Helpful Overview of Colossians
· His Work
o The Portion of the saints in the Light (vv. 12)
o The Son of the Father’s love (vv. 13)
o The Image of the invisible God (vv. 1:15)
o The Firstborn of all creation (vv. 1:15)
o The Instrument of Creation (vv. 1:15)
o The One Before all things (vv. 1:17)
o The Head of the Body (vv. 1:18)
o The beginning (vv. 1:18)
o The Firstborn from the dead (vv. 1:18)
o The One in Whom all the Fullness dwells (vv. 1:19)
o The Mystery of God (vv. 2:2)
o The One in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (vv. 2:3)
o The Head of all rule & authority (vv. 2:10)
o The body (reality) of all shadows and types of the Old Testament (vv. 2:17)
o The Life of the saints (vv. 3:4)
o The All and in All in the New Man (vv. 3:10-11)
o Accomplishing redemption, the forgiveness of sins (vv. 1:14)
o Expressing the invisible God as His image (vv. 1:15) and as the embodiment of all of His fullness (vv. 2:9)
o Holding all things together (vv. 1:17)
o Reconciling all things to God (vv. 1:20)
o Presenting the believers to God – Holy, without blemish and without reproach (vv. 1:22)
o Accomplishing the real circumcision – the putting off of the body of the flesh – through His death (vv. 2:11)
o Burying the believers with Himself (vv. 2:12)
o Raising the believers with Himself (vv. 2:12)
o Wiping out the handwritings of ordinances which were contrary to us (vv. 2:14)
o Stripping off the rulers & authorities (vv. 2:15)
o Sitting down at the right hand of God (vv. 3:1)
o Creating the new man (vv. 3:10)
o Becoming everything in the New Man. (vv. 3:11)
· What they were before they knew Christ:
o Under the authority of darkness (vv. 1:13)
o Alienated & enemies in their minds (vv. 1:21)
o Condemned by the Handwriting in ordnances (vv. 2:14)
o Those who walked and lived in those things which bring the wrath of God (vv. 3:5-7)
o Collectively the Old Man (vv. 3:9) made up of Greeks, Jews, circumcision, uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free (vv 3:11).
· What they now have in Christ:
o Faith in Christ Jesus (vv. 1:4, 2:5, 2:7)
o Love unto all the saints in the Spirit (vv. 1:4, 8)
o A Hope laid up for them in the heavens (vv. 1:5)
o The word of the truth of the Gospel (vv. 1:5-6)
o The knowledge of the true grace of God (vv. 1:6)
o Redemption in the Son (vv. 1:14)
o The indwelling Christ as the hope of glory (vv. 1:27)
o A good order and a solid basis for their faith in Christ (vv. 2:4)
o The Christ that they have received (vv. 2:6)
o Roots in Christ (vv. 2:7)
o The effectiveness of Christ’s death and resurrection (vv. 2:11-12)
o Christ as the real food, drink, feast, renewal and rest (vv. 2:16-17)
o Christ as their very Life hidden in God (vv. 3:3-4)
o The virtues of Christ for living as members of His Body (vv. 3:12-15)
o The Apostle (Paul) who struggled and suffered for their full growth in Christ (vv. 1:3,9-13,24-2:7)
· What they are now in Christ:
o Qualified to have a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light (vv. 1:12 )
o Delivered out of the authority of darkness (vv. 1:13)
o Transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love (vv. 1:13)
o Redeemed in the Son (vv. 1:14)
o Reconciled in the body of His flesh through death (vv. 1:22)
o Holy, without blemish, without reproach, before God (vv. 1:22)
o Complete in Christ (vv. 2:10)
o Circumcised in Christ (vv. 2:11)
o Buried with Christ in Baptism (vv. 2:12, 2:20)
o Raised with Christ in baptism (vv. 2:12,3:1)
o Hidden with Christ in God (vv 3:3)
· Paul’s warnings to them:
o That no one would delude them with persuasive speech (vv. 2:4-5).
o That no one would carry them off (from Christ) as spoil through philosophy, empty deceit, the traditions of men, or the elements of world (vv. 2:8), because all of the fullness of God dwelt in Christ, and they had been “made full” in Him. (vv. 2:9-10)
o That no one would judge them in respect to keeping ordinances related to eating and drinking, the feasts and the Sabbath. (vv. 2:16)
o That no one would defraud them by judging them unworthy of their prize (vv. 2:18)
o To be filled with the full knowledge of His will (vv. 1:9, 2:2, 4:12)
o To have their hearts comforted (vv. 2:2, 4:8)
o To be knit together in love (vv. 2:2)
o To have the full assurance of faith and the full knowledge of Christ as the mystery of God (vv. 2:2-4)
o To continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast & not being moved away from the hope of their calling (vv. 1:23)
o To become full-grown in Christ (vv. 1:28)
o To walk in Christ (vv. 2:6)
o To seek the things which are above (vv. 3:1, 3:2)
o To put to death their members which were on the earth (vv. 3:5)
o To put off the old man with his corruption & to put on the New Man with the virtues of Christ (vv. 3:5, 8, 12, 13, 14)
o To let the peace of Christ arbitrate in the heart (vv. 3:15)
o To let the word of Christ dwell richly (vv. 3:16)
o To do all things in the name (person) of Christ (live Christ) (vv. 3:17)
o The virtues of Christ for living as members of His Body (vv. 3:12-15)
o To persevere in prayer (vv. 4:2)
o To pray for the apostles (vv. 4:3)
o To walk in wisdom (vv. 4:4)
o To redeem the time (vv. 4:4)
o To let their speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt (vv. 4:5)
o To remember apostles’ bonds (vv. 4:18)