The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group studying the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. Paul wrote more about Christ in this letter than in any other of his letters.
Session 1 is an introduction to Colossians and Paul's reason for writing it. He was given information that this young Christian church was being infiltrated by false teachers. These people wanted to blend Judaism with its ceremony, rules and regulations, or even pagan superstitions, with Christianity. There was another group of false teachers who were teaching a system that said that God, because of his great majesty, could only be approached by the mediation of angels; and that they were certain rites and observances, chiefly borrowed from the law, whereby these angels might be made our friends.
This system or false doctrine was known as Gnosticism. The Gnostics claimed a special, hidden knowledge not available to ordinary Christians. But their beliefs in fact contradicted basic Bible truths!
To hear the audio of the session click on the YouTube link.
Paul wrote this letter. He was in prison when he wrote it.
Colossians 4:3 CEV Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this.
He was probably in the city of Rome
Acts 28:16, 30-31 CEV We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him. For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. He bravely preached about God's kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.
If he was, he wrote it about 60 years after Jesus’ birth.
Paul wrote to the Christians who lived in the city called Colossae. It was 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of the city called Ephesus. Today this area is part of the Turkey. The main roads for trade went past Colossae. It was at one time a large and wealthy city for many centuries. But by the time that this letter was written Colossae had become a small town. It was no longer very important.
Paul was never actually in Colossae but a man by the name of Epaphras a leader of the church there visited Paul and told him what was happening in the church there.
Colossians 1:6-7 CEV The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.
Colossians 4:12-13 CEV Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely. I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Laodicea and Hierapolis were larger and more important cities near Colossae, and there were churches there too apparently. We know about Laodicea for sure because Paul wanted this letter read to them.
Colossians 4:16 CEV After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them.
Jesus also dictated a letter to this church to John and it is included in the book of Revelation
Revelation 3:14-17 CEV This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: I am the one called Amen! I am the faithful and true witness and the source of God's creation. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don't know how bad off you really are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
They may have been still having some of the same issues that prompted Paul to write this letter.
Why Paul wrote this letter.
Epaphras visited Paul in prison and told him about the young church that was at Colossae. The Christians who lived there had begun to listen to false teachers. false teachers.
It seems the Colossians were now in danger of being confused by people who wanted to blend Judaism with its ceremony, rules and regulations, or even pagan superstitions, with Christianity. Things like pretending that God, because of his great majesty, could only be approached by the mediation of angels; and that they were certain rites and observances, chiefly borrowed from the law, whereby these angels might be made our friends.
This system or false doctrine was known as Gnosticism. The Gnostics claimed a special, hidden knowledge not available to ordinary Christians. But their beliefs in fact contradicted basic Bible truths!
Gnostics were concerned about issues explored by people of all ages:
- What is God like and what is His relationship to the world?
- How does a human being gain access to God's true presence?
- How does the human being find fullness of spiritual life?
Gnosticism not only posed these questions, but claimed to answer them. The Gnostics were trying to redefine Christ and the Gospel in their own terms and it was beginning to impact this new church in Colossae.
What is God like?
The Gnostics were dualists. They saw all things in terms of two contrasting principles. On the one side was good, which was associated with the spiritual and the immaterial. On the other side was evil, which was associated with the material universe.
God Himself was perfectly good, spiritual, and totally disassociated from the material. He would not pollute Himself by any such contact! The material universe was an accident or, at worst, the error of the last of a long series of supernatural beings—intermediaries—ranked between God and matter (angles). To God, the pure Spirit, the world was alien and despicable.
To the Gnostics how jolting was the idea of an Incarnation! God become man? God take on human flesh? Never! As far as they were concerned Christ must be a lower intermediary or an "appearance"—a shadow of God cast on a screen. But God in human flesh? Unthinkable!
It was also unthinkable that God might wish to enter believers' lives. Instead the Gnostics saw the human being as trapped; a spark of the divine held captive in a fleshly prison. Salvation meant release from bondage to all that was material, including our own bodies! Resurrection? God's life, lived out in a corporate body shaped of loving men and women, in whom Christ now walks this world? Ugly! Horrible!
How does a human being gain access to God?
The Gnostic saw God as remote and inaccessible. God might be approached through the long chain of intermediaries that stretched between Him and matter. Jesus Christ might even be one of these intermediaries. But since Jesus had contact with this world, Christ's rank within the chain must be low.
That may be why Paul referred to the worship of angels!
Colossians 2:18 CEV Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels. They brag about seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires.
People were striving to gain the attention and support of beings who form a chain leading to God. These powerful spirits should be placated, the Gnostics taught, for human destiny lay in their hands, not in God's.
How does a human being find fullness of life?
The Gnostics said, by practicing the way of life they propounded. That way of life stressed asceticism and rigid regulations, abstinence and self-punishment. For liberation from the evil, fleshly body must be good. The angelic intermediaries were honored by ritual and self-discipline. In this way, the fullness might be found.
In responding to the challenge Paul powerfully affirmed basic tenets of biblical faith. He made it clear just what God is like, who Jesus is, how we come to know God, and how we can experience a vital spiritual life through relationship with the Lord.
In opposition to this Paul, the apostle,
1. Says emphatically that the knowledge of Christ, as more excellent than all other, and so entire and perfect that no other knowledge was necessary for a Christian. He shows,
2. That Christ is above all angels, who are only his servants; and that, being reconciled to God through him, we have free access to him in all our necessities.
Paul wrote more about Christ in this letter than in any other of his letters. He reminded the Christians that their past life had gone. Christ was now their life. Christ had made them free from rules and evil powers. and then he went on to teach the Christians how to live this new life.
