Colossians in Focus

After reading through the likes of Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians (and that’s not even mentioning Romans along with 1 and 2 Corinthians) Colossians can seem somewhat as a review before heading into the letters to the Thessalonians and the personal letters from Paul.  That is my roundabout way of saying that it’s always been hard for me to concentrate while reading Colossians.  Therefore, this series was really helpful in forcing me to read the book and focus on it while trying to learn everything the Holy Spirit wanted to teach me through it.

            In some ways Colossians is a review- but that’s not a bad thing.  Paul covers a lot in his letters and rather than needing to focus in certain areas of doctrine as he does in many of the other letters, the Colossians just needed a nice little refresher course as they continued to stand in the faith.  The book stands as a microcosm of the important points of Christianity while at the same time encourages us to keep the faith even when things aren’t going well (Paul, after all, was in jail at the time).  Colossians also pushes believers to change their paradigms.  Things are not necessarily as they seem and those of us who believe in Christ need to recognize things through a different set of eyes than the average person.

Ultimately Colossians works somewhat as a conclusion to the letters (which is strange since two more church ones follow).  As Paul neared the end of his life we find out that he’s mended fences and although his time is almost over he wants to make sure that we all know that all of that time belonged to and was granted to him (and us) by God.  From first to last Paul exalts our savior, Jesus Christ, and the power of our Lord.

If you, like me, have found yourself skimming through Colossians and having trouble absorbing the messages within, slow it down a little.  Take your time, read through these articles and get a better feel for the truths coming through Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae.  You never know, you might learn something that slipped through the cracks in your own readings!

Seed of Faith (Colossians 1:1-6)

It’s a Process (Colossians 1:7-12)

All About Jesus (Colossians 1:13-17)

The Gospel Message (Colossians 1:18-21)

After Salvation (Colossians 1:22-26)

Jesus is for Everyone (Colossians 1:27-2:1)

Inside and Outside (Colossians 2:2-5)

Healing (And More?) With Christ (Colossians 2:6-10)

Why Circumcision? (Colossians 2:11-15)

It’s Up to God (Colossians 2:16-19)

The Catch (Colossians 2:20-3:1)

Changing Your Mind (Colossians 3:2-6)

Hatred is Always on the Wrong Side of History (Colossians 3:7-11)

Same Old Song (Colossians 3:12-16)

Man of the House (Colossians 3:17-21)

Work Ethic (Colossians 3:22-4:1)

Pray! Pray! Pray! (Colossians 4:2-6)

Tychicus and Aristarchus (Colossians 4:7-11)

The Runaways (Also Colossians 4:7-11)

A Shout-Out to the Prayer Warriors (Colossians 4:12-15)

Aspects of the Christian Life (Colossians 4:16-18)