Colossians - Overview - Lesson 1

Colossians - A letter recieved from Apostle Paul

History of Colossae:
Colossae, the named city, was one of 3 cites located about 100 miles inland from Ephesis. The other two cities were Laodica and Therapolos. This area was a meeting point of the east and the west, which made it an important trade route point.

At one time, all three cities were growing and prosperous. Gradually Colassse slipped in to what we now would call a small town. Even though it became this small town, the church there was still important enough to recieve a letter from Apostle Paul.

Religion in Colossae:

All kinds of religous philosophies were present, there was a large Jewish colony. But there being a point of a trade route, there were always new ideas and doctrines introduced.

The reason that Paul wrote the letter to this church, he never actually visited there nor did he establish the church there. By looking at Colossians 1:4,9, he personally had never even visited, it shows that he heard of their faith.

A church of unknown people.
In a small town.
Recieving a personal letter from Apostle Paul.


Paul had a 3 year ministry in Ephesus (acts 19;20:17-38)
It was such an effective ministry that ‘all they, which lived in Asia heard the word of THE LORD Jesus, Both Greeks and Jews. (acts 19:10)

This included people in all 3 of the cities we have talked about.

Therefore, the church was started. It was an outgrowth of Pauls mission there to Ephesus.

During Pauls ministry in Ephesus w men from Colassae were saved Epaphras and Philemon (this can be found in Phil 19)

Epephres was a founder in Colassae (1:7)
He also had a ministry in Hierapolis and Laodica (4:12-13)

Philemon had church, a meeting , in his home (phile 2)
In Phil 2, Apphia and Archippus were the wife and son of Philemon was the pastor of the church (col 4:17)

Here were 2 laymen – Regular people. Used of God to start ministries in at least 3 cities.

---a lesson for us from this
God doesn’t always need an apostle of full time Christian worker to establish meetings nor does HE need buildings and extensive organizations.

Its Gods plan that Christians in large urban areas like Ephesus reach out into smaller towns and share the gospel.

After reading this part and establishing the importance of outreach, to smaller areas It brought to mind how our church has reached out to a smaller church, Glenwood.

Colossians church primarily consisted of Gentiles in ins membership. The church was probably about 5 years old when this letter was written.


WHY PAUL WROTE THE LETTER
A crisis occurred that was about to destroy the church there

At the time this letter was written- Paul was a prisoner in Rome.
He met a runaway slave, Onesinumus who belong to Philemon. Philemon was one of the leaders of the church in Colossae.

Paul led Onesinumus to The Lord. Then he wrote a letter to Philemon, asking his friend to forgive Onesimus and receive him back as his brother in Christ.

About the same time Epaphras showed up in Rome because he needed Pauls help.

New doctrines were being taught in Colossae and were creating problems. So paul wrote the letter to establish the truth of the gospel and get rid of any wrong or false teachings.

FALSE TEACHINGS THAT WERE WRONG

Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism is the proper wording for the problems occurring Scholars refer to this as nosticism. Which is from the Greek word ‘gnosis’ meaning ‘to know’
(agnostic is one who doesn’t know)

Gnostics were peple ‘in the know’ when it came to the deep things of God

They were promising people such a close union with God that they would achieve spiritual perfection. The only way they would, supposably, attain this spiritual fullness was by entering into these teachings and ceremonies they told them to.

Supposably these teaching would releasze them from earthly things and put them in touch with heavenly things.

All of these teachings were man made philosophies based on traditions and not Divine truth.

They speculated and pondered on speculations such as Why is there evil in the world if creation was made by Holy God. And came to the false conclusion that ‘matter’ was evil. Matter, any physical substance. They came to another false conclusion that God couldn’t come into contact with evil matter so there had to be a series of ‘emanations’ from God to His creation. They were so believing in a ‘powerful spirit world’ that used material things to attack mankind. And they also held a form of astrology…believing that angelic beings ruled heavenly bodies and influenced heavenly affairs. (col 1:16;2:10,15)

Added to these was that form of Jewish legalism, The teahers believed that the rate of Jewish circumsicion was helpful in spiritual development.

As I reviewed this and studied it really bring a lot to my mind that is like this in our world today. I am not talking about fortune tellers, and card readers, horascopes I am talking about in churchs all around us.

Can you think of anything that would be a sort of false teaching, belief, or emanations used in other churches???

----my examples:
Churches requiring snake handling, church where you are required to speak in tongues as it is considered part of your salvation, requiring of certain meats not to be eaten, your saved only if you have had a water baptism, requirement of 2 year servanthood or ceremonies of affirmation.


The church there was teaching the Old Testament Law especially dietary laws which was useful in attaining spiritual perfection. (col 2:14-17)

Definate rules and regulations told them what was good and what was evil (2:21)

Matter—I mentioned before was evil to them. So they had to find some way to control their own human natures to pursue their perfection. Therefore, 2 pracitces resulted The predominiant one thought that the only way to conquer evil matter was by rigid discipline and Ascentistism (2:23) (ascentisism means abstienance from worldly pleasure to an extreme)
The second thought it was permissible to engage in all kinds of sin once matter was evil anyway.


Pauls letter to the Colossians is to tell them that the person and work of Jesus Christ, alone, is able to offer salvation.

Jesus intended to fully redeem those who are captice to sin by dying of the crossand paying the price for their freedom.

Jesus Christ settled the sin question in His work on the cross. HE completely defeated all satanic force (2:15)
He put en to the legal demands of the law (2:14+-17)

Colossions belief began to drift in their understanding of the perons and work of Jesus Christ. Paul needed to stop the drift and reestablish proper :CHRISTOLOGY

Christology has 2 essential parts: the person of Jesus Christ includes his/or her character and nature
And
The work of Jeus Christ is all about redemption.

Jesus Christ is the image of invisible God.
- If you want to know what God looks like, Look at Jesus. He is the visible image of God (( see also John 14:9))
- Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jeus is the the exact reproduction of GOD>
There is no difference in essence or nature.
**Paul goes on to tell us in the letter ‘for in Christ all the fullness of the Diety lives in bodily form. (colossians 2:9)

How in life are we effected by traditions? IS your faith and believing strong enough that you know Jesus is the only way? Is your faith big enough to know what you believe?

As we study Colossians, Paul give clear cut points about false belief and how if it don’t come back to The Cross…its false. We will dig deeper into the letter and look each individually.

Colossians 1:1 Paul calls himself ‘apostle’
Greek root word for this means ‘to send’

The new testament employs this word to signify approved spokesman sent as a personal representative.

Although every chrisitan is not called by God to minister like paul or the 12 apostles/ Every Christian is called by God to represent Him before the people who we come in contact with.

1:2 saints… greek term meaning ‘holy people’ the essence of the word ‘holiness’ is being set apart to God.

All believer are saints not because were perfect but because we belong to God.

‘in Christ’ Paul uses this reference 80 times, in his letters. Paul saw all of chrisitan experience a growing act of the Christian believers position ‘in christ’
Basically, everything a Christian does should reflect Christ

Grace and peace… greek word grace with standard Hebrew word ‘peace’
Reminding in his letter that wholeness is in God our father who is the ultimate source of wholeness and favor

3a Praying always for you.. intercessory prayer and thanksgiving – he interceded for the Colossions and offered praise for them.