Colossians
Week 6 – 11/21/10
Monday – Read Colossians 3:18 – 4:1
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
1. Why do you think Paul gives this list of relationships in verses 18-22, telling the Christians the proper way to act in each of these relationships? Because he is reminding them that Christians act different from those in the world in their relationships.
2. Why do you think wives are told to submit to their husbands instead of being told to love them? Women, because they tend to be relationship oriented, generally don’t have problems with love in relationships but may struggle with submission, especially when their husbands are not being the men God calls them to be.
3. What do you think it means for a wife to submit to her husband? She is to follow his lead in the relationship.
4. What do you think it means when fathers are told not to provoke their children? Don’t treat them in such a way that they are provoked to anger, but treat them with love, even in your discipline.
5. Thought Question - In verse 22, salves are told to obey their masters. Do you think that the Bible teaches that slavery is okay? Why or why not? The Bible does not teach against slavery, it teaches against treating slaves wrong just because they are slaves. Becoming a slave of another person because of financial problems was not uncommon to the times and there is nothing wrong with having someone indebted to you and working for you, but the Bible says you must treat them right. Generally, when we hear of slavery we think of mistreatment of people.
Prayer: Pray for those you are in relationships with, spouse, children, etc. Ask God to help you always act right towards them.
Tuesday – Read Colossians 3:18 – 4:1
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
6. What do you think Paul means in verse 23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”? Regardless of what relationships you are in, who you are working for, Christians should do their work as if the Lord were their boss.
7. Why do you think the Bible does not condemn slavery? Because there is nothing morally wrong with it as long as people are treated right. There are times when a person may have to become a slave of another person to satisfy a debt but the Bible does not approve of people being seized against their will and sold to another person as a slave.
8. Where does Paul say the ultimate reward will come from if you act right in all of your relationships, verse 24? From God
9. Is Paul saying in 4:1 that it is okay for a Christian to have slaves? Why or why not? He must be saying it is okay for Christians to have slaves because his letter is written to Christians.
10. Thought Question – What do you think it would be wrong with a slave just acting right because he did not want others to see him acting wrong towards his master, verse 22? Paul says, regardless of your position in life, you should act right because you represent God.
Prayer: Thank God that you do not have to live as a slave and for your freedom and all the physical blessings you have.
Wednesday – Read Colossians 4:2-6
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
11. What do you think it means to continue steadfastly in prayer, verse 2? To be diligent in your prayers; to be praying all the time.
12. How do you think you can be watchful in prayer, verse 2? Remember Jesus’ admonition to His disciples in the Garden, “Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.” What Paul says here is probably the same admonition. See Eph. 6:18. We should be watchful for temptation and pray about them.
13. What does Paul say should always be a part of our prayers, verse 2? Thanksgiving.
14. What do you find unusual in Paul’s request for prayers on his behalf, verse 3? He does not ask them to pray for his release from prison.
15. What do you think it means to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders,” verse 5? Outsiders are people who are not Christians. Christians are charged to act in such a way towards them that they may see their good works and glorify God.
16. What does Paul say about our speech, verse 5? It should always be gracious.
17. Thought Question - What do you think is the mystery of Christ, verse 3? When the word mystery is used in Scriptures it is always talking something that man could not find out on his own; it had to be revealed to Him by God. The mystery of Christ is what He did to save man.
Prayer: Ask God to help you always walk in wisdom towards outsiders.
Thursday – Read Colossians 4:7-18
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
18. Why do you think Paul includes his comments about specific individuals in this letter? Those individuals Paul mentions are generally people those Paul was writing to knew, or someone who he was going to send to them.
19. What do you think Paul means in verse 10 when he calls Aristarchus “my fellow prisoner” ? Aristarchus was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2) who apparently has also been imprisoned for the cause of Christ.
20. What do you think Paul means when he speaks of the “only men of the circumcision” in verse 11? He is probably talking about those Christian workers who were of Jewish heritage.
21. What does Paul say is Epaphras’ desire for the church in Colossae, verse 12? That the church would stand mature and fully assured of God’s will.
22. From what Paul says about the “letter from Laodicea” in verses 15 & 16, what do you assume about the churches in Colossae and Laodicea?They must have been close, location wise, and had a lot of contact with one another.
23. From what Paul says about the “letter from Laodicea,” verse 16, what does that tell you about what is contained in the writings of the New Testament? Not everything those who were Apostles wrote to other churches or Christians is contained in the New Testament.
24. Thought Question – Why do you think Paul includes the remarks about Mark in this letter, verse 10? It is possible that the church there may have heard of Mark’s leaving Paul on an earlier journey and Paul wants them to know that he was now faithfully working for the Lord.
Prayer: Thank God for the areas where He has given you the victory by changing your desire for things that were wrong. Ask Him to help you see all the areas where you need your heart to change and to trust in Him, as you walk by faith, to give you the victories in these areas.
Friday – Read The Entire Book Of Colossians Again
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared for you during your study.
Look up Mark in your New Testament and learn what the Scriptures say about Him.
Prayer: Thank God for the mystery of Christ.
Saturday – Read The Entire Book Of Colossians Again
Prayer: Ask God to open your heart so that you can learn what He has prepared from you during your study.
Look up Onesimus in your New Testament and learn what the Scriptures say about him.
Prayer: Pray for your church, your body in Christ.
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