Colossians
Introduction:
Colosse (or Colossae) was a city about 120 miles from Ephesus.
Colossians are the people of Colosse.
Paul wrote to the people in a church of believers there.
Paul had not been to that city, but he knew some of the people who lived there. Paul heard that some of the believers there were teaching things that we not true.
These believers were like many others in other cities that worshipped idols. They had a life time of ideas and beliefs that were not God’s truth.
So now that they are believers in Jesus and the true God of heaven they have to forget some of those things they believed in before.
But as they are learning to follow Christ some of them are bringing in old beliefs and are teaching them.
Paul explains to them that those old ways of believing are not God’s truth.
Paul is writing them this letter from Rome where Paul is a prisoner because of preaching about Jesus.
Chp. 1
Vs. 1. 2 Paul introduces himself to the people.
Vs. 3 Paul says that he prays for them. He knows that they love God and Jesus. He knows they are looking for heaven some day.
Vs. 6 Paul tells them that this same gospel of Jesus is being preached in many places.
People in other places have had their lives changed by the power of God, just like they had experienced.
Vs. 7 Paul knows that the man Epaphras was the one who started the church there. He is the one who told Paul about the church and the people there.
Vs. 8 Paul says he is praying for them. And he prays that God would give them understanding of what God wants to do in their lives. He prays that God would give them wisdom by God’s spirit.
Then the way they live will please the Lord, and you will keep doing good, kind things for others. And they will keep learning to know God better.
This prayer of Paul’s should be our prayer, too. We need God to give us understanding of how to live to please Him. And we need wisdom of the spirit
to know these things.
As we live for Christ we show what we believe in how we act toward other people. We are kind and helpful because God’s love in in us.
Vs. 11 Paul prays that they will be given strength by God’s power so that they will have patience and be able to stay true to God.
He prays that they will have joy of spirit.
That they will always thank the heavenly Father, who has let you be part of the “inheritance” (the good things planned for believers) that belongs to people who believe for those who live in the “light” (truth) Jesus taught.
Jesus has rescued us (saved us from) the darkness of this world and from Satan who rules in the kingdoms of this world.
God has brought them and us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Jesus.
Vs. 15 Christ is the image (likeness) of God. Christ could be seen with our eyes.
God the Father we cannot see. But Christ is like God. So when we see Christ, we see what God is.
Jesus lived (he was) before anything (the world, the heavens) was made.
Paul is saying that Jesus, and God the Father are the same. They are God.
As we read more of the Bible, we learn that the Holy Spirit is also God. We call this the Trinity meaning 3 in 1. All 3 are 1 being–God.
Jesus, God the Father, Holy Spirit are 3 ways (persons, beings) that God shows himself.
Christ Jesus made everything we see. Jesus is God and He was there always.
He made the heavens and earth. The reason Jesus made the heaven and earth is because Jesus is God—-just as the Father is God.
(We think of Jesus as being born as a human baby. And some may think that is when Jesus began to live and be. But Jesus was in heaven as God before anything was made.
He decided to come as a baby so he could die on the cross and pay the death payment for man’s sin.)
Paul says Jesus lived and was before anything was made. And it is Jesus’ power that keeps the world going.
Vs. 18 Christ Jesus is the head leader of the church of believers.
The “church” of believers is the “body” of Christ.
Jesus was the first to rise from the dead. He is the first in everything.
Vs. 19 God was pleased to live in Christ, and through Jesus God reconciled (made things right) with men and God.
God made it possible for things to be right with God and man by Jesus’ death on the cross.
You who were at one time far away from God because of your sin. You were like an enemy of God.
You were separated from God because of your sinful thoughts and the things you did.
Vs. 22 Now God through Jesus has brought you back to God and you are God’s friend.
Jesus has done this through his death on the cross ( he needed a human body to do this)
Because of his death and by paying your death punishment for your sin Jesus has allowed you to come into God’s presence because your sin has been washed away now.
Now you are holy and clean. You can stand before God having no fault or sin no blame.
You must keep on believing this truth and hold to it and not let it go.
Do not let things pull you away from this truth. Keep believing the same as you did when you first heard the gospel– good news–that your sins could be forgiven.
This same good news is being preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been chosen by God to preach it.
Vs. 24 (Paul is in prison) He says When I suffer in my body it makes me glad to think that I am suffering some in the way Jesus suffered for us on the cross.
God has called me to preach the message of Jesus’ death and rising again for our salvation.
I am preaching it to Gentiles like you and not just to the Jews.
For many years the Jewish people felt they were God’s special chosen people. But now God has shown us (the Jews) that this news about God’s love and forgiveness is for everyone Gentiles, too.
Christ lives in you. When you believe in Jesus and are forgiven Christ’s spirit lives in you.
This is your promise His spirit in you lets you feel sure that you will share in His glory in heaven.
Vs.28 Paul says So everywhere we go, we tell people about Christ. We warn them about their sin. We teach them about Jesus. We use the wisdom God has given to us.
We want to bring them to God. We want them to have a close relationship and fellowship with Christ.
Paul says I work hard to do this. I depend and use God’s mighty power in me to do this.