Reader (not the teacher)

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)

   They should keep seeking the things that are above where Christ is.

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

   On the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

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

   They have died to the things on the earth, and their present existence is hidden in Christ who is in God.

   When Christ is revealed [returns], they will be revealed with him in the glory of his return.

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

   Their bodies should be dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed [which has the same focus as idolatry]. The purposes they pursued in idolatry are not to be the purposes they pursue as Christians. Their value systems in idolatry and the value systems in Christ are distinctly different. They were not to use their bodies in irresponsible sexual activity outside of marriage as was often the case in idolatry. They were not to involve themselves in anti-God practices [things that oppose God in their existence]. They were not to allow godless desires and motivations to determine how they lived. They were not to allow godless desires that championed evil rather than Christ to determine their behavior. They were not to seek things as the supreme goal of life--they did not seek to take what belonged to another and cover their covetousness with a respectable justification. They were dead to idolatrous ways to be alive to Christ's ways.

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

   The focus of the lifestyle in idolatry invites God's wrath.

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

   They had, and perhaps were continuing such indulgence in Christian existence.

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

   The motives/involvements previously mentioned plus anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech [a collection of bad habits/practices that made them repulsive to people and to Christ].

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

   They also should abandon lying [deliberate deceit]. Such activity was a part of the old pre-Christian lifestyle.

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

   Christ had recreated them [renewed them to the existence God intended for people from the beginning], and Christ who had delivered them determined who they were and how [for what] they lived.

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)

    They were in Christ and looked at people as Christ does.

11. Where was Christ? (verse 11)

    He was in everyone [regardless of who they were or what their background/environment was] who accepted him.

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

    Those who belong to God should put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, and patience [forbearance toward others].

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

    They should bear with and forgive others in the same manner Christ bore with and forgave them.

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

    Love would produce the perfect bond of unity.

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

    The peace found in Christ should rule them.

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

    The attitude of thankfulness or gratitude should control them.

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)

    The word of Christ should live in them richly. They would treasure his words and the values his words declared.

18. How would they sing? (verse 16)

    They would sing with thankfulness to God in their hearts.

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

    They would do all in the name of Jesus Christ. Their lives in all of their behavior would represent Jesus Christ well.

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

    The attitude of thankfulness or gratitude would declare itself in them.

Application Questions

1. Discuss the focus of Christian existence.

   At the core of the discussion should be the understanding that Christian existence is based on Christ and his values. Christ's values declare God's values.

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."

   The desire to belong to Christ and receive his gifts involves the understanding that we are converted to change the way we live by accepting his standards.

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

   All evil opposes and misrepresents God. When we use ourselves for evil purposes, we misrepresent and oppose God.

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

   At the foundation of the discussion is the understanding that we respect rather than demean, and we serve rather than surrender to selfishness.

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

   To call Jesus "Lord" and at the same time refuse to live as he directs is to shame him and to make our lives ridiculous examples. Consider Matthew 7:21-23.

Reader (not the teacher)

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)

   They should not behave as those who worship idols. Their thinking is futile [their concepts of God were wrong].

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

   Their understanding was darkened; they were excluded from God; their ignorance resulted in hard-heartedness.

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

   They were callused [insensitive], ruled by sensual desires, and selfish motives were behind everything they did.

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

   An understanding of who Jesus Christ was [is] and why God sent him made that difference.

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

   Truth is in Jesus.

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

   It was abandoned. It was dying [rotting] because of the influence the lusts of deceit had on it.

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

   The spirit of their mind was to be renewed. They were to acquire a new way to think.

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

   They were to put on a new self that was created in truth's righteousness and holiness.

Application Questions

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

   Life's orientation, direction, and purpose become different.

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

   Christian living is a contrast between existing for the physical and existing for the eternal.

3. What will the person in Christ deliberately abandon?

   He or she will abandon an existence that focuses on the physical.

4. What will the person in Christ deliberately embrace?

   He or she will knowingly, thoughtfully embrace an existence that focuses on Christ and the eternal.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 4

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

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