Week 1 Small Group (Mondays)
The apostle Paul, from a Roman prison, writes this letter to a church he didn’t establish or visit around AD60-62. Epaphras (founder of the church in Colossae) has provided Paul with news that various heresies have crept into the community there. They are saying that Jesus wasn’t God, but rather less than God and that a secret, higher knowledge above scripture was necessary for enlightenment and salvation. There were also aspects of Jewish legalism too.
Paul writes to affirm the Good News of Jesus. That is, Jesus’ victory over Satan, sin, and death, and that we too, can triumph eternally over those enemies through Him. ➕
Just by reading the first 8 verses of this book, we learn so much about the Gospel. It is received by faith, results in love, rests in hope, reaches the world, reproduces fruit, is rooted in grace, and is reported by people.
Please watch this 9-minute video by BibleProject for an overview of the book of Colossians
Paul is so confident and upbeat in this letter. It’s easy to forget that he wrote this from prison. 🔒
With the further tightening of restrictions across Victoria, what can we learn from Paul’s attitude in tough circumstances?
Please read 1 John 4:7-16 for John’s view of the Gospel and think about what could both mean when we think of “proof” that a person has truly been converted. ❤️