Christ, the fullness of God, poured out in life through believers, Chapters 3 and 4.
Living of Believers is Holy – Colossians 3.5-4.6
Fellowship of Believers Is Hearty – Colossians 4.7-18
(26 questions with answers following)
Added on  May 15, 2017

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This is the last lesson on Colossians

Answers at the end, following the questions. Those who disagree with anything please see the note at the end. Reasoned dialogue is encouraged and any Bible or fact based comments, if made in a Christian manner in an attempt to get to the truth will be considered.

This is an open book quiz meant to challenge the Bible believer – the saved person who believes the Word of God rather than the person who tries to fit particular Scriptures into a system of interpretation meant to validate one’s desired view of how things should be by philosophizing, allegorizing, or spiritualizing chosen Scriptures. The literal meaning, taken in its immediate context and within the context of all related Scripture is the basis for these studies. It is presented for the glory of God.

Colossians directs our attention to the head of the body who is Christ. The body itself is secondary. Christ is the theme. He is the center of the circle around which all Christian living revolves. Christ is the fullness of God. The dominating thought is that Christ is all I need; He is everything. He is the primary object, and the thought passes downward to the church as the body of Christ.

Colossians was written to the local church at Colosse (with the principles to be applied by all local churches and believers) to counteract the heresy of Gnosticism, the first heresy in the church. There were many forms of Gnosticism, and in Colosse there were the Essenes. There are three points of identification for this group: (1) They had an exclusive spirit. They felt that they were the people—they had knowledge in the jug and held the stopper in their hands. Thus, they felt that they were super-duper in knowledge and knew more than anyone else, including the Apostles. (2) They held speculative tenets on creation. They taught 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.  Paul refutes this in Colossians 1:15-19. (3) They practiced asceticism and unrestrained licentiousness. They got the asceticism from the influence of Greek Stoicism and the unrestrained licentiousness from the influence of Greek Epicureanism. Paul refutes this in Colossians 2.16, 23 and 3.5-9.

See, J. Vernon McGee, Colossians for more on this.

Christ, the fullness of God, poured out in life through believers, Chapters 3 and 4.

Colossians 3.5-4.6 is to lengthy to reproduce

Questions:

Christ, the fullness of God, poured out in life through believers, Chapters 3 and 4.
Review the answers to some of the more
difficult fill in the blank questions before attempting to answer:

