Colossians Chapter 1
This letter written to the church at Colossae is a bit different than Paul’s other letters because it is believed that the church was not started by Paul but by Epaphras. It is believed that Epaphras heard the gospel message from Paul at Ephesus on Paul’s third missionary journey and he shared the faith with the people at Colossae. Epaphras also shared the gospel with neighboring towns Hierapolis and Laodicea. This is exactly what Paul had envisioned for the spread of the gospel. He was ecstatic that the believers who had accepted Christ under his ministry were now picking up the torch to take the gospel to the lost.
It is possible that Paul never visited this church since he wrote this letter while under house arrest. Timothy, his protégé, had visited the church and brought back a report to Paul and this prompted the letter to be written.
Let's Reflect
1. While Paul had probably never met the people of the church at Colossae, what does he say that they (Paul and his team) did for them regularly?
2. Once again Paul makes it clear what the definition of the gospel is. Paul described the gospel that they understood as what? See verse 6.
3. Paul included the items that he prayed for on behalf of the church at Colossae. In verses 10 and 11, what did Paul pray for when he talked to God about these believers?
4. I love how Paul writes in verse 12 that it is Father who qualifies us to be saints (every born-again believer is a saint), and that because we are qualified by God we get to partake in the inheritance of His Son. Notice that Paul does not say that we become qualified to become saints by our good works, but we are qualified through Jesus’ work of redemption and forgiveness. What other things does God do for the believer as described in verses 13 and 14?
5. Paul describes the position of Jesus who is equal with the Father. Jesus was the _______________ of the Father. The invisible God had revealed Himself through the manifestation of His Son.
6. He also established the authority of Jesus. Jesus was not a created being since He was the creator. What did Jesus create?
7. Jesus is also the head of the church. Thus, we believers are called the body of Christ. As the head of the church what does Paul say that Jesus did for us in verse 20?
8. In verse 21 it says that Jesus will present us to the Father. In this presentation to the Father what is our spiritual condition?
9. In this letter Paul will again address false teachers that are trying to creep into the church. So Paul wants the believers at Colossae who truly are believers to stand firm in their faith. He wants them to continue in their faith of the grace of Christ that is their hope. In verse 23 Paul describes this kind of faith as what?
10. Paul sees the whole picture and feels a sense of humility that he has the opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ. I do not understand the phrase “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” but I know that Paul felt honored to suffer for Christ’s sake for the furtherance of the gospel. What did Paul say was the reason that Christ suffered? See verse 22.
11. Paul thinks of himself as a steward of the gospel and a steward of the mystery that was revealed. We can conclude from his teaching that the gospel was not some new teaching that man made up, but it was the revelation of God from the beginning. To whom is the mystery revealed?
12. Paul’s purpose in life was to share the gospel with whomever would listen. He found that the Jews, for the most part, would not listen to the gospel, but the Gentiles did. Paul expressed that he would pour every ounce of his energy into sharing the gospel. Who does Paul give credit to for the energy he has to persevere?
