Colossians 1:13-29

Colossians 1:13-29

1. What did God do for us through Jesus, by reading v. 13-14?

• Rescues us from the dominion of darkness
• Offers us redemption through the forgiveness of sings
• We are brought into the Kingdom of the Son, Jesus

As we saw in the first part of Chapter 1, this is also why we work to please God.


2. What do we learn about Jesus from v. 15-20?

This section covers a litany of qualities of Jesus:

• Image of the invisible God
• Firstborn over all creation
• By Him all things are created
• Visible and invisible in heaven and on earth
• Whether thrones, rulers, powers or authorities
• All things were created by Him and for Him
• Jesus as the king
• He is the head of the body, the church
• He is before all things, holds things together, is the beginning, and the firstborn from among the dead
• What does it mean to say that he is the head of the church? He is the ruler of the kingdom yet to come. He was, is, and is to be

We discussed the incredible nature of the "invisible" quality of Jesus, which reflects the same quality of God. Jesus transcends the material and physical manifestations of reality as we understand it. We also discussed Jesus as the firstborn and the beginning. This also establishes our call to be the first in service, whatever the conditions. Whoever you might work with or whoever your immediate supervisor may be, whether in church or at work, God is our ultimate supervisor.


3. Read v. 21-22. Do you feel worthy that through Christ we are presented as holy, blameless, and beyond reproach, although we were once alienated from Him, doing evil, and dwelling in the dominion of darkness?

Inevitably, but surely, we cannot ever feel worthy, but we can continually strive to live lives that honor him by...

• Living lives of joy because of the salvation we find in Him
• Living lives of confidence because all things in the universe were created by Him and for Him
• Living lives of service because He leads his church for His purpose

4. Why is Paul so committed and passionate about being a minister of the gospel as seen in v. 24-26?

God commissioned him to do so.


5. In v. 26-27, Paul explains his God-given commission. Why is this specifically applicable to the Colossians?

• Romans 1:16
• Ties into the spreading of the Gospel throughout the world
• They were chosen by God to hear the good news
• One of the fruits should be obedience and Paul is embodying that by carrying out the commission

6. Paul discusses his zeal for fulfilling God's commission. Do you have experiences of supernatural energy to complete a task in serving the Lord?

Prayer and Praise

All, this is a post of prayer and praise. After reading Betsy's prayer request, I've been keeping an eye out for verses on prayer. I happened to be reading the book of James, and James 5:16 says this:

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

And there's always Philippians 4:6-7:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I hope we may all be praying for the family, as God promises us that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective, and that the peace of God will guard us in Christ. Let us never forget that!

As for praise, Noelle passed all her exams and graduated from her class! Praise God. We look forward to having you back on a consistent basis, Noelle.

A Little Encouragement

A passage we took a look at last week that I wanted to post as a little encouragement at the start of this week:

"Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you now know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

-- Isaiah 40:27-31

This passage reminded me of the verse in Colossians 1:11, "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience". Though we may be going through our individual struggles in this season of our lives, the Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak so that we will soar on wings like eagles and be able to endure with patience, to keep running and walking and not grow weary or faint. What a wonderful promise that we are not in this alone!