Colossians

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Colossians

• Sufficiency of Christ
• Written by Paul from prison about 60-62 A.D.
• Coauthored by Timothy
• Key Verses 29-10
• Myron G. Heavin

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Colossians Occasion and Purpose

• Great Creation Passages (118-20)
• Warnings about False Teachings
• False teachers had come to Colossae and seemingly
  denied the deity of Christ who spoke of a
  Philosophy of empty deception and who alluded to
  Jewish elements. Our best understanding of the
  false teaching then, is it was a blend of Jewish
  and Hellenistic teaching

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Colossians Similarities

• Very similar to Philemon
• Greetings at end have common names
• Slavery a theme in both books
• Perhaps written and distributed at same time
• Contrasts well with Ephesians
• Colossians Christ who is head of the church
• Ephesians The Church of Christ
• Similar teachings on family relations

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Colossians - Themes

• All Believers form one body
• Christ is the head of the church
• With Christ we can overcome anything

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Colossians Interesting Facts

• Immediate Audience
• Somewhat Immature Christians (60-62 A.D.)
• Gentiles Jews
• Rampant Demonology, spirits, Jewish Mysticism
  etc.
• Written from a prison in Rome
• Small town in Lycus river valley
• A letter circulated to all the churches

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The Prison Epistles of Paul
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Colossae Located in Turkey
Colossae was located 12 miles from Laocidea, and
about 100 miles east of Ephesus in the Lycus
river valley.
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Colossians New Testament Time Line

• 38-41 AD Anti-Jewish Upheaval Alexandria ,
  Palestine, Judea
• 49 - 54 AD Claudius expels Jews from Rome
• 49 AD Church struggles, meets about Jews
  Gentiles
• Acts 15, Gal. 21-15
• 54 68 AD Nero becomes emperor, welcomes Jews
  back
• Claudius poisoned by Neros Mother
• Nero murdered Mother possibly half-brother
• Nero allows Jews back into Rome
• 57 AD Paul writes Romans
• 60-62 AD Paul arrested, writes Colossians
• 64 / 65 AD Rome burns Nero blames Christians
• 68 AD Siege in Jerusalem begins after Jewish
  rebellion
• 70 AD Rome burns Jerusalem, temple destroyed

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Colossians Basic Outline (Garland)

• Salutation and Thanksgiving (11-23)
• Letter Body (124-34)
• Pauls Commission, Message, and Struggle
  (124-27)
• False Teaching and Its Antidote (28-34)
• Setting Your Hearts on Things Above (31-4)
• Ethical Admonitions (35-46)
• The Old and the New Morality (35-17)
• Commands About the Household (318-41)
• Final Greetings (47-18)

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Colossians Basic Outline (F.F. Bruce)

• Prescript (11-2)
• The Person and Work of Christ (11-23)
• Pauls Ministry (124-27)
• False Teaching and Its Antidote (28-34)
• The All-Sufficiency of Christ (28-15)
• Guard Your Freedom! 9216-19)
• You Died to Christ Therefore (220-23)
• You were Raised with Christ Therefore (31-4)
• The Christian Life (35-46)
• Personal Notes (47-17)
• Final Greeting and Benediction (418)

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I Salutation and Thanksgiving The Salutation
(11-2)

• To be in Christ
• He encompasses the entire life of the believer
• Exclusively joined to Him
• Determines the behavior of believers
• Inseparably joined to Him
• Joined to a new family without dividing lines

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I Salutation and Thanksgiving The Thanksgiving
(13-23)

• Thanksgiving for news of Colossians Faith (13-8)
• Faith, love, hope notice reversed order in
  Colossians
• Our hope is in the true message of the gospel

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I Salutation and ThanksgivingThe Thanksgiving
(13-23)

• Prayer for the Colossians Spiritual Welfare
  (19-14)
• That you may conduct ourselves worthy,
• That you may bear fruit in increase in knowledge,
• That you may be empowered,
• That you give thanks with joy,
• Because He rescued us from the dominion of
  darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of
  His Son whom He loves.
• Transition marked by redemption, forgiveness, and
  translation into the Kingdom of Gods Son.

