel (Colossians 1:24-2:5)

The Colossians have this Christ as their Reconciler and Justifier in the Gospel and in it alone (verse23). The Gospel is therefore infinitely precious.

Paul rejoices to suffer in its behalf as he toils with Christ inspired energy to proclaim it. The Gospel is universal in its scope and power, proclaiming the revealed secret of God (mystery, verse 27) far beyond the limits of His ancient people, bestowing the riches of the glory of His grace on the Gentiles: it is present and powerful for every man, to make every man mature in Christ.

The Gospel is complete and sufficient, the sure ground of hope, faith, and love and the source of all understanding and knowledge.

Any pretense of a higher knowledge, beyond the Christ proclaimed in the Gospel, is delusion and deceit, for in Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are to be found.

In the power of this Gospel the church can be (what the Colossians are now) an ordered and disciplined army of the living God of heaven.

C. The Refutation of the Colossian Heresy (Colossians 2:6-23)

Paul has one weapon of offense: Jesus Christ. In the opening verses (verses 6-7) he bids the Colossians base their whole existence on Him. He is to soil in which they have taken root, from which they continue to draw nourishment and strength.

Jesus is also the foundation on which the growing structure of their life rests and rises. In Him they have the firmness of faith which Paul rejoiced to behold (established, verse 7) in Him. Christ is the one whom they know, for whom they continually give thanks to the Father (Colossians 1:12).

III. Life In The All-Sufficient Christ (Colossians 3:1-4:6)

As Christ is the whole Gospel and the whole refutation of all distortions of the Gospel(Colossians 1:15-2:23), so He is the whole basis and power of the new life of those whobelieve in Him. His name, (Christ, Lord, Lord Jesus, Lord Christ) occurs 15 times in this31 verse section!

A. Seek The Things That Are Above, Where Christ Is (Colossians 3:1-17)

The reality of the Christian life is to be seen in Christ; nothing is more real than the fact that Christians have died with Him, have been raised with Him and share the glory of His life in God.

But that glory is as yet a hidden glory; until the Christ who is their life appears, its glory is a reality to be realized and manifested in a life whose bent and intent (seek, verse 1; set your minds, verse 2) is militant no to what is earthly, to the old world to which the Christian has died.

It is also a no to the old world of erotic self-assertion (verse 5) and economic self-assertion (covetousness, verse 5) to the old world of heroic self-assertion (verse8), the old world of devious self-assertion, the life (verse 9), and the old world in which fragment mankind (verse 11) has a system of ethnic, religious, cultural and social divisions.

The Christian has died to all of that (verse 3) in Christ; and this death is realized in his putting to death all of that. His resurrection to glory realized in His enacted yes to God's recreating act (verse 10)

His continual putting on (verse 12) of the garment in which God's elective love (verse 12) has clothed him keeps the Christian in grace.

Colossians Qindepthonline Lutheran Bible Study Guide

He also speaks his yes to God's love in a life of compassionate, meek, forgiving love (verses 12, 14). This life is one in which the peace of Christ controls all relationships (verse 15)

The Christian also calls on His potent word which is the indwelling power that produces salutary and grateful song (verse 16)

In conclusion Paul reminds us that all of this (everything) is done in the name of the Lord Jesus--what the incarnate Lord is, has done, and signifies for man is the source and power of it all! (verse 17)

B. Christ the Lord of the Household (Colossians 3:18-4:1)

The hidden glory of the new life manifests itself in the ordinary household relationships of wife and husband children and parents, slaves and masters.

The glory is hidden; things remain as they were, the old order of subordination and obedience lives on. And yet all is new, for Christ has become Lord over both the obedient and the obeyed.

According to Colossians 3:22 slaves were considered a part of the household.

C. Vigilance in Prayer, Wisdom Toward the World (Colossians 4:2-6)

The new life is a vigilant life of continual prayer, particularly prayer for the progress of the Word, the proclamation of the mystery of Christ (verses 3-4)

The new life is itself a proclamation of the mystery to the world (outsiders, verse 5) a witness which calls for the gift of wisdom (verse 5) and for speech marked by Christian taste and tact (seasoned with salt, verse 6)

IV. Conclusion: Personal Matters (Colossians 4:7-18)

The last paragraphs deal with the sending of Tychicus, the bearer of the letter, andthe return of the Colossian slave Onesimus; convey greetings, direct an exchange ofletters between Colossae and the neighboring town of Laodicea; and charge Archippus tofulfill his ministry.

Paul concludes with a greeting written with his own hand, (see Galatians) a renewalrequest for their intercessions, and a brief benediction.

These are personal matters, to be sure; but with Paul there is no difference betweenpersonal and official aspects of his life.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sources

ConcordiaSelf Study Bible – New International Version, Robert G. Hoerber Editor Concordia Publishing House St. Louis, MO. 1986pp.1824-1825

Colossians Qindepthonline Lutheran Bible Study Commentary