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    The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be
    The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be
    The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be
    Ebook86 pages1 hour

    The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be

    By Warren W. Wiersbe

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    About this ebook

    In a world with a religion to meet every diverse mood, today's Christians are no different from those of ancient Colossae. Fighting Jewish legalism mixed with Eastern philosophies and Gnosticism, Paul called on the Colossian church to stop partaking in the misguided religious practices of their day and to find the one true faith.


    In his profound, scholarly letter, Paul warned the people of their heretical practices. His prevailing theme is the preeminence of Christ. Paul knew that if the Colossians grasped even a glimpse of the fullness of God, they would seize hold of their true identity and stop looking elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment.


    In this Bible study based on his original commentary on Colossians, seasoned pastor Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe challenges twenty-first-century believers in another age of "religious tolerance." Using Paul's response to heresy as one example, you will learn how to respond diplomatically yet boldly to the falsehood that aims to corrupt our faith today.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDavid C Cook
    Release dateNov 12, 2012
    ISBN9780781406284
    The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Colossians: Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be
    Author

    Warren W. Wiersbe

    Warren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of the Moody Church and general director of Back to the Bible, has traveled widely as a Bible teacher and conference speaker. Because of his encouragement to those in ministry, Dr. Wiersbe is often referred to as "the pastor’s pastor." He has ministered in churches and conferences throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. Dr. Wiersbe has written over 150 books, including the popular BE series of commentaries on every book of the Bible, which has sold more than four million copies. At the 2002 Christian Booksellers Convention, he was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dr. Wiersbe and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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      Book preview

      The Wiersbe Bible Study Series - Warren W. Wiersbe

      Contents

      Cover

      Introduction to Colossians

      How to Use This Study

      Lesson 1

      Miracles and Prayers (Colossians 1:1–12)

      Lesson 2

      Christ’s Preeminence (Colossians 1:13–20)

      Lesson 3

      Paul’s Ministries (Colossians 1:21—2:3)

      Lesson 4

      No Deception (Colossians 2:4–15)

      Lesson 5

      No Legalism (Colossians 2:16–23)

      Lesson 6

      Clean Clothes (Colossians 3:1–17)

      Lesson 7

      Family Matters (Colossians 3:18—4:1)

      Lesson 8

      The Power of Words (Colossians 4:2–18)

      Bonus Lesson: Summary and Review

      Extras

      Introduction to Colossians

      The Church

      Colossae probably would never have been mentioned in the New Testament had it not been for the church there. The city is never named in the book of Acts because Paul did not start the Colossian church, nor did he ever visit it. Paul had heard of their faith (Col. 1:4, 9), but he had never seen these believers personally (2:1). Here was a church of unknown people, in a small town, receiving an inspired letter from the great apostle Paul!

      The Colossian assembly was predominantly Gentile in its membership. The sins that Paul named (Col. 3:5–9) were commonly associated with the Gentiles, and his statement about the mystery applied more to the Gentiles than to the Jews (1:25–29). The church was probably about five years old when Paul wrote this letter.

      The Heresy

      What was the heresy that threatened the peace and purity of the Colossian church? It was a combination of Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism, with elements of what Bible scholars call gnosticism. This term comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means knowledge.

      To begin with, this heresy promised people such a close union with God that they would achieve a spiritual perfection. Spiritual fullness could be theirs only if they entered into the teachings and ceremonies prescribed. They also believed in a state called full knowledge, a spiritual depth that only the initiated could enjoy. This wisdom would release them from earthly things and put them in touch with heavenly things.

      It is easy to see how this kind of teaching undermined the very foundations of the Christian faith. These heretics attacked the person and work of Jesus Christ. To them, He was merely one of God’s many emanations and not the very Son of God come in the flesh.

      The Letter

      In his letter to Colossae, Paul used the vocabulary of the false teachers, but he did not use their definitions. He used these words in their true Christian meaning. As we study Colossians, we will find words such as fullness, perfect, complete, all of which were used by the gnostic heretics.

      His main theme was the preeminence of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18; 3:11). There is no need for us to worry about angelic mediators or spiritual emanations. God has sent His Son to die for us! Every person who believes in Jesus Christ is saved and is part of His body, the church, of which He is the head (1:18). We are united in Christ in a wonderful living relationship.

      Once he had established the preeminence of Christ, then Paul attacked the heretics on their own ground. Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong living. Right doctrine should lead to right living. In the two concluding chapters, Paul applied the preeminence of Christ to the daily affairs of life.

      The Bottom Line

      Many Bible scholars have concluded that Colossians is the most profound letter Paul ever wrote. The church today desperately needs the message of Colossians. We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean one religion is just as good as another. Some people try to take the best from various religious systems and manufacture their own private religion. To many people, Jesus Christ is only one of several great religious teachers, with no more authority than they.

      This is an age of syncretism. People are trying to harmonize and unite many different schools of thought and come up with a superior religion. They are not denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him. As we study this exciting letter, we must heed Paul’s warnings: Lest any man should beguile you (2:4 kjv); Lest any man spoil you (2:8 kjv); Let no man therefore judge you (2:16 kjv).

      —Warren W. Wiersbe

      How to Use This Study

      This study is designed for both individual and small-group use. We’ve divided it into eight lessons—each references one or more chapters in Warren W. Wiersbe’s commentary Be Complete (second edition, David C. Cook, 2008). While reading Be Complete is not a prerequisite for going through this study, the additional insights and background Wiersbe offers can greatly enhance your study experience.

      The Getting Started questions at the beginning of each lesson offer you an opportunity to record your first thoughts and reactions to the study text. This is an important step in the study process, because those first impressions often include clues about what your heart is longing to discover.

      The bulk of the study is found in the Going Deeper questions. These dive into the Bible text and, along with excerpts from Wiersbe’s commentary,

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