The Letter of the Apostle Paul to the
COLOSSIANS
Author:
Paul an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Date:
Sometime about 60 AD.
Themes:
Paul is in prison, being persecuted for preaching the gospel of Christ. However he is not occupied with his own difficulties but, as usual, has his mind and his heart fixed on Christ and Christ’s people. He had never visited Colosse but he knew the condition of the church there, and so he writes this letter to encourage them and to show them more fully who Christ is and what He has done for believers. His principal theme is the preeminence and greatness of Christ and the believer’s completeness and fullness in Him. Some false teachers had gone to Colosse, acted as though they were very wise, taught some philosophical nonsense and doctrine contrary to the truth of Christ, and tried to pervert His gospel. They insisted that the “wisdom” they taught was necessary for salvation, that Christ is not God or the Saviour of the world, that there were many angels and spiritual beings who were mediators between God and men and that Christ was only one of these, that worshiping angels and practicing severe austerities on the body were good things. Opposing their false teaching, Paul writes of the complete redemption and salvation Christ has purchased for men (Col 1:13-14, 20), of Christ’s full deity (Col 1:15-19), and of the perfect wisdom believers can find in Christ (Col 2:3). Some key verses are Col 2:8-10.
Contents:
Prayer and thanksgiving for the believers there 1:3-9
The aim of his prayer 1:10-12
The high position believers have in Christ 1:13-14
Christ’s preeminence 1:15-20
The previous condition of believers and
their present condition 1:21-23
The troubles Paul experienced for the sake of
Christ’s Church 1:24-29
Paul’s purpose in his troubles and prayers 2:1-5
Freedom and fullness in Christ 2:6-23
Living by faith 2:6-7
Freedom from false teaching and philosophy 2:8
God’s fullness is in Christ 2:9
Believers have fullness in Christ alone 2:10
In Christ believers are a separated people 2:11-12
In Christ they have freedom from the law,
forgiveness, and new life 2:13-17
They are to avoid false worship and false teaching 2:18-23
The life of believers is in heaven 3:1-4
Putting sinful desires and deeds to death 3:5-6
The way believers formerly lived,
the way they should now live 3:7-17
The proper aim of living 3:17
The behavior of believers toward husbands,
wives, children, servants 3:18—4:1
The importance of prayer 4:2-4
Proper behavior toward unbelievers 4:5-6
Various servants of Christ 4:7-18