Colossians 1:1-12
Lesson 384
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
"The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians"
"Christ is all, and in all" (3:11).
Authorship:
Colossians was written by Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ" (1:1), when he was about sixty-five years oldand under arrest in Rome in AD 61-62. This epistle (letter) was delivered to Colosse by Tychicus, Paul's traveling companion (Acts 20:4) and a "faithful minister" (Colossians 4:7). Because Paul was incarcerated when he wrote Colossians, Bible scholars refer to it as one of the four "prison epistles" (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon).
Colosse was a small city located ninety-five miles east of Ephesus on the Lycus River (a tributary of the Maeander River) in Asia Minor. It was part of the Roman province of Phrygia in what is now southwest Turkey. Colosse was famous for its wool and dye industries, but by Paul's day, was a city in decline. Fairly cosmopolitan, the people of Colosse followed many philosophies, some religious, some not. One hybrid religion, an early form of Gnosticism, blended aspects of Christianity, Judaism, and paganism and claimed to know the secret wisdom necessary for salvation. Paul never visited Colosse (Colossians 2:1); it was Epaphras, one of Paul's ministers, who introduced Christianity to the Colossians (1:7-8). Colosse was later destroyed by an earthquake and no longer exists. The Romans put Paul to death shortly after writing Colossians.
More about Paul:
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). He was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire, teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he traveled about spreading the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50) and forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14). His enemies rose up and put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times, beaten with rods three times, and was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). He was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and lost at sea (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12) and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and from brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while waiting for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Purpose and Theme:
Between the Judaizers, people worshipping angels (2:18), the rise of Gnosticism and other man-made religions, the new converts were in danger of going astray. Paul wrote to the Colossians and the Laodiceans (4:16) to encourage them and to challenge the growing heresies within the church of Colosse. In Colossians, Paul picks these heresies apart and assures us that truth and salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ. Not much has changed in two thousand years. Many of the heresies that tempted the church in Colosse still plague us today. In Colossians, you will learn new things about the Messiah.
Colossians was written by Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ" (1:1), when he was about sixty-five years oldand under arrest in Rome in AD 61-62. This epistle (letter) was delivered to Colosse by Tychicus, Paul's traveling companion (Acts 20:4) and a "faithful minister" (Colossians 4:7). Because Paul was incarcerated when he wrote Colossians, Bible scholars refer to it as one of the four "prison epistles" (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon).
Colosse was a small city located ninety-five miles east of Ephesus on the Lycus River (a tributary of the Maeander River) in Asia Minor. It was part of the Roman province of Phrygia in what is now southwest Turkey. Colosse was famous for its wool and dye industries, but by Paul's day, was a city in decline. Fairly cosmopolitan, the people of Colosse followed many philosophies, some religious, some not. One hybrid religion, an early form of Gnosticism, blended aspects of Christianity, Judaism, and paganism and claimed to know the secret wisdom necessary for salvation. Paul never visited Colosse (Colossians 2:1); it was Epaphras, one of Paul's ministers, who introduced Christianity to the Colossians (1:7-8). Colosse was later destroyed by an earthquake and no longer exists. The Romans put Paul to death shortly after writing Colossians.
More about Paul:
Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). He was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire, teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he traveled about spreading the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50) and forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14). His enemies rose up and put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times, beaten with rods three times, and was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). He was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and lost at sea (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12) and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and from brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while waiting for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
Purpose and Theme:
Between the Judaizers, people worshipping angels (2:18), the rise of Gnosticism and other man-made religions, the new converts were in danger of going astray. Paul wrote to the Colossians and the Laodiceans (4:16) to encourage them and to challenge the growing heresies within the church of Colosse. In Colossians, Paul picks these heresies apart and assures us that truth and salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ. Not much has changed in two thousand years. Many of the heresies that tempted the church in Colosse still plague us today. In Colossians, you will learn new things about the Messiah.
Colossians is broken down into three segments:
1) Verses 1:1- 2-3 - Opening greeting (1:1-2); Faith in Jesus, love for Christians, and the hope of heaven (1:4-5); Paul's prayer for Christians (1:9-12); True doctrine (1:13-2:5); The case against the Gnostics (Christ is God, the creator, and the head of the church).
2) Verses 2:6- 3:4 - False doctrine (man-made religion).
3) Verses 3:5- 4:18 - How to live as a Christian (love others, pray, forgive, be a different person, and spread the Gospel);
Final benediction (4:7-4:18).
1) Verses 1:1- 2-3 - Opening greeting (1:1-2); Faith in Jesus, love for Christians, and the hope of heaven (1:4-5); Paul's prayer for Christians (1:9-12); True doctrine (1:13-2:5); The case against the Gnostics (Christ is God, the creator, and the head of the church).
2) Verses 2:6- 3:4 - False doctrine (man-made religion).
3) Verses 3:5- 4:18 - How to live as a Christian (love others, pray, forgive, be a different person, and spread the Gospel);
Final benediction (4:7-4:18).
Study Tip:
Apply Bible teachings to your life by asking yourself;
What is this passage telling me?
How would it change me?
Apply Bible teachings to your life by asking yourself;
What is this passage telling me?
How would it change me?