What Does Paul Thank God for About the Colossians?

Colossians

Colossians 1:1-14

Read 1:1-8

What does Paul thank God for about the Colossians?

What sort of hope do we have as Christians?

How can such hope spur us onto faith and love?

What do we learn about the gospel here?

Read 1:9-14

What concerns does Paul show here?

What reasons does Paul have for praying this?

What reasons do you have when you pray?

Colossians

Colossians 1:15-23

Read 1:15-20

What do we learn about Jesus in regards to

• Creation?

• Position?

• Essence?

Read 1:21-23

What were we?

When becoming Christians what do we become?

How does this happen?

What does it mean to continue in faith?

Colossians

Colossians 1:24-2:5

Read 1:24-27

What could Paul mean when he talks of filling up in his flesh what is ‘lacking in regards to Christs afflictions’ (Col 1:24 NIV)? What can’t he mean?

What do you think of the idea of rejoicing in suffering?

What is the mystery?

Read 1:28-2:5

What does Paul work toward and with what purpose?

What encouragement is there about such work?

What aspects does Paul delight in about the Colossians? Why?

Come up with a statement about something you can take away from this passage and then share with the group.

Colossians

Colossians 2:6-23

Read 2:6-8

What concerns does Paul express here?

Can you think of any areas where some philosophy has taken people captive? How would one recognise such ‘hollow and deceptive philosophy’ (Col 2:8 NIV)?

Read 2:9-15

What do we learn about Jesus and his work here? What impact does he have?

Read 2:16-23

What does he mean by verse 17?

What does false humility and worship of angels have to do with all this?

What rules does Paul refer to in verses 20-23?

Colossians

Colossians 3:1-17

Read 3:1-4

What earthly things can we end up focussing on?

What things above can we instead set our hearts and minds upon?

What does verse 3 mean?

Read 3:5-14

What happens when we put on the new self?

What is hard about putting off the old and putting on the new?

Read 3:15-17

What things can we take away from this section?

Colossians

Colossians 3:18-4:18

Read 3:18-4:1

Describe and explain what Paul calls people in these various positions to do?

• Wives

• Husbands

• Children

• Fathers

• Slaves

• Masters

4:2-18

What can we learn about prayer?

What can we learn about how to act around our workmates etc?

What things does Paul point to in some of the people he mentions here?