1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians is a letter that was written by Paul to the people of Colossae. Click here to see where it fits in the timeline of the Bible. At the bottom of the page is a map of Colossae and the surrounding area.
The main themes in this book:
Jesus is supreme and sufficient, over all things and all people. Paul reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus and to remember who we are because of Christ.
Colossians 1:1-14
Ch 1:1-14, Main message from this study: Paul is excited to hear of the faith, love and hope that these new Christians have. After introducing himself, he tells the people of Colossae what he thanks God for when he prays for them v3-8.
1.Why does Paul thank God for the people in Colossae? V4
2. Why do the people have this faith and love? V5
3. What does it mean that the gospel is bearing fruit and growing? V6
4. How is the gospel bearing fruit and growing in your life? In your church?
5. In what way can you grow more?
6. The people of Colossae heard about the gospel through Epaphras. Who told you the gospel? Is there a particular biblical truth that has struck you? V7
7. What does Paul ask God that the people of Colossae might be given? V9
8. What does it look like to live a life worthy of the Lord? V10-12
9. Pick one of these things, how can you see this in your own life?
10. If you are a believer, God has “qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light”. How are we qualified? What part did you play?
Ch 1:1-14, Main message from this study: Paul is excited to hear of the faith, love and hope that these new Christians have. After introducing himself, he tells the people of Colossae what he thanks God for when he prays for them v3-8.
Their faith in Christ Jesus v4
Their love for all God’s people v4 – in Colossae, the saints love each other.
Faith & love from the hope v5
The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world v6
The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in them v6
This will be different for each and every person. Maybe you were told by a friend or family member. Maybe you have been told many times by many people.
The knowledge of his will
Live a life worthy of the Lord
Pleasing him in every way: bearing fruit (in every good work) and growing (in the knowledge of God)
Being strengthened with all power
So they may have endurance and patience
Giving joyful thanks to the Father
We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and been brought into the kingdom of the Son. This means that once we were enemies with God, we were living lives against him. But he has brought us into the kingdom of his Son – Jesus. We have been forgiven and been rescued from darkness into light.
Paul and Timothy have heard through Epaphras (v7-8) about the people’s faith in Christ Jesus and the love they had for all God’s people.
The people have heard the true message of the gospel (v5) and now have this hope that the gospel brings. Because of the hope they have, they have faith in Christ Jesus (v4) and love for all God’s people (v4).
A thought about hope – “The reason believers can endure through hardship is that Christian hope is emphatically not wishful thinking.” Mark Meynell, Colossians and Philemon For You, page 16
The Christian hope is a real, certain hope. We have hope that one day, we’ll be with Jesus, just like we have hope that after winter, spring will come again. Our hope is not wishful thinking!
The gospel is spreading throughout the whole world and people are now bearing fruit and growing. Paul mentions that “the gospel is bearing fruit and growing through the whole world” and in the people of Colossae v6.
Like a tree grows and bears fruit, we as Christians grow and bear fruit. Bearing fruit means becoming more like Jesus and growing in holiness, this can often be seen in our words and actions. Growing means to grow in our knowledge of God.
Later on, Paul prays that the people would “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work…”. In verse 6, Paul mentions that the gospel is bearing fruit in their lives and here in verse 9 he prays that they would continue to bear fruit. As Christians, we will continue to bear fruit in our lives and grow as we continue to learn more about God and all he has done for us. We have the Holy Spirit living in us, he will work in our lives and we will bear fruit because of God’s grace.
The reality is, when you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit works in your life. As time goes on, as you read the Bible and go to church, you become more like Jesus (holy) and grow in your love and knowledge of the Lord.
This can be seen in a few different ways. Maybe you’re more patient with someone than you used to be, or maybe you practice self-control. Maybe you say no to sin when you’re tempted to sin.
Stop and pray. Be specific in your prayer. Ask God that the gospel would grow in your life and bear fruit.
6. The people of Colossae heard about the gospel through Epaphras. Who told you the gospel? Is there a particular biblical truth that has struck you? V7
Maybe a parent, friend, youth group leader. Maybe a mixture of people have continually taught you about the gospel?
7. What does Paul ask God that the people of Colossae might be given? V9
Paul and Timothy want the people of Colossae to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
8. What does it look like to live a life worthy of the Lord? V10-12
Bearing fruit in every good work v10
Growing in the knowledge of God v10
Being strengthened with all power… so that you may have endurance and patience v11
Giving joyful thanks to the father v12
9. Pick one of these things, how can you see this in your own life?
Bearing fruit in every good work v10 – Can you see how God is working or has worked in your life? This may seem very small but over time, it will grow and grow. Maybe you used to be inpatient towards your siblings of friends and now you are a little more patient? Or maybe, you used to gossip about people but now you don’t join in when others do?
Growing in the knowledge of God v10 – are you reading God’s word and learning more about him? This may only be a little bit each day, but over time, this will all add up. When we know God better, we grow in godliness.
So that you may have endurance and patience v11- God gives us strength so that we may endure in the faith and be patient. When life gets difficult, God can and will give us endurance – then we can continue to live a life that is pleasing to God. Remember where this patience and endurance come from – we are being strengthened by God! Can you see the endurance and patience that God has given you?
Giving joyful thanks to the father v12 – are you thanking and praising God for all he has done for you? List 5 things God has done for you or given to you.
10. If you are a believer, God has “qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light”. How are we qualified? What part did you play?
We are qualified because God has rescued us from the darkness v13 and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves (Jesus). And it is through Jesus that our sins are forgiven v14. The only part we play is believing. God rescued us through Jesus, we just have to believe!
This means we can have assurance that we are forgiven – because it’s not about what we do but about what God has done through his Son, Jesus!
