Study

The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ

Louie Giglio

6 Days

The Book of Colossians

Day 1

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Welcome to the first day of our track, exploring the book of Colossians. Written by the Apostle Paul around 60-62AD, this small book from the New Testament is an incredibly revealing text about the true nature of Jesus Christ. Whenever we study the scriptures, it is of utmost importance that we start with a few questions.

Who was it written to?

At what time and amidst what culture?

What was its original purpose?

The book of Colossians deserves this same kind of study, and as Louie Giglio dives into our teaching today, here is what we are going to learn: Colossians has four chapters containing 95 verses, and at the heart of them is a singular, eternity-defining purpose…

Are you ready to find out what it is? Let’s get started.

Summary

The Church at Colossae had a major problem. This small church, located about 100 miles from Ephesus, had been established as a result of the impact of Paul’s ministry in the area, and although we’re not sure that he ever visited Colossae himself, Paul’s voice no doubt carried major leverage there.

Notice the language of chapter 1, verses 3-8:

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

What do you see here? The Gospel is bearing fruit! Paul writes that ever since the birth of the church in Colossae, faith and love have been springing up as a result of the hope these people have gained from putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He even mentions Epaphras, who has been serving faithfully as a minister and teacher of the faith!

These are exactly the kinds of reports you would want to hear from a church. This is great news.

Except, another report had reached Paul. A report that troubled Paul deeply and should trouble us today. See, Colossians isn’t just about something that happened to them, Colossians is God’s way of speaking to all of us.

“Be careful someone doesn’t come into your story today and start threatening your pure faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ because I guarantee you it is happening all around you right now.”

So, what news from Colossae was so concerning that it inspired Paul to write to the burgeoning church?

The deity of Jesus was under attack in the Church at Colossae.

Fast forward to our world today, and these empty lies still exist. All over the world, people challenge the deity of Jesus with their words. They say that he was just a prophet or an excellent teacher of morality, or some just call him a liar. Even more plentiful are people who claim to know Jesus, but their actions betray that they don’t really consider him to be God. They turn a blind eye to his teachings or his character and then still publicly wear his name. Others claim a secret knowledge that would unlock a doorway into salvation outside of the redemptive power of Jesus, searching everywhere for a different thoroughfare into an eternity of enlightenment other than the clear teachings of Scripture.

In other words, not much has changed.

This is why Paul’s letter to the Colossians is so important to study today and why we’re so glad you’re joining us for this track:

“The doctrine of the Person of Christ is here stated with greater precision and fulness than in any other of St. Paul’s epistles.” -J.B. Lightfoot

What's Next?

As we open the book of Colossians, read chapter one, verses 1-14, and answer the following questions:

Who is writing this letter?
Who is it written to?
With what attitude is the author approaching the church at Colossae?
Reflect on our teaching today. What are the two threats to pure faith that Louie points out were present in Colossae and are still present today?
Take time to think and journal about them. Where do you see those two threats playing out in your day-to-day life?

Scripture References

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9not by works, so that no one can boast.

10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—

5the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel

6that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.