Colossians
Subscribe to free podcast Sign up to Deovox Update Donate
Series descriptionThis series expires on 11/06/11
COLOSSIANS
This series covers St. Paul's letter to the Colossians written just after the middle of the first century. Colossae is a city in modern day Turkey. Back in Paul's day, it was located in the region of Phrygia, which was a part of the Roman province of Asia Minor. It contained a very diverse population, and because of this, it was a melting pot of various religious and philosophical viewpoints. In such an environment, it's hardly surprising that the original faith of the community was under attack. False teachers had infiltrated the church and had begun to question the person at the heart of the church's faith, namely Jesus Christ.
Exactly what they taught is hard to determine, but at its heart, their teaching undermined the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Paul calls it a “hollow and deceptive philosophy.” The Colossians feared spiritual forces they could not see, but instead of trusting in Christ, they were being encouraged to seek security through the keeping of Jewish laws, the worship of angels, and a mixture of pagan practices involving visions and ascetic behaviours.
Paul's response to these false teachers is one of the most remarkable documents in the New Testament. His writing on the nature and being of Christ contains some of the most extraordinary claims in Scripture. "He is the image of the invisible God" is a phrase rich not just in theological content, but is also one of great beauty. "In him all the fullness of the deity dwells bodily" is again a statement that not only deepens faith but leads to worship.
The later chapters widen the discussion into areas of practical life application. Christ is worthy of our worship and sufficient for salvation, and he is also the one who is able to supply the power to live a holy life. Colossians is a letter, therefore, that has tremendous potential to help us grow spiritually - ideal, in fact, for a deovox series.
One episode will be released each week, and we do encourage you to take advantage of the devotional guides you'll see below. Deovox can be used individually or in a group setting.
The Lord bless you as you listen.
Introduction to Colossians
In this episode, we take a look at the reasons why Paul wrote to the church at Colossae. In countering the false teachers who were undermining the Christian community, he describes Christ with language that deepens faith and leads to worship. Some statements are among the most memorable in the entire New Testament. NOTE: There are no study guides with this episode.
Faith, hope, love and thanks
In this episode, we take a look at the opening of Paul's letter in which he writes of the three cardinal Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. He also includes a key element found in almost all his letters: thanks. We're reading from Colossians 1.1-8.
Unpacking the fruitcake
In this episode, we take a look at an extremely long sentence that highlights the importance of spiritual growth. It contains all kinds of wonderful truths about what God has done and what his intentions are for his people. We're reading from Colossians 1.9-14.
The Incomparable Christ - over Creation
In this episode, we examine what many believe is the first half of a hymn of praise to Christ. It contains some of the most extraordinary statements about Christ found anywhere in the Bible. We're reading from Colossians 1.15-17.
The Incomparable Christ - over the Church
In this episode, we're looking at the second half of the hymn of praise to Christ. It focuses on his role as Head of the church. We're reading from Colossians 1.18-20.