A study of the Book of Colossians. Accompanying audio can be found at edthepastor.podbean.com

2. Colossians 1:1–12
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints
and faithful brethren in Christ who are at
Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God
our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always
for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus and the love which you have for all the
saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in
heaven, of which you previously heard

3. in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has
come to you, just as in all the world also it is
constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even
as it has been doing in you also since the day
you heard of it and understood the grace of
God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from
Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant,
who is a faithful servant of Christ on our
behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love
in the Spirit. 9 For this reason also, since the
day we heard of it, we have not ceased to
pray for you and to ask that you may be filled

4. with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will
walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to
please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in
every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all
power, according to His glorious might, for the
attaining of all steadfastness and patience;
joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who
has qualified us to share in the inheritance of
the saints in Light.

6. AAA
Author
Audience
Agenda

7. Author
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and Timothy our brother,
Prison Epistle
Probably from Rome

8. Audience
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ
who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace
from God our Father.
A church Paul did not found

10. Agenda
Correction in theology
Gnosticism
Jewish legalism
Mysticism

11. Thankful Prayer
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love
which you have for all the saints;
Pray for those you don’t know

12. All means all
With all prayer and
petition pray at all
times in the Spirit,
and with this in view,
be on the alert with
all perseverance
and petition for all
the saints,
Ephesians 6:18
Local churches
Missionaries
Persecuted Church
Martyrs

13. Brothers
because because of the hope laid up
for you in heaven, of which
you previously heard in the
word of truth, the gospel
which has come to you, just
as in all the world also it is
constantly bearing fruit and
increasing, even as it has
been doing in you also
since the day you heard of
it and understood the grace
of God in truth;
Hearing is believing
•Word of truth
•The Gospel which came to you
•Grace understood grows and bears
fruit
•Believers must hear, respond, obey,
and persevere

14. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will
they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a
preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?
Romans 10:14–15

15. Ἐπαφρᾶς
ĕp’ ə frăs
just as you learned it from
Epaphras, our beloved
fellow bond-servant, who is
a faithful servant of Christ
on our behalf, and he also
informed us of your love in
the Spirit.
He bought the Gospel to his
hometown
Paul’s high regard for Epaphras was
evidenced by his use of such terms as
“beloved fellow servant,” “faithful
minister of Christ” (Col 1:7), and
“servant of Christ” (4:12), a title of
esteem Paul bestowed only on one
other person (Timothy in Phil 1:1).
Epaphras was in prison with Paul at
the time the letter to Philemon was
written
He was the founder of three of the
churches (Colossae, Hierapolis, and
Laodicea) in the Lycus River Valley and
Paul’s representative . He was
probably converted during Paul’s stay
at Ephesus

16. What to pray for others for…
For this reason also, since the day we heard of
it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to
ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding,
1. Knowledge
2. Wisdom
3. Understanding

17. Comes with the preceding
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of
the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing
fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God;
1. Walk worthy
2. Good works
3. Increasing in knowledge

18. Think about this
Epaphras
Proclaimed the Gospel
Taught what he knew
Made disciples in three towns

19. Guess what type?
strengthened with all power, according to His
glorious might, for the attaining of all
steadfastness and patience;
Power from God-Acts 1:8
to finish
with a positive attitude

20. Called
joyously giving
thanks to the Father
who has qualified us
to share in the
inheritance of the
saints in Light.
You are called
Because of the
faithfulness of one man.
A heart for his
community