Journey through the book of Colossians

1. The Gospels
Acts of the Apostles
Paul’s Letters
Other Letters
Revelation
A New Testament (NT) Journey
Lesson 13: Colossians – Complete Maturity in Christ

2.  Romans – Life Transformation Journey
 1 Corinthians - Heaven’s Gold
 2 Corinthians – Jars of Clay
 Galatians – No longer I
 Ephesians - Pushing Limits
 Philippians - The Mind of Christ
 Colossians – Complete Maturity in Christ
 1 Thessalonians – Cascading Hope
 2 Thessalonians – Confident Hope
 1 Timothy - Fighting Fit
 2 Timothy – Fearless Faithfulness
 Titus – Double Grip
 Philemon – The Avatar

3. EVENT TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

4.  Introduction
 Supremacy of Christ
 Maturity from Leader
 Maturity of Christian
 Maturity Checklist/s
 Discussion

5. Colossians 1:28 He is the one we proclaim,
admonishing and teaching everyone with all
wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully
mature in Christ. 29 To this end I
strenuously contend with all the energy Christ
so powerfully works in me.

6.  Paul’s letter to the Colossians was written
around 62 A.D., during imprisonment in
Rome.
 Colosse, once significant, was on the wane
 The inhabitants were mostly Gentiles.
 Paul had never visited Colosse.
 He was in contact with Epaphras (founder of
the church which met in Philemon’s
house).[1]

7. Countering false doctrines including primitive Gnosticism,
Paul stresses the divine person and finished nature of the
creative and redemptive work of Christ (Colossians 1:14-
22; 2:8-15).
The following had crept into the Colossian church [2]:
1. Human philosophy based on the traditions of men.
2. Jewish or Judaistic elements
3. Ascetic elements to control the flesh (Colossians 2:20-
23)
4. Worship of angels (Colossians 2:18)
5. Mystery, secrecy, superiority, in knowledge.

8. In this letter Paul emphasizes
growth and spiritual maturity.
Words like “full”, “fullness”,
“complete”, “overflowing” are used
a number of times both in the
context of Christ’s position in God
and our position in Christ.

9. Supremacy of Christ
•Image of God
•Filled with God
•Head of the Church
•Supreme over creation
•Holds together creation
•Reconciles creation to
himself
Maturity From Leader
•Complete Christ’s suffering
•Completely cover God’s word
•Complete wisdom to teach
•Complete the ministry
received
•Complete prayer support
Maturity of Christian
•Completely know God’s will
•Completely understand Christ
•Complete thankfulness
•Completely seasoned speech
•Complete confidence and
maturity

10. Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation.16 For in him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or powers or
rulers or authorities; all things have been
created through him and for him. 17 He is
before all things, and in him all things
hold together.

11. Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the
body, the church; he is the beginning and
the firstborn from among the dead, so
that in everything he might have the
supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and
through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, by making peace through his
blood, shed on the cross.

12. Image of God
Filled with God
Head of the Church
Supreme over creation
Holds together creation
Reconciles creation to himself

13.  In what ways did the false doctrines in the
Colossian church lower the stature of Christ
 What are the things and people that replace
Christ today?
 In what ways do we as a Church replace
Christ today? – By doctrine? By practice?

14. Complete Christ’s suffering
Completely cover God’s word
Complete wisdom in teaching
Complete the ministry received
Complete prayer support

15. Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am
suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what
is still lacking in regard to Christ’s
afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is
the church.
What does it mean by complete Christ’s
suffering?

16. Beautiful Blistered Feet
A missionary walked from village to
village preaching the gospel amidst
many hardships. He was driven out of a
village and exhausted went to sleep
just outside the village.

17. The villagers saw his blistered feet while he
slept and realized that they may have sent
out a man of God who had suffered to give
them a message.

18. So the evangelist filled up the
afflictions of Jesus with his beautiful
blistered feet. He represented Christ
and his sufferings while sharing the
gospel with those who had never heard
it before.

19. Colossians 1:25 I have become its servant by
the commission God gave me to present to you
the word of God in its fullness— 26 the
mystery that has been kept hidden for ages
and generations, but is now disclosed to the
Lord’s people.

