Reader

Colossians 3:1-17 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Questions

1. What thing should the Colossian Christians continue to work on? (verse 1)

2. Where should they focus their attention? (verse 2)

3. What reasons are given for them focusing their attention on "the things above"? (verses 3, 4)

4. They should consider the parts of their physical bodies as dead to what? (verse 5)

5. What does devotion to involvement such as these invite? (verse 6)

6. Had these people once indulged themselves in such involvement? (verse 7)

7. What should they, as Christians, 'put aside'? (verse 8)

8. What else should they 'put aside'? Why? (verse 9)

9. Instead of continuing in the former way of living, they should follow a new lifestyle. Why? (verse 10)

10. In this new lifestyle they do not make old distinctions between groups of people (the secularly educated, the religiously educated, the circumcised, the uncircumcised, the violent and unprincipled, the uncivilized, those who were slaves, those who were free). Why? (verse 11)

11. Where was Christ? (verse 11)

12. What should those who belong to God put on? (verse 12)

13. How should Christians treat other people? (verse 13)

14. What would produce the 'perfect bond of unity'? (verse 14)

15. What should rule the Christian? (verse 15)

16. Since they all were in one body, what attitude should control them? (verse 15)

17. What would live in them richly? [Think about what that means since they did not possess the New Testament or have printed Bibles for individuals.] (verse 16)

18. How would they sing? (verse 16)

19. How would they do everything they did? What do you think that means? (verse 17)

20. What attitude would constantly manifest itself in them? (verse 17)

Application Questions

1. Discuss the focus of Christian existence.

2. Discuss this statement: "God did not give us Christ to enable us 'to do our own thing' but to enable us to do God's things."

3. Discuss the fact that there are some attitudes and acts that are unworthy of people devoted to God.

4. Discuss some of the new attitudes acquired by being in Christ.

5. Discuss the fact that Christ rules those who accept the gift of belonging to him.

Reader

Ephesians 4:17-24

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Questions

1. Who should Ephesian Christians not behave like? Why? (verse 17)

2. Describe the condition of these people who did not believe in the true and living God. (verse 18).

3. What was the effect of living a godless lifestyle that followed godless values? (verse 19)

4. What made the difference in the way Ephesian Christians were to live and the way idol worshippers lived? (verse 20)

5. What is in Jesus [including understanding how to live]? (verse 21)

6. What was to happen to the old way they lived? Why? (verse 22)

7. What was to be renewed? (verse 23)

8. What were these Christians to put on? (verse 24)

Application Questions

1. How should conversion to Christ change a person's focus?

2. Between what two ways of living should Christian existence provide a basic contrast?

3. What will the person in Christ deliberately abandon?

4. What will the person in Christ deliberately embrace?

Link to Teacher's Guide Lesson 4

Copyright © 2006
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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