Colossians Study Outline

The Cross Abolished all Legalism in ordinances in the Law of Moses and the forefathers standards built on their traditions. Jesus Christ is the visible manifeastion of the invisible Godhead as the Son of man, our second Adam as promised in Genesis 3:15.

Colossians 3:18-21

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."

How many wives are submitting to their own husbands these days? Not many because we see the divorce rates climb even among Christians, mainly because of a rebellious heart in both parties. Here Paul touches on another matter, that being the seed of bitterness which is at the root of each person born to woman through the offices of a man. It is this root that causes so many divorces and troubles among all peoples and nations. Jesus being the one and only exception because He was born through a divine intervention to a virgin girl as Prophesied. And this is in fulfillment of the promise of Genesis 3:15, through the offices of the Father and LORD of spirits. Then Paul touches on another credtical area of life in the soul of man then rage and anger provoked by fathers within the offspring. This being another root of evil that governs our yougth among all nations and peoples.

 

 

Colossians 3:22-23

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
We have to use common sense as fathers and leaders in business practices. Then he comes down to employees with regards to their employer, and all of this is just plain practical common sense instructions for a child of God.



Colossians 3:24-25

“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”
This speaks in plan language that our reward is in serving the Lord Christ and by serving those who He sends, brings or leads us to or them to us. But if we take lightly His message we shall receive for the wrong we've done. Paul also interjects a word of warning, that being that we are not to be a respecter of persons, which simply means we treat all people alike and as equals. Because we all have the same origin and beginnings.
Colossians 4:1

“Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”
Are you a pastor, a businessman an owner of a business or a headmaster of a school of education no matter its level or doctrines. If the answer is yes and your a true believer of this Gospel of the LORD Christ then this applies to you. Treat all people with respect and limitation of personal power as was the practice of Christ Jesus in all things.



Colossians 4:2-4

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”
For me on a personal level the Lord asked, if I was ready to receive and accept my calling, to which my response was yes, LORD. As long as You remain my source, sufficiency and supply through it all, because You must increase while I decrease. He then showed me that we (my wife and I) were to be a type of life preserver. In that we would throw or give out a message of reconciliation which would have a lite twine type of rope attached but untied. If the party accepted the message the twine would become tied under that condition. The party would have to remove all idols from themselves (from their vain imagination of perception) and their homes. And Christ then would be their Lord otherwise the twine would slip off and away from the life preserver and they would seal their own doom (Jude 21-23). So my request is that of Paul's “that an open door for utterance of these secrets of Christ be granted us” and that there'd be hearts open to receive Him like Lydia's before us.



Colossians 4:5-6

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without (in other words let the Light of Life in Christ shine through), redeeming the time (this is today and is what I am about doing as He leads). Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (be so filled by the Holy Spirit, Love, Faith and Grace and the wisdom He imparts at the time of need that it is He who speaks through us).”

From here Paul lists his fellow workers and the assemblies where this Epistle is to be read as a means of strengthening their hearers. Then he says in verse 12 the following; “ a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” We as servants first of Christ and then of you, and I say our Amen to this statement.

Colossians Study Outline

The Cross Abolished all Legalism in ordinances in the Law of Moses and the forefathers standards built on their traditions.

Colossians 3:17

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

There’s the process again, as Paul also gave it in Ephesians on how we’re to pray. We still have people ask, "Are we still supposed to pray in the name of Jesus?" Absolutely! Because we reside in Him, a wife uses her husbands name every time she writes a check to draw on their bank account. But she like us does not repeat in Jesus' name because we are in Him and He is in us as the “one” of 2Corinthiand 5. After doing many Epistle outlines it has become clear to me that to repeat the phrase, “in Jesus name” as and ending for prayer is some what demeaning. What I mean is this, according to John 10:14-16 and 27 and when we know Him as we are cautioned to know Him we are clothed within Him and to repeat a phrase does not reflect this knowledge. To me it simply means I do not have any revelation of what it means to be clothed in Christ, its as if I were naked and exposed to the world, as a young child might be when running around with only a diaper on. Or how about this, in todays society there are some men who dress in womans clothing imaiting a femenist personality instead of being a mans man. Some of these people even demand that right to use the facilities set aside for only women which is making a mockery of who God made them to be, men. Come back with me to Ephesians chapter 5. You’ll see this is plain English, this is the process.

 

 

Ephesians 5:20

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father (how?) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"

That’s the Scriptural instruction, but remember that the Jesus, the Son of man, in mans flesh nature remains where? and Paul says the same thing here in Colossians. Now looking at Colossians again.

 

 

Colossians 3:17

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

“By Him,” is the key here, our being one in and with the Lord Christ Jesus, because after all He’s the One that is our focus as the centeral theme of all this Bible has to reveal. And is at the right hand of the Father, He’s the One that’s the Advocate, He’s the One that is the Intercessor, our Mediator and it only makes common sense that His Spirit reigns supreme in me as He does in you. In fact another verse comes to mind in 1Timothy chapter 2 which expresses our knowing “the knowledge of this Truth.” Again it’s a good admonition for all of us.