That is like many many false teachers today don't appear to deny the gospel message. They just change it a little. Often they teach extra things or add rules to the gospel. Paul wrote to the Christians at Colossae to remind them about Jesus Christ and about his true message. Paul emphasized that Christ is superior.
So now let's start to look at the letter.
Commendation
Colossians 1:1-8 CEV From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower. To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ. I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news. The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you. He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
As always, Paul began with a commendation. The Colossians' lives were marked by love for all the saints. God's Gospel had taken root among them, and was growing and producing fruit.
Verse 1
Paul described himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus. What is an apostle?
An apostle is a person whom God sends to lead Christians. An apostle also teaches about Jesus. A man does not decide to be an apostle. God chooses him. We hear people who call themselves Apostles, but God calls Apostles. So if God calls them they have authority which is why Paul says that at the beginning of his letter. We know that he was called because of the accounts in Acts 22:1-21 of his Damascus Road experience and then
1 Corinthians 15:8-11 CEV Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle. But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me. But it doesn't matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same.
Verse 2
How can Paul describe the people as God's people some translations call them saints?
It means that Christians have left their old life of sin and that they belong to God. They now serve God and worship him. In this letter, Paul emphasised what Jesus Christ had done for Christians. Paul often used the phrase ‘in Christ’. It means that Christ has joined Christians with himself. He gives them spiritual life. They belong to Christ. This all happened because of God's grace it is a gift that God gives. We do not deserve it and we cannot earn it.
All Christians are saints or holy by virtue of their relation to God in Christ.
Verse 3
In most of Paul’s letters he thanked God for the people who read his letters. He prayed for all the churches that he had visited. He prayed for the churches that he had heard about. And he prayed for the churches that he wrote to.
Verse 4
Epaphras had told Paul about the Christians who were at Colossae..
Verse 5
Colossians 1:6-7 CEV The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.
Epaphras had taught the Colossians the true message of the gospel which was what?
The good news about Jesus Christ, which is for everyone. God can forgive people when they sin. He can forgive them because of what Jesus Christ did. Jesus lived a perfect life. He died and then he became alive again. This is the message of the true gospel. The unfortunate thing was that the Christians at Colossae had started to believe false teachers. So Paul wrote to remind the Christians about the true message of the gospel.
Verse 6
Colossians 1:6-7 CEV The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.
Jesus told his disciples that they would take the message of the gospel everywhere in the world.
Acts 1:8 CEV But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.”
Paul did not mean that this had actually happened yet. He meant that people had taken the good news to many places, including Colosse.
Today people are still taking the good news about Jesus to every country in the world. The phrase ‘the gospel is spreading’ means that more people were becoming Christians.
Verses 7-8
Colossians 1:7-8 CEV from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you. He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
Epaphras had visited Paul and told him about the Christians at Colossae. So, Paul wrote this letter to teach them more about Jesus Christ. Paul did not want them to believe the false teachers.
Concern
Let's look at the next section where Paul after commending them expresses some concern;
Colossians 1:9-14 CEV We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding his Spirit gives. Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy. I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free.
Paul had a deep concern for this church, a concern he expressed in his prayer. Paul was eager that God would fill the Colossians "with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" that through knowing God's will their lives might be worthy of Him.
Paul was eager that growth, good works, and empowerment might be theirs. He was eager that they experience fully what it meant to live in the kingdom of God's Son.
Verse 9
Paul had not met the Christians who lived at Colossae. But he greatly cared about them. This was part of his work as an apostle. In verses 3-8, Paul thanked God for what God had already done for those Christians.
Paul asked God to do particular things for them in the future. This is a wonderful prayer. All church leaders can pray like this for the Christians that they lead. The false teachers believed that they had special knowledge and wisdom. They taught people how to understand this secret wisdom. But the false teachers did not believe and trust the true God. The Christians had started to believe these teachers. Paul did not try to correct the false teachers. Instead, he reminded the Christians about God’s truth.
Paul prayed that the Christians would learn more and more about God. The Greek words mean ‘be full of knowledge’. But people cannot discover this knowledge by themselves.
How do we get this knowledge?
The Holy Spirit will teach them.
Ephesians 1:17 CEV I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.
God wants people to know him more and more. He wants people to know about his wonderful purpose in Jesus. And God wants everybody to hear the good news. He can forgive sins. A person who knows God learns wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
James 3:13-18 CEV Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or lie to cover up the truth. This kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
Verse 10
Colossians 1:10 CEV Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better.
The Holy Spirit also enables us to live the way that God wants us to live.
How does He do that?
Galatians 5:22-23 CEV God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.
When we become Christians, we start to really know God. We learn what pleases him. We will do what pleases him. As they do this, they will know God even more. Jesus said that if people love him, they will obey him. This is how Christians become mature.
John 14:15 CEV Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command.
And it is how they live holy lives.
Verse 11
Colossians 1:11 CEV His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
Since we are Christians are things always great?
Christians may have troubles in their lives. Sometimes they suffer because they are Christians.
1 Peter 4:12-19 CEV Dear friends, don't be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return. Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God's glorious Spirit is with you. But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. Don't be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him. God has already begun judging his own people. And if his judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey his message. The Scriptures say, “If good people barely escape, what will happen to sinners and to others who don't respect God?” If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.
Have you ever suffered because you are a Christian?
Think about Christians in the Middle East or China.
People may insult them.
Ever happen to you?
But God wants Christians to be patient and kind. And he wants Christians to continue to trust Christ. When they have troubles in their lives, God’s power will help them. Paul knew God’s power because he had received it.
Colossians 1:29 CEV This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.