What Scripture do you base that belief upon? This is a question I heard asked to someone recently while on a tour of a church in Greece. The individual had just finished explaining why her faith placed Mary, the mother of Jesus, in such a saintly and almost deified position in their belief system. Her response was that they based this on the apocryphal writings. The belief was based on non-canonical writings; yet they have been treated as equal to the inerrant Word of God, leading to an entire misunderstanding of the humanity of Mary. In this week's Explore the Bible Study: The Gospel's Forgiveness, Paul warns us of the deception of teachings that might derail or undermine the work of Christ and the gospel, and could eventually lead one into captivity by the ideas of man.

The Colossian believers had reliable sources for understanding the gospel. It was taught to them by Epaphras. However, false teachers were trying to deceive the Colossians by misrepresenting the gospel. Paul knew people were spreading false information, and he recognized the associated dangers: False information about the gospel could lead people away from Christ (Colossians 2:8). These false teachers were deceiving people by promoting teaching founded on human traditions and not on Christ. In verses 4-15, Paul counters the false teaching by helping the believers realize what they received in Christ, who Christ is, and what He did for them to bring about their salvation. His words to the Colossians should be remembered by all believers today because of all the unreliable messages we hear in our culture regarding Christ, salvation, eternal life, and godly living.

Paul begins by reminding them, in Colossians 2:4-8, why they should continue to hold fast to the gospel.

In verses 1-3 Paul has indicated his concern for them. In verse 4 Paul begins to explain why he was concerned—false teachers were trying to deceive them. Then, in verse 8 Paul warns them that they could be taken captive by the false teachings.

The single Greek word translated takes you captive conveys the image of someone being dragged from truth into the slavery of error. We know that young or immature believers might be drawn toward false teachings for various reasons. No believer is immune to the struggles and doubts that might cause one to explore other teachings to explain one’s faith. However, we must learn from Paul’s instruction that false teachings are deceptive and, when embraced, lead one into captivity.

Note: The Downloadable Teaching helps provides examples of beliefs today that could deceive believers and lead them into captivity. Be sure to check those out and see if there are things you have been led to believe that aren't accurate.

We know that young or immature believers might be drawn toward false teachings for various reasons. These struggles and doubts might come, but when we continue to walk with Christ as Paul outlines, we can avoid being taken captive by the false teachings. 

Paul makes a powerful statement in verse 6 that is foundational to all the instruction he is about to give. He says:

just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him.

Once one has received Christ through faith, he or she should continue to walk in Christ so that false teachers can’t pull their faith up by the roots, shake their faith to the very foundation, or bring into question their testimony of faith through ungodly actions. If we continue in this manner we will overflow with gratitude for our salvation and for Jesus Christ.

Next Paul reminds them of who Christ is, in Colossians 2:9-10.

Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine. He is the One who is head over every ruler and authority. And He is the One who has personally filled you with His salvation and a new relationship. 

How can understanding this give you strength when facing so many different messages regarding Christ, Christianity, and your faith?

Christ is all we need; we are completely filled by Him and our identity is complete in Him. We have the authority of Christ to stand up to lies, false teachers, and demonic forces.

Finally, Paul reminds them of what Christ did in Colossians 2:11-15.

Paul used circumcision to describe the believer’s conversion and water baptism as the way that believers participate in Christ with His burial and resurrection. The circumcision was not physical but spiritual.  It was accomplished by putting off the body of flesh. In Christ, our sinful nature has been stripped away. Finally, it was done in the circumcision of Christ. The circumcision to which Paul referred was that performed by Christ Himself. 

Baptism is a believer’s outward confession that an inner change has taken place as he or she has been buried and raised with Christ.

God took those who were spiritually dead and made them alive together with Christ through His sacrificial death on the cross. Paul reminded the Colossian congregation that this new life in Christ also resulted in forgiveness of all their sins. Nothing needed to be added to or taken away from all Christ did to redeem them.

WRAP UP

God, through Paul’s writings to the believers in Colossae, desires for us to remember what we have received in Christ, who Christ is, and what He did to bring about our salvation. This is vital when facing all the philosophies and false teachings we encounter as we walk with Christ.

