SMALL GROUPS Session #1 – Introduction OVERVIEW • The Epistle to the Colossians is a powerful exposition of Christ 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 Jesus, 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 Bible 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 • Colossae was a relatively small city on the Lycus river in what is now __________ . In the New Testament, 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 book of Revelation, 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 Epaphras (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, Onesimus, 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 - Session 1, page 2 in Rome at the same time, wanting help in combatting the ____________ teaching that was circulating within the church. • Both letters were ____________________ by Tychicus and Onesimus. (Col 4:7-9). Epaphras stayed with Paul in Rome to assist him there. • This letter, like many other epistles, 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 angels” (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. - Session 1, page 3 • 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). - Session 1, page 4 • 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) - Session 1, page 5 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.