After Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, a church was started in Colosse, located in present day Turkey. From prison in 60 A.D., Paul wrote this letter after he had been told of false teachers who had come to Colosse, telling of additional necessary doctrines for the faithful. His response stressed the supremacy of Christ and the freedom from man-made rules.

Paul attempted to establish the supremacy of Jesus in 1:15-20. What are his points? Paul’s letter attacks some sort of heretical teaching. Remember that we are only getting Paul’s responses–we don’t know what he was responding to. What can you guess about its points from his teaching in 2:16-17; 2:11 and 3:1; 2:21 and 2:23; 2:18; 1:15-20 and 2:2-3, 9; 2:4,8?  Once again, you can see the difficulty of reading his letters since we don’t know what he is reacting to. Paul explains another mystery in 1:25-27. Explain the term “mystery” and what it is here. It’s not what we normally think of when we use the term “mystery.” Where does the theology end and the practical living portion start in this letter? This pattern is typical of Paul’s letters. Paul has commands for slaves in 3:22-25. Should he be encouraging slaves to rebel instead? Think about how Christianity focused on the individual heart rather than changes from the top down.