The church in the city of Colossae had recently been founded by one of the apostle Paul's colleagues; he had never met them personally. But he had heard of their faith and of some of the challenges that threatened to undermine that faith, including what seems to be the presence of false teachers who were leading them astray. Paul therefore writes to them from prison, lovingly encouraging them to realize the treasure they already have in the gospel. In so doing, he paints a magnificent and cosmic portrait of the Christ in whom they've already believed, and in whom they've been given a new and transformed nature. His words should help remind believers of every time and place that the Christ we worship is supreme. (Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages will be read from the New International Version.)
First Episodes
Episode 1: Reading someone else’s mail
Have you ever noticed? Twenty-one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are letters, and thirteen of the twenty-one are traditionally attributed to Paul. Let...
Episode 2: Letters from prison
The letter to the church in the city of Colossae is traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul. But where and when did he write it? It’s one of the so-called “Prison...
Episode 3: Cross-contamination
If you were a fan of Alton Brown’s Good Eats, you know the danger of cross-contamination in the kitchen—of letting bacteria spread from one food or surface to another....
Episode 4: “Dear Colossians…”
In this age of electronic communication, the art of writing out letters longhand is becoming a lost art. It may be hard for us to appreciate the subtleties of meaning ...
Episode 5: The saints below
Most Christians, if they hang around the church long enough, discover that we’re a pretty flawed bunch. By the grace of God, we’re capable of moments of Spirit-led fel...