Colossians 3.5-4.6: Living of Believers is Holy

1. If we are truly risen with Christ this will be evident in ______ area(s) of our lives which (is)(are):
   –
   a, our personal holiness
   b. our fellowship with others who are about us
   c. our friendship with the world
   d. a and b (a. our personal holiness; b. our fellowship with others who are about us)
   –
2. Colossians 3.5 tells believers to mortify certain sins. Mortify means to put to _______. Fornication means sexual _____________. Other sins listed in verse 5 are ______________ (includes thoughts, words, gestures, and bad jokes); _____________ ____________ (uncontrolled passion or lust); evil concupiscence (evil desires); and covetousness which is idolatry (wanting more or wanting what belongs to others). “The ______ of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6.10).
3. Those things in verse 6 bring “the _______ of God on the children of _______________.” Believers walked in the sins above before they were ________. (See Colossians 3.6-7).
4. Believers also put off ________ (over the wrong things; some anger is justified), ________ (anger that becomes an unforgiving spirit), _________ (and that tries to take revenge and get even), ____________ (defaming the name of God (blasphemy against God); lying about someone else (blasphemy against another person), _________ ________________ out of their mouths (foul communication that is abusive or filthy). (See verse 8).
5. The church at Colosse had put off the _____ _____ with his deeds and put on the “_____ _____ which is renewed in knowledge after the image of _____ that created him” (Colossians 3.9-10).
6. “Where there is neither ________ nor _____, _______________ nor ________________, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but ________ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3.11).
7. In the doctrinal section of Colossians, we learned that Christ is the fullness of ______ and head of His ___________. Believers have been made complete in _____, not in any man-made legal or philosophical __________.
8. Colossians 3.12-17 teaches us that, since we have risen with Christ, it will lead us to holiness in our relationship to _________. Verses 18-21 deal with holiness in the _______. Verses 22-25 and Chapter 4, verse 1deal with holiness on the _____. Paul deals with the same things that he dealt with in Ephesians.
   –
   Many questions could be added on all those verses. However, churches would be advised to study those verses out for themselves. Following are just a few questions.
   –
9. __________ is the bond of perfectness. The believers at Colosse are called in one _______ (as is every New Testament church). The word of ________ is to dwell in them richly and they are to ________ and ___________ one another in ________ and ________ and spiritual _______. The new man in holiness is exhibited to ________, in the ______, and on the _____ as these verses point out. “Ye serve the ______ ________.”
10. Chapter 4, verses 2-6 present more important areas of Christian conduct. They are:
    –
    a. prayer
    b. public walk
    c. speech
    d. all of the above
    e. a and c
    –
11. As Colossians 4.2 makes clear, _________ and ___________ go together. “Nevertheless we made our ________ unto our God, and set a ________ against them day and night, because of them” (Nehemiah 4:9). Watch and pray with _______________.
12. Pray that God will open unto us (every believer) “a ______ of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4.3, 4). Every believer should seek an open ______ to serve the Lord. “Redeeming the ______” (Colossians 4.5). When the ___________ sees an opportunity to serve the Lord, when a door is opened, he should pray that the Lord will _______
13. The believer’s speech is to be “always with ________, seasoned with _______, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every _____.”
    –
    Fellowship of Believers Is Hearty (Colossians 4.7-18).
    –
14. In Colossians 4.7-18, we come to a list of ________ of people whom Paul knew. They were in the midst of ___________, but they were   Paul had a tremendous, far-reaching ministry. Many of the people named here lived in Ephesus. Paul had never been to Rome nor had he been to Colosse, yet he lists people he knew, many of whom were from those two cities. This indicates that he had led many people to Christ who returned home to cities he was never able to reach directly or personally.
15. “___________” was the pastor of the church in _________ (See Ephesians 6.21, Acts 20.4, 1n3 2 Timothy 4.12)..
16. “___________” was a slave of ___________ in __________. He had run away from his master, and Paul led him to the Lord. He was now being sent back. Paul calls ___________ his “___________ and __________”
17. “______________” was a _________ __________ with Paul, and he was his friend.
18. “_________” is John _______, the nephew of Barnabas—the son of his sister. He is the writer of the Gospel of ______. ______ left Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, and because of this Paul did not want to take him along on the second missionary journey. Paul was wrong in his judgment of ______ ______, who made good. Paul acknowledges that here (“__________ him”). Paul mentions John Mark again in his second letter to Timothy: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is ______________ to me for the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
19. ________ (Justus) was Jewish (of the _______________). The Colossian church was mostly __________, but there were a few Jews in that church. These men are wonderful brethren, helpers of _______, and great missionaries themselves.
20. ____________ was the pastor in __________. Now he is in prison. His new ministry there is _________.
21. __________, ___________, and _____________, are close together.
22. _______ is the beloved physician. When Paul first mentioned Demas (Philemon 1.24), he called him a “_________________.” Later on, _______, will ___________
23. ______________, at that time, met in _________ (see verse 15). Churches started in the home. True churches are going to come back to the ________, as they have in many countries where they are persecuted.
24. These epistles of Paul are to be __________ by the churches (See verse 16. Paul does not say that he had written an epistle to the Laodiceans. The letters of Paul were being circulated around.)
25. We do not know anything more about “______________” than is mentioned here. But the Lord had given him a ____________ and Paul urges him to fulfill it. This advice can be extrapolated to everyone to whom the Lord has given a ___________. Of course, if possible, that ministry is to be fulfilled under the authority of a local New Testament ________.
26. For the second time Paul says, “Remember my ________—or pray for me. “________ be with you. Amen.” Paul wrote to a church he had never __________, but he knew many of the people and led them to knowledge of the _______ _________ ___________.

