Book of Colossians - Introduction and Colossians 1:1-18

Book of Colossians - Introduction and Colossians 1:1-18

©2003 www.SpiritAndTruth.org1

Schedule

Session

Date

Passage

1

April 26/27

Introduction, Gal. 1:1-18

2

May 3/4

Col. 1:19-29

3

May 10/11

Col. 2:1-23

4

May 17/18

Col. 3:1-17

5

May 24/25

Col. 3:18-4:18



A Word Concerning Balanced Study

Teaching
Method

Strengths

Weaknesses

Topical

  • Scripture interprets scripture.

  • Shows God's divine 'finger print” in the consistency of authors spanning time.

  • A comprehensive understanding of various themes through scripture, acts as a “safety net.”

  • Easy to ride hobby horses.

  • Easy to avoid passages which contradict.2

  • Ability to manipulate the text: a text out-of-context is a pretext.

  • Controversial subjects may not get taught.

Verse-by-verse.

  • More difficult to use scriptures out-of-context.

  • Focus allows deeper penetration of the text, its historical setting, and meditation upon its application.

  • May never get around to studying more distant passages.

  • Inability to see the “big picture” how scripture ties together.

  • Lack of a systematized understanding of scriptural themes (the 'safety net').



Location of Colosse








History of Colosse

Paul's Epistle

Colossians 1:1-186

Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [who are] in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Col 1:3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

Col 1:5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

Col 1:6 which has come to you, as [it has] also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as [it is] also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

Col 1:7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

Col 1:8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

Col 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy;

Col 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Col 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Col 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

1Copyright © 2003 www.SpiritAndTruth.org. Verbatim copying of this document for non-commercial use is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

2This is especially prevalent in popular Christian books.

3Achtemeier, Paul J., Publishers Harper & Row, and Society of Biblical Literature. Harper's Bible Dictionary. Includes index. 1st ed., Page 175. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.

4“The names of the same people (e.g., Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas) appear in both Colossians and Phileman, showing that both were written by the same author at about the same time.” [MacArthur, John Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed., Col 1:1. Nashville: Word Pub., 1997, c1997.]

5MacArthur, John Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed., Col 1:1. Nashville: Word Pub., 1997, c1997.


6New King James Version

7A frequent theme found in scripture regarding those with great responsibility to represent God is an initial experience where God reveals His glory to the man of God.

8 Re 3:10; Re 6:10; Re 11:10; Re 12:12; Re 13:8; Re 13:12; Re 13:14; Re 14:6; Re 17:8

9Isa 9:1-2; Lu 2:32; Joh 1:14-18; Joh 12:45; Joh 14:7-9; Joh 15:15; Ga 1:12; Col 1:15; Col 2:9; Heb 1:2; 1Jo 1:2; Re 1:1

10"Stephen's sermon refers at least three times to the Old Testament angel of the Lord, usually regarded as the preincarnate Christ (Ac 7:30,Ac 7:35,Ac 7:38). In Ac 7:30-31, Stephen ascribes to the angel at the burning bush 'the voice of the Lord' (cf. Ac 7:35,Ac 7:37-38) and applies the Old Testament 'angel of the Lord' to the New Testament Christ." [Mal Couch, A Bible Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999)., p. 187]. "As the church fathers had already recognized [among later scholars we mention Calvin, Hengstenberg, Keil, Ebrard, Lange, and Stier], this is no less a person than the Son of God Himself, the Word... who appeared later in Christ." [Erich Sauer, The Dawn Of World Redemption (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman's Publishing Company, c1964, 1951)., p. 103.]

11skema is similar to ikon:, “everything in a person which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing, discourse, actions, manner of life” [Strong, James. The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Test of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996.]


12Ge 1:1; Ge 1:2; Isa 42:5; Col 1:16

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