If you are struggling with any of these beliefs:

• Dive deeper into God’s Word so that you can seek more understanding.
• Seek out reputable and reliable sources for further help.
• Avoid teachings that might sound nice but are deceptive, realizing these will lead you into captivity.
• Don’t dismiss something you don’t understand in God’s Word, but accept it by faith, just as you did your salvation.

How have your goals changed over the years? Are there goals you no longer desire to pursue? Are there new goals that have become more important? Paul had some goals regarding the gospel that will be examined in the Explore The Bible Study: The Gospel's Goal. As you walk through this study, record one goal for developing your own spiritual maturity as well as the name of one person who you may also encourage in that direction.

Paul’s goal was to serve the church because of the gospel, no matter the difficulties - Colossians 1:24-27

In this passage Paul declared that he rejoiced in the suffering because of the fact that he desired to see people transformed by the gospel. He called himself a servant who was commissioned to reveal the mystery and hope of the gospel to all people, including the Gentiles.

Next, Paul’s goal was to passionately invest in all who would respond to the gospel – Colossians 1:28-29

Investing in others' spiritual transformation and sharing the gospel with others should not be part of a checklist one accomplishes. It should originate out of a passion to see individuals, not only respond to the gospel, but grow up in their faith. This is the personal investment believers should embrace.

Notice the actions Paul took to invest in the spiritual transformation of others. He proclaimed Christ, warned them, and he taught them. Paul desired to perform these actions with all wisdom that could only come from his own personal walk with the Lord. Finally, notice his greatest desire: To present everyone mature in Christ!

• Think of those who have invested in your spiritual transformation. Imagine them presenting you to Christ as one who is mature. Do you feel that, at this point, in your walk with the Lord that this is possible for them to do? What needs to change?
• Think of those who God has entrusted to you. Perhaps it’s your children, a spouse, a close friend, a co-worker, or an individual or individuals at church. What actions demonstrate that you are passionately trying to present them as mature in Christ? How are you doing at proclaiming Christ to them, warning them, and teaching them with all wisdom? What needs to change?

Paul’s goal was to encourage others to be united because of the gospel – Colossians 2:1-3

Paul feared the Colossian believers would allow themselves to be caught in a web of deception, cleverly spun by people promoting false doctrine. Struggling reveals the nature of Paul’s concern. The Greek word means “anxiety or concern.” His is an intense inner struggle on behalf of believers in Colosse, Laodicea, and for all who have not met [him] personally.

Paul desired believers to be (1) encouraged in heart which happens as they are (2) united in love, (3) and as they are settled in their understanding of the truth.

A loving, learning community will produce believers who are settled in their understanding of the truth. Believers who link themselves with fellow believers, who care for one another, and who grow in their understanding of Jesus Christ will stand a good chance of remaining stable and confident.

What About Your Goals?

We examined three goals Paul had because of the gospel: (1) To serve the church because of the gospel no matter the difficulties; (2) To passionately invest in all who would respond to the gospel; (3) To encourage others to be united because of the gospel. Which of these goals are you striving to live by as a believer? Which do you feel you need to focus upon improving?

Consider your own walk with the Lord. Do you believe others see evidence of spiritual maturity that Paul describes in these passages? If so, great! If not, what needs to change?

As you consider the study this week record one goal for developing your own spiritual maturity as well as the name of one person whom you may also encourage in that direction.

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

The good news of Jesus breaks us free from the power of sin and Satan’s control. Ironically, from a prison cell in the year a.d. 60, a man who wore the shackles of a prisoner, yet was free from the power of sin, wrote a letter to a group of believers he had never met regarding the power of the gospel. That letter is the Book of Colossians. The Explore the Bible Study: The Gospels Power, begins an examination of this letter and the power of the gospel as described by Paul in Colossians 1:9-23.

Epaphras, one of his most faithful coworkers, visited Paul in prison and brought him a report on the congregation at Colosse.  In many ways the report was good. However, it becomes evident in the letter that the Colossian believers might become the victims of false teaching. The heresy running rampant in Colosse attacked and undermined the identity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Paul desired to set the record straight.

The phrase, for this reason, refers back to the report given to him from Epaphras. He was thankful but wanted them to know, too, that he was praying because of some concerns that had come to his attention.