Answers

Colossians 3.5-4.6: Living of Believers is Holy

1. If we are truly risen with Christ this will be evident in two area(s) of our lives which (is)(are):
   –
   d. a and b (a. our personal holiness; b. our fellowship with others who are about us)
   –
2. Colossians 3.5 tells believers to mortify certain sins. Mortify means to put to death. Fornication means sexual immorality. Other sins listed in verse 5 are uncleanness (includes thoughts, words, gestures, and bad jokes); inordinate affection (uncontrolled passion or lust); evil concupiscence (evil desires); and covetousness which is idolatry (wanting more or wanting what belongs to others). “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6.10).
3. Those things in verse 6 bring “the wrath of God on the children of disobedience.” Believers walked in the sins above before they were saved. (See Colossians 3.6-7).
4. Believers also put off anger (over the wrong things; some anger is justified), wrath (anger that becomes an unforgiving spirit), malice (and that tries to take revenge and get even), blasphemy (defaming the name of God (blasphemy against God); lying about someone else (blasphemy against another person), filthy communication out of their mouths (foul communication that is abusive or filthy). (See verse 8).
5. The church at Colosse had put off the old man with his deeds and put on the “new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3.9-10).
6. “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3.11).
7. In the doctrinal section of Colossians, we learned that Christ is the fullness of God and head of His churches. Believers have been made complete in Him, not in any man-made legal or philosophical system.
8. Colossians 3.12-17 teaches us that, since we have risen with Christ, it will lead us to holiness in our relationship to others. Verses 18-21 deal with holiness in the home. Verses 22-25 and Chapter 4, verse 1deal with holiness on the job. Paul deals with the same things that he dealt with in Ephesians.
   –
   Many questions could be added on all those verses. However, churches would be advised to study those verses out for themselves. Following are just a few questions.
   –
9. Charity is the bond of perfectness. The believers at Colosse are called in one body (as is every New Testament church). The word of Christ is to dwell in them richly and they are to teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The new man in holiness is exhibited to others, in the home, and on the job as these verses point out. “Ye serve the Lord Christ.”
10. Chapter 4, verses 2-6 present more important areas of Christian conduct. They are:
    –
    d. all of the above (prayer, public walk, speech)
    –
11. As Colossians 4.2 makes clear, prayer and watching go together. “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them” (Nehemiah 4:9). Watch and pray with thanksgiving.
12. Pray that God will open unto us (every believer) “a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4.3, 4). Every believer should seek an open door to serve the Lord. “Redeeming the time” (Colossians 4.5). When the believer sees an opportunity to serve the Lord, when a door is opened, he should pray that the Lord will lead
13. The believer’s speech is to be “always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
    –
    Fellowship of Believers Is Hearty (Colossians 4.7-18).
    –
14. In Colossians 4.7-18, we come to a list of names of people whom Paul knew. They were in the midst of paganism, but they were   Paul had a tremendous, far-reaching ministry. Many of the people named here lived in Ephesus. Paul had never been to Rome nor had he been to Colosse, yet he lists people he knew, many of whom were from those two cities. This indicates that he had led many people to Christ who returned home to cities he was never able to reach directly or personally.
15. “Tychicus” was the pastor of the church in Ephesus (See Ephesians 6.21, Acts 20.4, 1n3 2 Timothy 4.12)..
16. “Onesimus” was a slave of Philemon in Colosse. He had run away from his master, and Paul led him to the Lord. He was now being sent back. Paul calls Onesimus his “faithful and beloved”
17. “Aristarchus” was a fellow prisoner with Paul, and he was his friend.
18. “Marcus” is John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas—the son of his sister. He is the writer of the Gospel of Mark. Mark left Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, and because of this Paul did not want to take him along on the second missionary journey. Paul was wrong in his judgment of John Mark, who made good. Paul acknowledges that here (“receive him”). Paul mentions John Mark again in his second letter to Timothy: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).
19. Jesus (Justus) was Jewish (of the circumcision). The Colossian church was mostly Gentile, but there were a few Jews in that church. These men are wonderful brethren, helpers of Paul, and great missionaries themselves.
20. Epaphras was the pastor in Colosse. Now he is in prison. His new ministry there is prayer.
21. Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, are close together.
22. Luke is the beloved physician. When Paul first mentioned Demas (Philemon 1.24), he called him a “fellowlaborer.” Later on, Demas, will forsake
23. Christians, at that time, met in homes (see verse 15). Churches started in the home. True churches are going to come back to the home, as they have in many countries where they are persecuted.
24. These epistles of Paul are to be shared by the churches (See verse 16. Paul does not say that he had written an epistle to the Laodiceans. The letters of Paul were being circulated around.)
25. We do not know anything more about “Árchippus” than is mentioned here. But the Lord had given him a ministry and Paul urges him to fulfill it. This advice can be extrapolated to everyone to whom the Lord has given a ministry. Of course, if possible, that ministry is to be fulfilled under the authority of a local New Testament church.
26. For the second time Paul says, “Remember my bonds—or pray for me. “Grace be with you. Amen.” Paul wrote to a church he had never visited, but he knew many of the people and led them to knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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