Thru the Bible Christian Study on Colossians

MESSAGE OF COLOSSIANS: Colossians is the chart and compass
that enable the believer to sail between the ever-present Scylla
and Charybdis. “Pure Christianity lives between two dangers ever
present: the danger that it will evaporate into a philosophy —
GNOSTICISM
(1) They had an exclusive spirit (were aristocratic
in wisdom).
(2) They held speculative tenets on creation —
that God did not create the universe directly,
but created a creature who in turn created
another creature, until one finally created the
physical universe. Christ was considered a
creature in this long series of creations.
(3) Their ethical practice was asceticism (influenced
by Greek Stoicism) and unrestrained
licentiousness (from Greek Epicureanism).
Col. 1:28
Col. 1:15-19;
2:18
Col. 2:16, 23
Col. 3:5-9
PAUL’S
ANSWER
philosophies of the atonement…and the danger that it will freeze
into a form” (Dr. Scofield). Jesus said that He is the water of life.
He did not say that He was the ice of life; He did not say that He
was the steam of life. We are not told to add something to Christ
nor to subtract from Him.
The message of this epistle can best be seen by comparing it with
other prison epistles.
Subject: Ephesians — the body of believers, called the church,
of which Christ is the Head
Colossians — the Head of the body who is Christ; the
body is only secondary (Colossians 1:18)
Theme: Philippians — Christian living is the theme and the periphery
of the circle where Christ is the
center.
Colossians — Christ is the theme and the periphery of
the circle where Christian living is the
center.
Philippians emphasizes the kenosis — Christ became a Servant
(Philippians 2:7).
Colossians emphasizes the pleroma — Christ is the fullness of
God (Colossians 2:9).
“Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in Thee I find”
(Charles Wesley).