Colossians Simplified

Author & Audience

Author: The Apostle Paul

Audience: The Christians in the Town of Colossae

Colossians 1:1–8 (NASB95)

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Epaphras was One of Paul’s Companions Who Likely Established the Church in Colossae

Colossians 4:12–13 (NASB95)

12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Epaphras Might Have Been Involved in the Establishment of Churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis Too

Colossae, Along with Laodicea and Hierapolis Made Up a Tri-City Area…

About 100 Miles East of Ephesus

Several Hundred Years Before the 1st Century, Colossae was a Major City in Asia Minor

But By Paul’s Day it was Considered a Small Market Town

Laodicea had Become the Major City of the Area

Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is 1 of His 4 Prison Letters

(Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon)

All 4 Letters Have Similarities: Common Wording and Teachings

We’ve Already Simplified All of Them Except Philemon

The Similarities We See Between Colossians and Philemon Have to Do with a Man Named Onesimus

Colossians 4:9 (NASB95)

9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

He was a Colossian Christian as Well

But We Learn More About Him From Paul’s Letter to Philemon

Philemon and Onesimus were from Colosse

And Onesimus was Philemon’s Slave

We’ll Look at What All is Going on There When We Get to Philemon Simplified

Purpose

Sometime After Epaphras had Established the Colossian Church…

False Teachings Began to Take Root and Spread

So Epaphras Visits Paul in His Roman Imprisonment…

To Tell Him About the False Teaching Taking Place

There Were Several Different Forms of False Teaching Taking Place:

Jewish Legalism/Ceremonialism

Asceticism

Worship of Angels

Human Wisdom and Tradition

General Devaluing of Jesus

Paul’s Purpose in Writing this Letter was to Refute These False Teachings…

And to Teach the Supremacy and Sufficiency of Jesus

Theme

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Jesus

He is Lord Over All

And He is All that is Needed for Reconciliation and Sanctification

The Key Passage of this Letter Shows this Better Than Any Other Text of the Bible

Colossians 1:15–23 (NASB95)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created, aboth in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

First and Foremost, Jesus is the Perfect Image of the Invisible God

He is the Creator of All Things

And He is the Sustainer of All Things

Paul is Showing Us the Supremacy of Jesus

18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Jesus is the Lord and Authority Over His People, the Church

He is the First of New Humanity/Creation…

Being the First to Receive His Immortal and Glorious Resurrection Body

He Reconciles All Things in Heaven and on Earth to Himself

Jesus is Sufficient for Our Reconciliation

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

He has Reconciled Us to Live Holy and Blameless Lives

He has Reconciled Us to Be Firmly Established in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel

Jesus is Sufficient for Our Sanctification

Paul Wants the Colossians and Us to See the Supremacy and Sufficiency of Jesus

He is All to Us

Outline

1.) The Supremacy of Jesus (1)

2.) False Teaching Denounced (2)

3.) Principles for New Humanity (3)

4.) Closing Greetings and Instructions (4)

Application

We’ve Already Been Looking at a Decent Portion of this Book

But I Still Believe the Best Practical Passage in this Book is Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1–4 NASB95

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Those of Us Who Have Been Baptized with Jesus Need to Seek the Things of His Kingdom

We Must Set Our Minds on His Teachings, Commands, and Example

We Must Follow the Lead of His Spirit/Mind/Heart

When We Recognize that There is No Life Outside of Jesus…

We Will Seek His Will with All Our Hearts

We Will Set Our Minds on His Kingdom

And When We Do that, We Will Have Hope of Receiving Glorious Life with Him at His Return