Colossians
Colossians
13 studies, in the order they were taught. All series
Colossians: Truth Against False Teaching
Colossians 1:1–14
The church at Colossae began during Paul's years in Ephesus. Writing from prison, Paul thanks God for them and prays they will grow in wisdom, strength and truth against false teaching.
Colossians: Faith, Hope and Love
Colossians 1:1–8
Paul wrote this letter to protect a young church from false teaching. He starts by thanking God for their faith in Jesus, their love for all God's people and their hope of heaven.
Colossians: A Prayer for Knowing God's Will
Colossians 1:9–14
Paul prays that the Colossians will be filled with the knowledge of God's will and live to please him. God has rescued us from darkness and brought us into his Son's kingdom.
Colossians: Jesus Is Supreme
Colossians 1:15–20
Paul shows who Jesus is: the image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation, the one by whom everything was made. This truth stands against false teaching.
Colossians: Reconciled and Held Firm
Colossians 1:21–29
Christ reconciled us to God through his physical body and death, which answers those who denied he had a body. Paul urges believers to cling to their faith and rejoices in suffering for them.
Colossians: Encouraged and United in Love
Colossians 2:1–5
Paul says he is contending for the churches in Colossae and Laodicea. He wants them encouraged and united in love, and knowing Christ, in whom all wisdom is found.
Colossians: Rooted and Built Up in Christ
Colossians 2:6–15
Paul tells the church to keep living in Christ and grow strong in him. Christ's work has already made us right with God, so we do not need rules and rituals to become elite.
Colossians: Christ's Victory over Rules
Colossians 2:15–23
By the cross, Christ defeated the powers against us. Our standing before God comes from him, not from rules or self-righteousness.
Colossians: Set Your Hearts on Things Above
Colossians 3:1–4
Having shown that rules cannot make us holy, Paul calls us to a new life because we have been raised with Christ. We are to set our hearts on heaven.
Colossians: Put Off the Old Self
Colossians 3:5–11
Paul lists the sins Christians must leave behind: sensual sins first, then social sins like anger, slander and lying. We replace the old self with the new life in Christ.
Colossians: Husbands and Wives
Colossians 3:18–19
A united church that shows selfless love gains credibility with the watching world. Paul calls husbands and wives to love and respect each other, as Ephesians 5 also teaches.
Colossians: Children, Parents and Workers
Colossians 3:20–4:1
Paul shows how the gospel changes the home and the workplace. Children obey, fathers do not frustrate them, and workers serve as if serving Christ.
Colossians: Pray, Live Wisely, Stay Connected
Colossians 4:2–18
Paul finishes his letter by asking for prayer, urging wise living toward outsiders and sending greetings. He asks the church to apply what they have learned.