First, He prayed God would fill them with “the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

Paul uses the word "filled," meaning to be under its controlling influence. We are to be controlled by the knowledge of God’s will which comes through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. This is more than simple intelligence. "Wisdom" refers to the comprehension of truth, while "understanding" refers to the application of truth. Being controlled by God’s will means believers comprehend the principles of Scripture and then put them into practice. Paul desired for the Colossians to understand the times and to know what they should do as God’s people, the Issacharites, did in 1 Chronicles 12:32.

Paul then describes the goal of one who is filled (controlled) by the knowledge of His will in verse 10 -- Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him. Paul goes on to describe in verses 10-12 four results of one who walks worthy and lives a fully pleasing life before God:

1. Bear fruit in every good work – What kind of fruit is he describing? (It could include all or one of these: the fruit of the Spirit, bringing people to Jesus, or good deeds, acts of kindness.) What’s most important is that we bear fruit that makes a positive gospel impact on our world.
2. Grow in the knowledge of God – A life which pleases God is a life which is constantly exposed to the nourishment of God’s Word by which we grow in the knowledge of God.
3. Endurance and Patience – How can we have that kind of endurance and persistence in our lives? There is a marvelous promise in our text. We can be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might. We can stand immovable, not because of our power, but because of God’s power. Endurance means to keep our faith when facing frightening obstacles. Patience means to keep our cool when facing frightful opponents.
4. Gratitude – Because He loves us as a father loves his children, because we are a part of the family of God, we know He will supply our needs. The assurance of those provisions should create within us a spirit of gratitude.

Paul wants us to know the truth about pleasing God so that we won’t be victims of the well-disguised lies of those who might lead us astray or weigh us down with the burdens of false doctrine or ideologies that cause us to forget the power of Christ’s pardon. Next Paul reminds his readers that Jesus and God are One.

Christ’s pardon is only possible because He is God - Colossians 1:15-20

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he was countering a clever company of false teachers who sought to replace the Colossians’ enthusiastic devotion to Christ with only a mild approval of Him. They didn’t encourage anyone to forget Jesus altogether; they just said he wasn’t the only show in town. According to these false teachers, Jesus got equal billing with a vast number of emanating spirits flowing out of God. They said Jesus could be prominent, but He certainly wasn’t preeminent. In contrast, Paul—along with telling believers the truth about the gospel and pleasing God—tells them the truth about Jesus:

• Jesus is the image of the invisible God: Hebrews 1:3 tells us that the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.
• Jesus is the firstborn over all creation: Firstborn is a term of rank more than it is a word of time. The right of the firstborn was the right of privilege, priority, and rank.
• Everything was created by Him: There is nothing in the created order that Jesus did not create (see John 1:3).
• He is before all things: Jesus is eternally existent (an attribute that can only be true of God) because He is before all things.
• He holds all things together: His power guarantees that the universe is under control and not chaotic.
• He is head of the body, the church: Jesus began His church, and He is its source of life and vitality. Jesus is also sovereign over His church. The church takes its direction from Jesus and is under His authority.
• He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead: He arose from the grave as we will arise from the grave at His return. Again, firstborn here has nothing to do with time but rank. Others preceded Jesus in rising from the dead. Lazarus is one example (John 11:38–44). Others were raised only to die again. Jesus was the first person to rise, never to die again. He is the first person to conquer death, and all other resurrections are based on His. The glorious truth for us is this: because of his resurrection, we are assured of our own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).
• God's fullness dwells in Him. Everything is reconciled through Him and His blood atoning sacrifice: Through Jesus, God reconciles to Himself all things. Reconciliation is the removal of hostility and the restoring of friendly relations to parties who have been at war. Paul also calls reconciliation making peace through His blood, which He shed on the cross.

Consider what can happen if you are unsure about any of these statements regarding Jesus. What does your doubt communicate regarding the gospel?

Christ’s pardon makes it possible for people to be reconciled to God - Colossians 1:21-23

Before the miracle of reconciliation, the Colossians, and all unbelievers, were at odds with God. They and we were alienated, that is separated and estranged. We were alone, outsiders, exiled, shut out, cut off, locked out. We were enemies in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Our entire thinking was, and our actions were hostile toward God.

