SMALL GROUPS

Session #1 – Introduction

OVERVIEW • The to the Colossians is a powerful exposition of as King of kings and Lord of lords, pre-eminent and ______over all things, and sufficient for all things. It is probably Paul’s clearest and most magnificent statement of the ultimate ______of , while at the same time declaring His full ______. He is shown as eternal Head over all, and the only means of salvation for us. • The ESV Study says, “As one of the most thoroughly Christ-centered books in the Bible, Colossians finds its essential unity in the divine and exalted person of the preeminent Christ.”

HISTORY • The City of • Colossae was a relatively small city on the Lycus river in what is now ______. In the , the area is called Asia or Asia Minor, a Roman province. It was close to Laodicea, and was an important commercial centre, known for its excellent ______industry. Eventually, Laodicea became the main political and financial centre of the area as seen in the , where Jesus wrote in His letter to Laodicea: "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing." (Rev 3:17). This ______and status led to Colossae's diminishing importance. • The letter was written close to the end of Colossae's existence, as the entire Lycus Valley was devastated by an ______from which the city never fully recovered. • The region (and probably the church) included a mixture of people native to the area, Greeks, ______, and transplanted Jews. • About 250 years before this, Antiochus the Great (A Greek king) had moved about 2,000 ______families from Babylonia and Mesopotamia to this area. Some historians estimate that the Jewish population had risen to about 50,000 by the time the letter was written.

• The Church at Colossae • As far as we know, Paul never ______Colossae, and so the church was likely started by (1:7, 4:12) who was converted while Paul ministered in nearby ______(Acts 19:9-10). • Like other early churches, the Colossians met in a ______, most likely that of Philemon, because we know that he lived in Colossae, and Philemon 1-2, reads, “To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home.” Apphia was probably Philemon’s wife and Archippus their ______. Either Archippus or Epaphras likely served as the ______.

• The Letter to the Colossians • Colossians was written around the same time as Philippians, Ephesians and Philemon; around 60-62 AD, while Paul was in ______, likely in Rome. He was under a form of ______arrest, as we see in Acts 28:30-31, but was very active in spreading the ______through his preaching, teaching and writing. • To put this epistle in an historical context, we need to know something about Philemon who was a ______-owner in Colossae. One of his slaves, , had run away and eventually made it to ______and met with Paul. Paul led him to the Lord, and Onesimus wanted to make things right with his old ______. So Paul wrote to Philemon, urging him to accept the slave back, but as a ______. Epaphras was

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in Rome at the same time, wanting help in combatting the ______teaching that was circulating within the church. • Both letters were ______by and Onesimus. (Col 4:7-9). Epaphras stayed with Paul in Rome to assist him there. • This letter, like many other , was to be read in the ______churches (4:16).

CONTENT • Colossians was written specifically to address some false teaching that was being spread in the area. • It seems to have been a mixture of ______law, paganism and Gnosticism. Those promoting this false teaching were careful not to contradict Christian doctrine directly; rather they attempted to ______to it. “They are not denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of pre-eminence” (Warren Wiersbe). The false teachers taught that philosophy, ______and the worshipping of various spiritual beings were all necessary in our pursuit of God. • This is a classic example of syncretism, which is an attempt to ______several beliefs into one. This is contrary to orthodox Christianity, which holds that Jesus and His work is ______. • The ______component is seen where Paul speaks against the necessity of observing “a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths” along with dietary restrictions (3:16), which are particularly Jewish customs. • The influence of ______is seen in the references to “worship of ” (3:18) and asceticism (harsh treatment of the body) and “self-imposed religion” (3:23). • One of the key teachings of Gnosticism is that the material world is inherently ______, and is therefore untouchable by ______. • The Gnostics taught that ______was the key to salvation (“Gnostic” comes from the Greek work “gnosis,” which means knowledge). So for them, philosophic knowledge was the ______in life, believing that for people to get to God, they had to move up a spiritual “______,” and this was done through knowledge.

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• But God, in Colossians, makes it abundantly clear that none of these things will get us ______to Him. Rather, Christ is sufficient and pre-eminent; we do not need to ______to His finished work. Only Christ can ______us with God through His death and resurrection. We receive this work of ______(1:6) by faith (2:12), and then we are to order our lives accordingly (chs 3-4).

• This book is important for us to study because of the ______in which we live, where syncretism and pluralism (belief in multiple, contrary spiritual realities) are the norm. While this sounds noble and ______, it is contrary to biblical Christianity. “Usually hailed as an advance beyond apostolic Christianity, this blend promises self-fulfillment and freedom without surrender to Christ” (ESVSB). • As with many other New Testament books, Colossians teaches us about our position “in Christ,” including these following truths: • 1:14 we have redemption in Him • 1:16 in Him all things were ______• 1:19 in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell • 1:22 we are ______in the body of His flesh • 2:3 in Him are hidden all the treasures of ______and knowledge • 2:6 we are to walk in Him • 2:7 we are to be ______and built up in Him • 2:12 we were ______up in Him • Colossians is very similar in structure and content to ______. The main differences are due to the fact that where Ephesians is a statement of doctrine, Colossians was written primarily to correct ______doctrine. Another difference is that where Ephesians focuses on the ______, Colossians is concerned more with the ______of the church. In this study, we will be referencing Ephesians to help make Colossians clearer. • Like many of the New Testament epistles, it can be divided into ______main sections, the first dealing with doctrine (chs 1-2), and the second dealing with ______the doctrine (chs 3-4).

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• While there are many ways to describe the structure or outline of the book, this one from Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (CARM.org) is clear:

1. Jesus as the All-Sufficient Savior is the Object of the Believer’s faith (Chapters 1-2) a. Belief in Jesus results in faith, hope, and love (1:1-1:12) i. Greetings (1:1-2) ii. Reasons for thanksgiving (1:3-8) iii. Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians (1:9-12) b. Christ’s pre-eminence (1:13-23) i. In Creation (1:13-20) ii. In Redemption (1:21-23) iii. In His Church (1:24-2:3) c. Our Freedom in Christ (2:4-23) i. Freedom from false teachings (2:4-7) ii. Freedom from false philosophy (2:8-10) iii. Freedom from false judgments of Men (2:11-17) iv. Freedom from false worship (2:18-19) v. Freedom from the false doctrines of Men (2:20-23) 2. The Submission of the Christian to Christ and His Church (Chapters 3-4) a. Our life in Christ (3:1-17) i. Raised with Christ (3:1-4) ii. Put off the old man (3:5-11) iii. Put on the new man (3:12-17) b. Teachings about holiness (3:18-4:6) i. In the family (3:18-21) ii. At work (3:22-4:1) iii. In prayer (4:2-4) iv. With unbelievers (4:5-6) c. Conclusion (4:7-18) i. Commendation of Tychicus (4:7-9) ii. Greetings from Paul’s Friends (4:10-14) iii. Paul’s Personal Farewell (4:15-18)

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Read through the entire book (preferably in the NLT) – it should take 15-20 minutes

Discussion Questions

1) Have you ever read an entire epistle in one sitting? How does it affect your understanding of the content?

2) What are some of the most striking aspects of Colossians?

3) Do you find the structure helps you understand the importance of our lifestyle? Why or why not?

4) What do you think it means to be “in Christ?”

5) What different types of relationships does Paul address in chapters 3 and 4? What guidelines does he offer in those relationships?

6) What are you most looking forward to learning about Colossians in the next few weeks?

For next week, please read through chapter 1.

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