Pastor's Bible Study

After making it clear that Jesus is all we need (He is sufficient), Paul attacks the heresies and false teaching of his generation. He begins verse 16 with the conjunction therefore, pointing to the connection between the practical application that follows and the theological discussion of sufficiency of Christ that he just shared. From verse 16 to the end of the chapter, Paul focuses his attention on three threats the Colossian believers were facing: Judaistic legalism (vv. 16-17), Gnostic mysticism (vv. 18-19), and dualistic asceticism (vv. 20-23).

We (believers) need each other to achieve our maximum potential in spiritual growth. We can’t grow they way we should if there is no “we” in our lives. A lone ranger mentality in our Christian life will impede our growth. There are many things we need to do as individuals, but there are also needs that we have that are best met by others. Individually we can emphasize bible study and prayer, but alone we miss out on aspects of Christian community and accountability.

The Apostle Paul, as great as a Christian as he was, surrounded himself with others who helped him in his walk with Christ. He shared with the Colossians five things that will help us grow in Christ: 1) Concern for others, 2) Comfort with others, 3) Compassion for others, 4) Confidence in God's Word, and 5) Conduct that brings stability.

We are all called to ministry. If we going to fulfill our ministry we must:
1) Have the right attitude - joy
2) Serve in the right area – the stewardship of our life
3) Know the right assignment – proclaiming Christ and His gospel
4) Realize the aim and purpose - present every man (believer) spiritually mature in Christ
5) Depend on Jesus - realize that we can’t do in our own efforts

In our text Paul records a hymn of praise to Jesus that reveals how Jesus meets our deepest needs. Jesus meets our need to know God, to be loved, to be forgiven, to have security, and to feel assurance.

Paul prayed that the Colossian believers would be filled with (controlled by) the knowledge of God's will. Paul knew that knowing and doing (obeying) God's will leads to spiritual growth and brings stability in the face of temptation and false teaching.
When I know and do the will of God for my life, then I walk worthily, work fruitfully, withstand gloriously, wait joyfully, and worship thankfully.

If you change the gospel's message, you by default change who Jesus is. The gospel is simple faith in Jesus' work of the cross to save us from sin. It is a message of grace. If you add to or take away from the gospel, then you adding to or taking away from the cross-work of Jesus and you declare Jesus to be insufficient. Jesus is sufficient to be our Lord, our life, and our leader. He is supreme. And when you know that and believe that, you will not be easily moved by false teaching.

The young church in Thessalonica had a problem with some of her members loafing and not working. It wasn't a matter of not being able to work; it was a matter of not being willing to work. Paul expected the church to come together in solving this problem. To assist them in the task, he gives four motives to encourage the careless believers to turn from their sin and start earning their own wage.

Paul contrasts Satan’s big lie with God’s truth and teaches us about four responsibilities we have toward the Truth of God’s Word: believe it, guard it, live it, and share it.

Someone posing to be Paul, had written a letter to the believers in Thessalonica stating that the Tribulation had already started. The believers were instantly shaken in faith and became troubled in spirit.
To calm their hearts and shaken faith, Paul explained that they were not in the Day of the Lord. The reason was simple: that Day could not arrive until certain other events had taken place.
There were sure and clear signs that the Tribulation was not taking place. Paul in essence gives them logic so they can draw a logical conclusion: Event "A" must precede event "B," since event "A" has not yet occurred, then event "B" (in this case the Tribulation) could not be occurring.

Paul knew that the believers in Thessalonica were undergoing some very difficult hardships from pressures on the outside and confusion from within. He sought to encourage them in three ways: praise, promises, and prayer.