• What can happen if we forget that we were once enemies to God?
• Do you think the church has forgotten that one who is lost is alienated and hostile toward God?

The greatest two words in this passage are found in verse 22: But now! 

The outcome of Christ’s reconciliation is a present peace and a future presentation of ourselves before God. The slate of sin has been wiped clean, and we look forward to the day we will stand before God, holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Imagine Jesus presenting you holy, faultless, and blameless before Himself. How does this picture make you feel about the power of the gospel? How does it make you feel about your own personal relationship with the Lord?

What Now?

The truth about the gospel and Christ is that the gospel changes lives all over the world, and Christ has supremacy over all of creation. We can’t be deceived or led to doubt because of what others might say about Jesus.

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. Be sure to use this as a supplement to your study of the Explore the Bible Study resources provided by LifeWay.

How would you define contentment? One dictionary defines contentment as “the state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are.” Based upon this definition, do you believe people today are content? Most of us have either struggled with contentment or have observed others who are struggling. This is why the Explore the Bible Study: Joy and Contentment, is an important study for the current times in which we live.

It’s rare that we find anyone who is truly content with his or her condition in life. Many times, it’s because we don’t have a clear understanding of what it means to be content. In Philippians 4:10-20, Paul defines contentment and provides some ways we can learn how to guard against the thieves that would attempt to steal it away.

Paul reminds us that true contentment isn’t found in what others do for us or in what we have - Philippians 4:10-14

Notice that Paul was grateful for how the Philippian church had responded to him. They cared for him (v. 10); they were concerned about him (v. 10); they partnered with him (v. 14). Paul was certainly grateful and thankful for the expressions of love from the church at Philippi, but his contentment was not dependent on anything they provided or in the way they cared for him in the past or in the future. We all appreciate the kind words or expressions of love from friends, especially during tough times but this shouldn’t drive or dictate to us our level of contentment.

Experiencing contentment solely because of our relationship with Christ does not come naturally. Yet we see from Paul’s words that contentment in Christ alone can be found. We should strive to learn how to be content in Christ alone so that our feelings of contentment aren’t driven by what we have or by the friends who care for us.

• What things do people in our culture consider necessities? What happens when circumstances take away some of these necessities? How do people respond?
• How can social media sites cause one to become discontent? What needs to change if someone determines their level of contentment based upon their number of friends on social media or the number of likes of a certain post or picture?
• Are you relying on your physical circumstances or expressions of love from friends to determine your level of contentment?

Being content produces gratefulness - Philippians 4:15-18

The Philippians had given gifts to Paul in the past and he was very grateful; yet we must remember that he has already stated that his contentment was not dependent on their past gifts or future gifts. This church had supported Paul in his early days of ministry (Acts 16:12-17:1) like no other church had. He desired to acknowledge their support by expressing his gratefulness. He wanted them to realize that their deeds would not go unnoticed by God either. He used accounting terminology in verse 17, referring to their giving as a credit on their account. Paul noted that what might appear to be a loss was really a gain.

Notice that Paul expressed his gratefulness for their gifts by stating that he had received everything, had an abundance, and was fully supplied. Additionally Paul stated that God viewed their gifts as a fragrant offering, acceptable sacrifice, and pleasing to God.

• If someone is content in Christ alone, how should that change the way they view gifts or expressions of kindness given to them by others? 
• If one is content in Christ, how does that impact their giving to others?

Contentment is found in knowing Who provides it - Philippians 4:19-20

Paul was content in whatever state he might be found because he knew WHO was supplying all his needs – God through Jesus Christ. There was no need Paul had that couldn’t be supplied because God’s riches are limitless. He desired for the Philippian believers and us to understand this as well. It’s not about what we receive or what we give, but it is because of Jesus Christ that we can be content.

Are You Struggling With or Striving To Be Content?

Notice I asked if you were striving and not, “Are you content?” We will all have times, especially when we face certain challenges in life, where contentment seems to elude us. This is where we must remember Paul’s wisdom regarding contentment from our passage today.

Consider your own state of contentment and the actions you need to take to become more content.

1. Are you basing your contentment on what you have or on how others feel about you in knowing Christ and Christ alone?
2. Are you grateful for what you have been given, or are you always desiring more?
3. Are you constantly aware that all your needs are provided by Christ?