Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:Grace to you and peace from God our Father.Colossians 1:1-2Throughout Colossians, Paul talks in various ways about ‘the message’ or ‘the word of truth’ they heard from Epaphras wanting to reassure the Colossians that the message they received is true. For Paul it is important that they stay faithful to that original message, the true message. Straying from what they heard and believed put them at risk of being deluded by plausible arguments (v2:4).1) In the same way today, how does a degradation of the belief in the authority, infallibility and inerrancy of scripture lead to doctrinal compromises within the church? (consider Ephesians 2:19-22) How should a church guard itself against this? How would you answer the objection that the meaning of scripture is open for interpretation and one person’s interpretation is just as valid as another’s even if they don’t agree? 2) Epaphras is a great example of someone who heard the word and took it to ‘his people’. How do you feel about sharing the gospel with ‘your people’ (friends, family, work colleagues etc)? What makes you hesitate or what gives you the boldness to do so? Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. How might this passage help us overcome some of our fears of sharing the gospel? Why do you think the church is growing rapidly in places like Iran and China where Christians are persecuted and sometimes even killed for their faith? How does this make you feel about your effort in sharing the gospel? 3) How do the words “in Christ at Colossae”(v2) remind us of the ‘now and not yet’ reality of our Christian faith. (See Phil 3:20, 1 John 3:12, Ephesians 2:5-9 & 6:12). It is a reminder that we are in the world but not of the world so how do we keep from letting the ‘at Perth’ part of our life become of more importance to us than the ‘in Christ’ reality of our life? 4) Discuss how “Grace to you and peace from God our Father”(v2) is one of the greatest desires/wishes/goals you could have for yourself and also your loved ones. How might this phrase shape the way we parent our children, treat our spouses, relate to our family members? (When Paul says peace, it’s not just the absence of conflict; it reflects the Old Testament prophetic hope for an era of ‘shalom’, a time of spiritual and physical wholeness and well-being because our enemies have been destroyed and we experience the presence and blessing of God.)Send us a text

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