1. In Colossians Chapter 3 verse 3 we read that we died. Verse 1 tells us that we have been raised with Christ, which is the same truth we saw in Chapter 2 verse 12.
How are we dead and buried in baptism with Christ?
We know we are alive, so what died or how did we die?
Our sinful old self died. When Christ died he atoned for our sins. When he died he carried our sins with him to the grave. When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit when - we are born again - our sins are forgiven and our old sinful selves die, our sins die as they are the nature of that old man.
2. How are we raised with Christ?
What do verses 12 and 13 of Chapter 2 tell us?
We are raised through our faith in the power of God who made us alive in Christ.
1. How do we explain that our life is now hidden with Christ in God?
According to the Macarthur Study Bible "Hidden with Christ in God" is a rich expression with a threefold meaning:
1) believers have a common spiritual life with the Father and Son;
2) the world cannot understand the full import of the believers new life;
3) believers are eternally secure, protected from all spiritual enemies, and with access to all God’s blessings.
2. Why does Colossians Chapter 3 verse 4 state that we will appear with Christ at His second coming?
Does I John 3:12 help us understand this verse?
I John 3:12 tells us "what we will be has not yet been made known."
Because our lives are now hidden, we cannot know them fully; but we will understand and know the full meaning of our new lives when Christ returns.
1. From verses 5 through 9, what are the things we are told to put to death with our old man, or put away?
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Verse 5:
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Verse 8:
Verse 9: lying to one another |
2. From verses 10-17, what things are we told to put on or do as the new man?
List the things we are told to do, focus on the action verbs or commands. Do you see any patterns?
Verse 10: put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator
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Verse 12:
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Verse 13:
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Verse 14: And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity
Verse 15:
Verse 16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Verse 17: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
There are two patterns or themes in these verses.
The first is unity:
Verse 13 tells us to bear with and forgive each other, while we are told to put on love in verse 14 so that we might enjoy perfect unity as members of one body as described in verse 15.
The second is gratitude or thankfulness:
Verses 15, 16, and 17 tell us to be thankful, to have gratitude in our hearts to God and to give thanks to God the Father through Jesus Christ the son.
1. Why are there eight categories of people listed in verse 11? What do they mean?
GREEK or JEW
The Jews looked on all others as Greeks (Gentiles) from a nationality perspective.
CIRCUMCISED or UNCIRCUMCISED
This puts away the notion of physical circumcision as a marker of distinction as one of God’s chosen people.
BARBARIAN or SCYTHIAN
The Greeks and Romans regarded all others as barbarians
Thayer's Definition of barbarian: “rude or rough”
A Scythian was an inhabitant of Scythia or modern day Russia; by the more civilized nations of antiquity the Scythians were regarded as the wildest of barbarians.
SLAVE or FREE
There are no societal class distinctions in Christ
This listing of all the possible categorizations of people from a human point of view, preceeds the spiritual truth that Christ can be in all and to show that they all have the same Creator.
2. What do the following verses teach us about God’s perspective of people?
1. What does the word “submit” in verse 18 mean?
Submit According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, submit means:
A question for the ladies: Why does it make sense?
It makes sense because God said so here in verse 18 “fitting in the Lord” and elsewhere (See Genesis 3:16)
2. In verse 19 husband are told to love their wives and not to be harsh or bitter with them. What is the impact of a marriage when these 2 commands from Colossians Chapter 3 verses 18 and 19 are not obeyed?
To quote from Adam Clark's Commentary:
Wherever bitterness is, there love is wanting. And where love is wanting in the married life, there is hell upon earth.
The harsh or bitter husband who does not love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) will greatly increase the likelyhood of an unhappy wife who will find it nearly impossible to love her husband, even though she is commanded to by the Lord. The sinful husband who does not love his wife as commanded here and in Ephesians Chapter 5 will not enjoy the happiness and great benefits of a marriage devoted to Christian ideals and their associated rewards.
The unsubmissive wife who does not submit to her husband as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22) will never be satisfied in her marriage because she is not seeking comittment to the will of the Lord as her standard of happiness, contentment, and security. Perhaps she is attempting to control her situation or circumstances as opposed to allowing the Lord to work in her marriage through the leadership of her husband.
A marriage should be based on LOVE. First of all love for the Lord and secondly the love for one another. Then the foundation is laid for happiness, security, and contentment. God ordained marriage and God provides the example to us of Christ as the groom and the church as the bridegroom.
How has Satan influenced our culture to convince us that we do not have to obey these commands?
Your Answer Here
1. What life lessons can we learn from the principles of Colossians Chapter 3 verses 22-25?
2. What is the theme of this third Chapter of Colossians? Describe the theme using a single sentence.
Put on Christ.