Intro ColossiansVC33008

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An Overview of Pauls Epistleto the Colossians
ABOVE ALL ELSE
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Three Questions

• What is God like, what is His relationship to
  the world?
• How does a human being come to know God?
• How can we experience a vital spiritual life?

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The Letter

• Author
• Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus (11)
• Recepient
• Christians at Colosse (12)
• Background
• Colosse, Third Missionary Journey, Epaphrus

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Location of Colosse
.
Ephesus
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Third Missionary Journeys (Acts 18-21)
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The Letter

• Author
• Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus (11)
• Recepient
• Christians at Colosse (12)
• Background
• Colosse, Third Missionary Journey, Epaphrus
• Tone
• Encouraging yet strong assertive

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The Occasion- False Teaching

• Gnosticism
• Secret knowledge

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The Occasion- False Teaching

• What is God like, what is His relationship to
  the world?
• Cant Know
• No relationship

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The Occasion- False Teaching

• How does a human being come to know God?
• Secret Knowledge

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The Occasion- False Teaching

• How can we experience a vital spiritual life?
• Religious practices
• Self-denial, strict discipline, asceticism

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The Occasion- False Teaching
28Be careful not to let anyone rob you of
this faith through a shallow misleading
philosophy. Such a person follows human
traditions the world's way of doing things
rather than following Christ. 218Let no
one who delights in false humility the
worship of angels tell you that you don't deserve
a prize. Such a person, whose sinful mind fills
him with arrogance, gives endless details of the
visions he has seen. 223These things look
like wisdom with their self-imposed worship,
false humility, harsh treatment of the body.
But they have no value for holding back the
constant desires of your corrupt nature.
Colossians 28, 18, 23 Good News version
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The Content-Correct Teaching

• What is God like, what is His relationship to
  the world?
• Jesus is God.

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The Content-Correct Teaching
Above All Else The visible image of God
(115) Agent of creation (116) Sustainer
(117) Head of the church (118) Head over
all (210 cf. 15)
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The Content-Correct Teaching
Above All Else in Wisdom Knowledge Source of
all the treasures of wisdom knowledge
(22-3) Fully God (29)
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The Content-Correct Teaching

• How does a human being come to know God?
• Its Through Jesus.

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The Content-Correct Teaching
Above All Else in Reconciliation Deliverer,
Redeemer, forgiver (113-14) Peace Maker
(120) Reconciler (120-22) Mystery
revealed (126-27)
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The Content-Correct Teaching

• How can we experience a vital spiritual life?
• In Christ.

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The Content-Correct Teaching

• In Him
• Were complete in Him (210)
• Were made alive in Him (211-13)
• No need for legalism ritualism (216-23)
• He is our life (33)
• Live above it all put on new clothes (35-14)
• Live it out at home, at work everywhere
  (318-46)

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The Content-Correct Teaching

• How can we experience a vital spiritual life?
• Spiritual life is a growth process (310-11)
• 10and have put on the new self who is being
• renewed to a true knowledge according to the
• image of the One who created him 11a renewal in
• which there is no distinction between Greek and
• Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,
• Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all,
• and in all.

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• How can we experience a vital spiritual life?
• 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud
  of
• witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside
• every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily
• entangles us, and let us run with endurance the
• race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on
  Jesus,
• the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
  joy set
• before Him endured the cross, despising the
  shame,
• and has sat down at the right hand of the throne
  of
• God. Hebrews 121-2 NASB

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Our Practice, Our Letter
ABOVE ALL ELSE
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center
Jesus
of it all
Letter to Colossians
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