Week 2 – 10/24/10
Colossians
Monday – Read the entire book of Colossians in one setting.
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
1. As you read this writing, what jumped out, stuck with you?
2. What questions about this writing and its teaching came to your mind?
Prayer: Thank God for all the men you know who work in teaching and preaching the Word.
Tuesday – Read Colossians 1:1-8
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
3. How does Paul identify himself in this writing? As an apostle.
4. What do you think the way Paul identified himself means? Paul has authority. He has been sent by Jesus to lay the foundation of the church by preaching the Word. He has authority to speak for Jesus. The word “apostle” means “one sent with the authority to act in behalf of another.”
5. Who does Paul say was with him; joined him in this writing? Timothy
6. What do you know about Timothy? Paul call Timothy his “son in the faith.” Timothy was a young man that joined Paul and Barnabas on their preaching journeys as recorded in the Book of Acts. He was trained to be an evangelist, a preacher of the Gospel. Two of the other writings preserved in the New Testament are letters from Paul to him, giving him encouragement and instructing him in the work of the evangelist.
7. Paul identifies those in Christ in Colossae as “saints.” What do you think that word mean? The word means “set apart, sanctified.” Those in Colossae who had obeyed the Gospel had been sanctified through their obedience; they had been set apart to serve Jesus.
8. What do you think Paul means when he writes “Grace to you and peace from God our Father,” Verse 2? This is Paul’s standard greeting in many of his writings. However, this is not just the words of a greeting. The gospel proclaims the grace of God which gives you peace with God when you obey it.
9. What does Paul say to begin this writing as a point of encouragement, verse 3? He has been praying for the church in Colossae since he heard of its founding.
10. What does Paul indicate he knows about the Christians in Colossae, verses 4 & 5? They had received the word of God, that is, they had faith in Christ Jesus and they had a love for all the saints.
11. What does Paul indicate the Christians in Colossae have because of the Gospel, verse 5? A hope laid up in heaven.
12. In verse 6 Paul makes an amazing statement about the Gospel; “...the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit ...” What do you think this statement means? At the time of this writing, it had been just about 30 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus and His commission to His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Here Paul says the gospel has gone into all the world and it is bearing fruit everywhere it has been preached.
13. What do you think is Paul point when he says they “...understood the grace of God in truth,” verse 6? When the Colossians heard the Gospel message they understood it was the truth. They understood it was the story of the grace of God being extended to men.
14. Who does Paul say is responsible for bringing the Gospel to Colossae? Epaphras
15. What do you think Paul means when he speaks of the love of the Colossians in the Sprit, verse 8? Paul is identifying the power that gives the Colossians the ability to love; the Spirit.
16. Thought Question – What do you think Paul is saying about the Gospel in verse 6? How does this relate to your life; to you church family?The Gospel is intended to bear fruit, to grow where it is preached because it contains God power to change the hearts of men. Are you growing, producing fruit in the Gospel? Is your church growing, producing fruit in the Gospel?
Prayer: Thank God for the message of the Gospel and His promise that if we get out and speak it, it will not return to Him void but will bear fruit.
Wednesday – Read Colossians 1:1-14
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
17. Paul said since the day he had heard of the love of the saints in Colossae he had not stopped praying for them, verse 9. What did he say he was praying for? That they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
18. Why does Paul want the saints in Colossae to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, verse 10? So they can walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. You must know God’s will to walk in it.
19. What does Paul say would be the result of someone walking worthy of the Lord, verse 10? You will bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God.
20. Why does Paul pray they would be strengthened with all power, verse 11? So they could endure what they would have to endure with patience and joy.
21. What does Paul say God has done for the saints in Colossae, verse 12? What do you think that means? God has delivered them from the dominion of darkness. He had taken them out of darkness and into His light when they obeyed the Gospel. They were no longer separated from God.
22. What do you think the phrase “the domain of darkness,” verse 13, means? The realm ruled over by the Devil; the world where men live without light, without the guidance of God in their hearts.
23. Where did God deliver the saints to when He delivered them from the domain of darkness, verse 13? Into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
24. What does Paul say is the significance of being in Christ, verse 14? In Christ is where you have redemption, the forgiveness of your sins.
25. Thought Question: What do you think it means; what is the significance of being transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son? It means you are a subject in a kingdom that is ruled by the Son of God and thus are entitled to all the blessings of being a subject in that kingdom.
Prayer: Thank God for redeeming, buying you back from the penalty of sin and giving you your hope in Jesus.