 

 

1Timothy 2:1-5

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings (our government), and for all that are in authority (the pastor and teacher as the guardians of your souls), that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestly. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God (Christ) our Savior. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

Oh aren’t you glad you don’t have to go through a priest, or a religion, but you have clear access into the throne room. Oh boy, let’s come back to Colossians. And we will wind up Colossians , we'll ask folks to just read chapter 4, because it has a lot of greeting in it, but now Paul has one more strong admonition for the family in verse 18, before we move into chapter 4.

Colossians Study Outline

The Cross Abolished all Legalism in ordinances in the Law of Mosesand the forefathers standards built on their traditions.


There is no need for Christians to go through life without having peace and rest in God.

Colossians 3:15b

"…to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

See here it is again, the Body of Christ, counted in the “one” of 2Corinthians 5:14-15, which all believers of Paul’s Gospel are a part of. The same ones that Jesus spoke of in John's synoptic gospel in chapter 10 verses 16 and 27. With these verses there is one over looked which is verse 26 which states this: “But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.” This also agrees with what was stated earlier dealing with the word from Jeremiah 4 :14 and 18. Many have pointed a finger of displeasure and quite frankly disapproval of me because I with a few others proclaim a selective and limited or restrictive Gospel based on our understanding of God and His Word. I see the entry into God's kingdom as a very narrow passage through which many are not willing to pass for many reasons. But the chief reason to me is just plan ignorance of God and His Word because there is no knowledge of Him to be found in them. For knoweldge leads to love and love leads to clean and clear fellowship in trust which brings about worship in spirit and truth.

Moving on to the two words “one” and “all”, now here is another one of those missed opertunities in the word “But” here used and here means, taken from Webster's 1828 Dictionary: “NOTWITHSTAND'ING, the participle of withstand, with not prefixed, and signifying not opposing; nevertheless. It retains in all cases its participial signification. For example, "I will surely rend the knigdom from you, and will give it to your servant; notwithstanding, in your days I will not do it, for David your father's sake." 1 Ki 11. In this passage there is an ellipsis of that, after notwithstanding. That refers to the former part of the sentence, “I will rend the kingdom from you; notwithstanding that (declaration or determination,) in your days I will not do it.” In this and in all cases, notwithstanding, either with or without that or this, constitutes the case absolute or independent. The reason that other sheep will not become the LORD'S is because they are not given to Him by the Father, as being part of the “But” or in our case not being part of the “all”. And now you know why I claim a selective Gospel message with the intent of bring people to a true and accurate knowledge of both God and Christ Jesus as they are indeed One. For the Spirit of Truth is my LORD as He is to be the LORD of all true Christ-like-ones or Christ-ones.

 

 

Colossians 3:16a

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;…"

I’ve got to take you back to chapter 1. I could take you also to Ephesians, but I’ll make it easy on you, so just turn back a page in Colossians to 1:9. This is Paul’s prayer on behalf of the Colossi believers.

 

 

Colossians 1:9-10

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, (that they had become believers) do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding:"

To be able to search the Scriptures and dig these things out, and put them into daily practice, because how many times have I said, "Christianity is the most practical thing on earth." And I mean that. Christianity is what makes people a good citizen. Christianity is what makes a person a good neighbor. Christianity makes a person a good parent. Christianity makes a person a good teenager, Christianity is what makes an honest person a good and true businessman. So all the way through Christianity is so practical. It’s not pie in the sky, or some foolishness over there, but just simple practical everyday living. And that’s what God is looking for. How is this reached by us? Through a working active knowledge and spiritual relationship in Christ Jesus and our New Life in Him and He through us in all wisdom and spiritual understanding with thanksgiving.

Colossians 1:10

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, (we don’t have to be like sandpaper to people who are around us. However they must also realize that we’re different than the world) being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Oh listen, when I realized how ignorant that I was, I also realized how ignorant so many so-called “Christians” are. And how it must grieve the heart of God and His Holy Spirit that they haven’t learned of Him. After all it took me and mine over 40 years of deep frustration before I had a change of mindset too. Remember ignorance is not a lack of brain power, that has nothing to do with it. Ignorance is a lack of teaching or training in righteousness. Now that may be of our own free will, some don’t want to be taught, but many times it’s just simply they’ve never thought about it. But to be willingly ignorant of what the Scripture says, means that you simply don’t want to learn, so remember that. The old tired attitude of, it was good for grandpa and dad and it is therefore good for me, does not fly any longer. Or to study Israel as the bases of our knowledge flies in the face of God, because with it comes all those ceremonies, rites, rituals, customs and traditions and holidays including Sabbaths, the old standards that are now set aside. Why? Because they all pointed towards the day of the Lord, Christ Jesus as their fulfilment and consummation. People with this mindset will remain in darkness which is sin. They remain the people who make light of Christ because of the darkness of their hearts. God wants us all to increase in the Knowledge of His Word and Himself. To do so requires our willingness to set aside all other forms of mans religion with all of it imposed standards, doctrines, ordinances, and traditions. He, God in Jesus, died our death to free us from deaths grip in mans religion. Saul of Tarsus who became Paul because he to died to his fromer way in mans religion, a Jew, as a Pharisee's Pharisee is our example of this.