Colossians Introduction - KJV (King James Version)
Synopsis:
Paul wrote to the church in Colossae to fortify it against false teachers who might try to impose strict rules about eating and drinking and religious festivals. Paul shows the superiority of Christ over all human philosophies and traditions. He writes of Christ's deity ("He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" [1:15]) and of the reconciliation he accomplished with his blood. He explains that the right way of living in this world is to focus on heavenly rather than earthly things. God's chosen people must leave their sinful lives behind and live in a godly way, looking to Christ as the head of the church (1:18). Paul wrote while in prison, probably about the same time as he wrote to the Ephesians.
Authorship: Paul
- 2nd Thessalonians is considered a disputed epistle, meaning liberal scholars don't attribute the work to him but classify pseudepigraphic. They will argue over different stylistic traits within Ephesians compared to other of Paul's epistles. The affect of trying to classify the letter for later authorship is to portray a slow development of Christian doctrine especally in regards to its Christology.
Date of Composition: 60-61 AD, in prision.
Main Topic: Centrality of Christ
Simple Outline:
1. Christian Doctrine (Col 1-2)
A. Preeminence of Christ (Ch 1)
B. Freedom in Christ (Ch 2)
3. Christian Application (Col 3-4)
A. Daily Conduct (Ch 3)
B. Conclusion (Ch 4)
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