20. Colossians 1:28 He is the one we
proclaim, admonishing and
teaching everyone with all
wisdom, so that we may
present everyone fully
mature in Christ.

21. Colossians 4:17 Tell
Archippus: “See to it that
you complete the ministry
you have received in the
Lord.”

22. Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who
is one of you and a servant of
Christ Jesus, sends greetings.
He is always wrestling in prayer
for you, that you may stand
firm in all the will of God,
mature and fully assured.

23. In John Maxwell’s words, “Leadership is
influence – nothing more, nothing less”.
As we all influence people knowingly or
unknowingly, discuss how you fare with
respect to the leadership benchmark set in this
epistle:
 Complete Christ’s suffering
 Completely cover God’s word
 Complete wisdom in teaching
 Complete the ministry received
 Complete prayer support

24. “The one indispensable
requirement for
producing godly, mature
Christians is godly,
mature Christians.” –
Kevin DeYoung

25. Complete knowledge of God’s will
Complete in Christ
Complete thankfulness
Completely seasoned speech
Complete confidence and maturity

26. Colossians 1:9 We continually ask God to fill
you with the knowledge of his
will through all the wisdom and understanding
that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a
life worthy of the Lord and please him in every
way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing
in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened
with all power according to his glorious might
so that you may have great endurance and
patience,

27. Colossians 2:2 My goal is that they may be
encouraged in heart and united in love, so that
they may have the full riches of complete
understanding, in order that they may know
the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom
are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.

28. Colossians 1:22 he has reconciled you by Christ’s
physical body through death to present you holy in
his sight, without blemish and free from
accusation—23 if you continue in your faith,
established and firm, and do not move from the
hope held out in the gospel.
Colossians 2:10 and in Christ you have been
brought to fullness.
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not
on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is
now hidden in Christ in God.

29. Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell
among you richly as you teach and admonish
one another with all wisdom through
psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,
singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 4:5 Be wise in the way you act
toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be
always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how to answer everyone.

30. Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of
you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends
greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for
you, that you may stand firm in all the will of
God, mature and fully assured.
Ch 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for
human masters, 24 since you know that you
will receive an inheritance from the
Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you
are serving.

31. Complete Maturity Checklist
Complete Knowledge of God’s Will
1 Is every work bearing fruit? 
2 Do you have strength and patience to endure all things? 
3 Is your life worthy of Christ? 
4 Do all your actions please God? 
5 Is your knowledge of God continuously increasing? 
Complete in Christ
6 Are you positive you are saved and going to be pure without blemish? 
7 Have you got rid of old practices? 
8 Do you view things from God’s perspective? 
9 Have you developed increased compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience?

10 Have you forgiven as God has forgiven? 

32. Complete Maturity Checklist (Cont’d)
Complete Thankfulness
11 Are you overflowing with thankfulness? 
12 Is God’s glory the motive for all your actions? 
13 In trials does peace rule in your heart? 
14 Do you pray with thankfulness for your leaders? 
Completely Seasoned Speech
15 Is your conversation always full of grace? 
16 When you need to answer someone for your faith, are your words
carefully chosen?

17 Have you learnt to admonish with positive biblical basis? 
Complete Confidence
18 Are you confident you are in the centre of God’s will? 
19 Are you confident that all efforts will be rewarded? 
20 Are you confident you are growing in maturity 

33. Supremacy of Christ
•Image of God
•Filled with God
•Head of the Church
•Supreme over creation
•Holds together creation
•Reconciles creation to
himself
Maturity From Leader
•Complete Christ’s suffering
•Completely cover God’s word
•Complete wisdom to teach
•Complete the ministry
received
•Complete prayer support
Maturity of Christian
•Completely know God’s will
•Completely understand Christ
•Complete thankfulness
•Completely seasoned speech
•Complete confidence and
maturity

34.  In what ways can we share in Christ’s
suffering?
 Practically, how can we put off bad habits and
put on good habits?
 How can we keep our minds at Christ’s level
(ch 3) when the world around and often the
church functions at a lower level?
 In Col 3:18-22, which instruction do you find
most challenging? How do you overcome the
challenges?

35. 1. biblegateway.com
2. bible.org