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I Salutation and ThanksgivingHymn in Honor of
Christ (115-20)

• General hymn probably sung in all churches
• Paul may have added strobes at the end to support
  themes
• One of greatest creation passages in Scripture
• Comparable to John 11-5
• Genesis 11-3 discuss God, Spirit of God, and
  Word of God (Christ)
• II Cor. 44-6
• Christ was head/creator of governments (Rom.
  131-3)
• Christ was in control of angels (demonic powers)
• The totality of divine essence power is
  resident in Christ (mystery is now revealed)
• Christ holds relationships (not atoms) together

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I Salutation and ThanksgivingSinners Reconciled
to God (121-23)

• We once were hostile wicked sinners
• Hard for modern people to realize
• He died to reconcile us to God as blameless, holy
• Provided you remain in Him
• Do not chase after Astrologers, demons etc.
• Saints are those who finally persevere in Christ
• Many have been deceived by once saved always
  saved and continuing on in a sinful life, never
  going to church, but thinking they are saved.

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I Salutation and ThanksgivingHymn in Honor of
Christ (115-20)

• Men and Angels are Created Beings
• Created Beings can repay sins between themselves
• God is totally holy and Created Beings cannot
  repay sins against God
• They have nothing to offer
• God can only offer Himself as a suitable
  sacrifice
• Therefore only Christianity with its Triune God
  can offer a suitable sacrifice for sins.
• There is no other way than thru Christ

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GOD
q
Holy Spirit
Jesus
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II Letter Body (124-223) Pauls Stewardship of
the Divine Mystery (124-29)

• Paul is in prison (probably Rome)
• Paul is a minister (apostle to the gentiles)
• Pauls purpose is to make known the Word of God
• The Mystery of Christ (the Word of God) has now
  been revealed.
• Nothing is new except we now know about Christ.
• Tends to support covenant theology

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II Letter Body (124-223)Pauls Ministry
(124-27)

• Concern for the Christians of the Lycos Valley
  (21-5)
• Paul is quite concerned about Colossae and
  Laodicea
• He wants to encourage them to be united in love
• Christ is the fully revealed mystery
• There is no other higher secret knowledge
  (astrology)
• There is no higher holy book (Koran, Book of
  Mormon, Book of Judas)
• All treasurers of wisdom and knowledge are in
  Christ

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II Letter Body (124-223)Pauls Ministry
(124-27)

• Maintaining the Tradition of Christ (26-7)
• You have received Christ
• Pursue Christ
• Be rooted and built up in Him,
• Be firmly established as you have been taught
• Abound in thanksgiving
• Stay the Course

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II Letter Body (124-34)False Teaching its
Antidote (28-34)

• The All-Sufficiency of Christ(28-15)
• The Fullness of Christ (28-10)
• The New Circumcision (211-12)
• The Triumph of Christ (213-15)
• The Mosaic Covenant has been fully satisfied
• Guard your Freedom! (216-19)
• Freedom in Respect of Food and Festivals(216-17)
• Freedom in Respect of Asceticism and Angel
  Worship (218-19)
• You died with Christ Therefore (220-23)
• You were Raised with Christ Therefore (31-4)

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III The Christian Life (35-46)Ethical
Admonitions (35-46)

• Put Off (35-11)
• Put On (312-17)
• Be Subject (318-41)
• Wives and Husbands (318-19)
• This section expanded in Ephesians
• Children and Parents (320-21)
• Slaves and Masters (322-41)
• This section expanded in Philemon
• Watch and Pray (42-6)

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From Ephesians III. Ethics (41-620)

• Most of us daily fall into both columns below
• We need to treat each other with more love
• We need more reverence (fear) of God and others
• We will be judged and rewarded based on our
  actions

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III Final Greetings (47-18)Letter Closing
Benediction

• Pauls Messengers (47-9)
• Greetings from Pauls Companions (410-14)
• 5 of the 6 companions are repeated in Philemon
  Closing
• Messages for Various Friends (415-17)
• Final Greetings and Benediction (418)

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Bibliography

• Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to
  Philemon, and the Ephesians. The New
  International Commentary on the New Testament.
  Grand Rapids Eerdmans, 1984.
• Garland, David E. Colossians /Philemon. The NIV
  Application Commentary. Grand Rapids Zondervan,
  2000.
• Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament.
  Grand Rapids Zondervan, 2003.
• Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville Holman Bible
  Publishers, 1991.
• Arnold, Clinton E. Colossians. Zondervan
  Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Vol 3.
  Grand Rapids Zondervan, 2002.
• Martinez, Ted. Talbot New Testament Survey
  Lectures, Talbot Theological Seminary, Summer
  2003.

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