Thursday – Read Colossians 1:1-23
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
26. In verses 15 through 18, Paul lists eight facts about Christ. List those eight things. (1) Image of God, (2) Firstborn of all creation, (3) creator of all things, (4) Before all things, (5) He holds all things together, (6) Head of the church, (7) The beginning, (8) Firstborn from the dead.
27. What do you think each of those things mean? (1) He is God, (2) He holds the position and rights of firstborn over all creation, thus He is superior to all,(3) He made all things (4) He is eternal, before all things, (5) All things continue to work in creation because of Him, (6) He is the ruler, director, leader of the church, (7) He was before all things; before anything in the created order was, He was. Therefore He is superior, (8) He was the first one to be raised from the dead never to die again.
28. Why do you think Paul listed these things about Christ? To establish that He is preeminent; He is superior to all of the created order; He is Lord.
29. What do you think the phrase “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell...” verse 19, means? Jesus was God. He had all the attributes of God, therefore He was God.
30. What do you think the word “reconcile” means? How does it relate to Christ, verse 20? The word means “to bring back completely.” We were away from God because of our sin, not in a relationship with Him, and were brought back to Him because of Christ’s sacrifice.
31. What did Christ use to make peace between men and God? Why did that make peace possible? Christ shed His blood and God said blood makes atonement for sin.
32. What does Paul say was the previous condition of those in the church in Colossae, verse 21? They were alienated, separated from God, living as enemies of God, and against God in their minds and doing evil deeds.
33. What was the purpose for which Christ reconciled men, verse 22? To present men to God holy and blameless and above reproach.
34. Thought Question: What do you think the condition Paul lists in verse 23 for one who has become a Christian means? Even though the sacrifice of Christ forgives sins and makes a person clean, holy, you don’t just remain in that condition. You must continue to follow and obey Christ and not turn away from the hope that was presented in the gospel message.
Prayer: Thank God for the Gospel and the one who cared enough about you to share it with you.
Friday – Read Colossians 1:1-29
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
35. What do you think Paul means when he says “...in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions..., verse 24? Paul is speaking of the persecution and abuse he has had to endure because he was preaching the message of Christ. He says his persecution is the same as if they were actually persecuting Christ.
36. What is a stewardship, verse 25? A steward is someone who is trusted with the property of another, to manage and take care of it.
37. What was the stewardship God gave Paul? The Word of God.
38. What do you think the word “mystery,” verse 26, means? This word means “something that cannot be discerned or found out through the means of man, something that had to be revealed by God.”
39. What does Paul say is the mystery, verse 27? Christ in you, the hope of glory.
40. What does Paul say is the goal of his teaching, verse 28? Presenting people mature in Christ. His goal was not just to bring people to Christ by preaching the message of salvation, his goal also included helping those brought to Christ to mature in Christ, to become like Christ.
41. How does Paul say he is able to do what he does, verse 29? By Christ’s power working within him, not based on his own strength or power.
42. Thought Question: What do you think Paul means when he says that Christ works powerfully within him? How does that apply to your life or is that something Christ only did for the apostles? Paul acknowledges that he does what he does, not because he has the talents, abilities or strength to do it but because Christ gives him the ability and strength to do it. He does not do what he does because of himself but because Christ works through him.
Prayer: Thank God for His creation and ask Him to help you, as a part of His creation, to always praise Him.
Saturday – Read Colossians 2:1-5
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared from you during your study.
43. Why do you think Paul wants the church in Colossae to know his struggles? He is hoping it will encourage them to know he is willing to struggle for them through enduring persecution for preaching, teaching the gospel. Even though they have never personally seen Paul, Paul tells them that all the persecution he has endured was also for them.
44. Why does Paul say he endures these struggles, verse 1? He wants to encourage them by letting them know how much he cares for them.
45. What common hope does Paul hold for himself and the saints in Colossae and Laodicea, verse 2? That they would receive a full understanding and knowledge of all the riches in Christ.
46. What does Paul say is in Christ, verse 3? Treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
47. What does Paul say is his overall goal for the saints in Colossae, verse 4? That they would not be deceived by others who come to them with things that sound logical but are not in accordance with the Gospel.
48. Thought Question – What does Paul say is a real danger for new Christians, verse 4? What does that teach you about your relationship with new Christians? New Christians are easily deceived and lead astray by things that sound reasonable to them because they do not have a strong foundation in the faith to test things by. We need to surround new Christians and protect them by spending time with them and studying with them and help them develop a strong walk with Christ.
Prayer: Pray for the working of the Gospel in the hearts of people around you and ask God to use you to help others come to know Jesus.
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