Answers for a study in the book of Colossians: Chapter 2

“Answers for a study in the book of Colossians” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

Note: The answers will focus on what the text of the Bible says, and commentaries and speculative answers will be noted as such. There are many scholarly commentaries out there but it will be important, as students of the Bible, to keep the text of the Bible as our first source. Commentaries can be used, keeping in mind that they are human thoughts about God’s Word. Scripture references here are taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.

The Goal for the notes, questions and answers: Share and reuse to lead your own Bible study!

Review and Bible Study

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

1. Review of Class Topics:

With your table group, discuss today’s apologetics presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting, or asking any questions.

Answers will vary…

2. Review of Daily Devotional:

How is it going with your devotional? Are you having any difficulty with reading on a daily basis? Are there any questions you have, or anything that stands out to you as a life application that you’d like to share with your group?

Answers will vary…

Class Bible study: The Book of Colossians

Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions. Cite your sources to share with your group.

Read Colossians 2:1-23 with your group then, to the best of your ability, answer the following questions:

3. Where is Laodicea, and why did Paul include them in this letter?

From Bibleplaces.com:

“The city of Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley together with Hierapolis and Colossae. This valley is a natural route of travel from east to west. The city was founded by the Seleucid king Antiochus II and named for his wife Laodice about 260 BC.”

From the Life Application Study Bible:

“Laodicea was included in this Epistle as it was only a few miles from Colossae, and was most likely founded by one of Paul’s converts while Paul was in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). The fact that Paul wanted this letter to be passed to them as well, indicates that false teaching may have spread to them too. Paul was counting on ties of love and unity to bring the churches together for encouragement, and to take a stand together against heresies (e.g., Gnosticism, Judaizers).”

4. What warning does Paul give in verse 2:8, and why do you think he gave such a warning?

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

From the Life Application Study Bible:

“Paul writes against any philosophy of life based only on human ideas and experiences. Paul himself was a gifted philosopher, so he is not condemning philosophy itself, but he is condemning teaching that credits humanity, not Christ, with being the answer to life’s problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many man-made approaches to life’s problems that totally disregard God. To resist heresy, you must use your mind, keep your eyes on Christ, and study God’s Word.”

5. What are all the things Paul says about Jesus in reference to who He and what He has done for us as believers (2:9-15)?

^“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:9-15

In Jesus we find…

All the fullness of Deity in bodily form
He is the head over all rule and authority
He was raised from the dead
He has disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them

What Jesus has done for us…

He has made us complete
He has circumcised us in spirit
He has buried and then raised us up in Him – the sign of baptism as a statement of our spiritual death and rebirth through Him unto eternal life with Him
He has made it possible for forgiveness of all our sins by cancelling out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us (our sins before, now and future)
He has taken all our sins out of the way and nailed them to the cross

6. In addition to the false teaching of Gnosticism, Judaizers were also trying to infiltrate this early Church. What kinds of things did Paul tell the believers to not be judged by, and why (2:16-23)?

“Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Colossians 2:16-23

Paul warns the believers…

Not to be judged by others for what they should, or should not, eat, drink or touch; nor to celebrate, or not celebrate things like festivals, new moons or a Sabbath day
Not to delight in self-abasement
Not to worship angels
Not to believe a vision that may not be from God due to worldly (fleshly) desires

Paul warns them because…

The rituals of Judaism were only shadows of things to come (fulfilled in Jesus) and are all destined to perish with use
The Judaizers were pushing commandment and teachings of men, not God, even though they seemed wise, but were actually self-made religions
They are to grow with a growth which is from God and found in Christ Jesus only
These things from men are of no value against fleshly indulgence

7. Discuss: What kind of “empty philosophies and deceptions” do we need to watch out for today?

Answers will vary but may include…

Secular teaching in the public schools that run counter to the Christian worldview, such as the teaching of evolutionary theory for the origin of life – one of the greatest deceptions in education today, and the evidence is strong in opposition.
Lifting philosophies like scientism over Biblical teachings, because the intention of science, to begin with, was the pursuit of God and His workings in the world, not humanistic, atheistic teachings that are ever-changing, inconsistent and contrary to God’s design and purpose for human life.

8. Going Deeper: Cross-reference the Church at Laodicea by reading Revelation 3:14-22. What did Jesus have say to this Church and why? Some scholars say this admonition of Laodicea is representative of the Church in the last days, discuss your thoughts and any research you come across on this subject.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:14-22

Jesus tells the church at Laodicea that they are “lukewarm” in their deeds. This was a relatively wealthy area of commerce, and most of the people here would not have needs in the worldly sense, and this may have made them lazy, or they may have been taking for-granted their position in God’s Kingdom, either way Jesus is telling them to be “zealous and repent.”
Jesus is calling them back to Him because He loves them, and those He loves He will reprove and discipline, because it is apparent this church needed to be shaken up in order to see the shameful state they were in.

From Bibleplaces.com:

Lukewarm in Laodicea

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev 3:14-16).

“The reference in Revelation is thought to relate the water supply in Laodicea, which was questionable/lukewarm at best. The water that was piped to Laodicea was rich with calcium which over time would cause the pipes to clog. The engineers designed the aqueduct with vents covered with stones that could be removed periodically for cleaning. Jesus’s condemnation of the city’s church for lukewarmness rebukes not their lack of fervor but their lack of effectiveness.”

Some scholars say this admonition of Laodicea is representative of the Church in the last days, discuss your thoughts and any research you come across on this subject. Answers here will vary, but might include…

Some see the seven churches in Revelation as “church ages” in which each of the various churches represent a historical period of time (or era), and since the letter to Laodicea is the last one, many see it as the last age for the church before the end of time, and many point to the description as being similar to what we see in the church at large today.
There are others who do not interpret Laodicea as being representative of the church today, but simply take it in context as warnings, admonitions and praises Jesus gave for these seven churches, and are applicable for all churches, in all times, in all places throughout history even to today.

Memory verses: Recite Philippians 1:9-10; Philippians 3:14; Philippians 4:6-8; Philippians 4:12-13; Colossians 1:16-17 and add Colossians 2:8

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” Philippians 1:9-10

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things”. Philippians 4:8

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17

Please continue to join us as we read and study the Bible as part of our Christian Apologetics’ class each week!

Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study questions are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers (like these) are posted mid-week.

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15