COLOSSIANS
DAY SIX
READ If your
Bible has an introduction to the book of Colossians, read that.
INTRODUCTION
Paul, the writer of the letter
to the church at Colossae, was in prison when he wrote this epistle.
Colossae was located in Lower
Asia Minor, now Turkey. It was part of the Kingdom of Phrygia, and very close
to several other small cities such as Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Epaphras was likely a leader in the church at Colossae, and in nearby churches.
(Col. 4:12) Epaphras was likely visiting Paul in prison. Because of the
relationship Epaphras had with neighboring churches, Paul asked the Colossians
to share their letter with the Laodicean church, and to read the one the
Laodiceans had been sent. (ch. 4) This indicates to us the relationship the
churches had with each other, and with their leader, Epaphras. They likely
struggled with some of the same issues, lived in similar cultures, and had been
taught similar doctrine regarding Christianity.
Paul had never been to Colossae. The believers there were not his
direct converts. No one can say for sure who introduced Christianity to this
city, but there are two likely options. The people from Colossae could have
been present at the time of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 1:9 indicates people
from Phrygia). Or Epaphras may have been the initial witness to the area. We
don’t know his conversion story but it was likely either at Pentecost, or at
Ephesus when Paul ministered there. It is likely he was under Paul’s
instruction since his dedication to Paul as a spiritual father seems strong.
Epaphrus led the church at Colossae to honor Paul and his teaching, even though
they had never met Paul personally. Many of them longed and prayed for Paul to
visit, as if Paul was their spiritual father, not Epaphras.
The Colossian church likely had a mix of both Gentile Christians and
those of Jewish heritage. This lent itself to a different religious experience
for this church than for others. Colossae itself was originally not Jewish at
all. However, because of the Jews brought to Babylon by Antichus III many years
before, there was a strong Jewish population by the time Paul wrote this
letter.
This cultural mix, was likely the reason for some of the instruction
Paul gave. He cautioned against various false teachings and practices that
seemed to be blossoming. From the extremes of legalism to liberalism, it seemed
Paul needed to address it all. This makes the book of Colossians very
applicable to the Church today.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
As you work your way through Colossians, ask the
Holy Spirit to convict you of any sin that may blind you to the truth of God’s
Word. Accept His forgiveness and thank Him for it.
2.
Ask the Lord to reveal something He wants you to
grow in this week. Write down the word, thought or picture He gives you.
3.
Take a few minutes to pray for the spiritual
leaders of your church. Pray for the preaching and teaching pastor(s) as well as
the elders and/or deacons. Pray for God’s blessing over them, for deeper
understanding of His Word, and greater intimacy with Him in prayer and
listening prayer. Ask the Lord to purify and protect their marriages and
families, and to expand their influence and effectiveness in the Kingdom.
