Theme of Colossians 4

For the index for the Colossians Series, click here.

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Here's my theme for Colossians 4:

As I mentioned on Wednesday, Paul's letter focus on the Colossians prayer and conduct, specifically how it affects the ministry of the Gospel.

Here are some other themes I considered:
Seasoned with Salt (4:6)
Circumstances and Encouragement (4:8)
Take Heed to the Ministry (4:17)
Paul's Farewell (4:18)

Now that we have finished observing the text (in detail), we can begin interpreting the text itself in order to understand and apply it to our lives.

Next week, we will be devoting ourselves to the task of cross-referencing!  (It may sound boring, but there is MUCH to discover.)  So, take the weekend off to think over all we have learned in our chapter studies as we move forward.

Colossians 4: Paul's Farewell

For the index for the Colossians Series, click here.

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Most of Paul's letters contain short farewells (between 1 and 5 verses); however, Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Colossians all share lengthy farewells, full of greetings to and from various companions of Paul.

While some of the most interesting information from this section can be found from cross-referencing with other Bible books (a task we will attempt next week), there is still something important to find in this verses today, especially considering that Paul took the time to write such a lengthy goodbye.

While many of these names and situations probably seem familiar to us, it is important to see that Paul needed to give the Colossians quite a bit of information so that they could continue to support Paul's ministry and the ministry of his companions.

We're finally ready to close Colossians 4!

Colossians 4: Paul's Closing Thoughts

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Paul's closing commands for the Colossians focus on prayer and conduct.

Paul has three main prayer requests/commands for the Colossians...

...and one primary concern for their conduct.

Both sets of instructions focus on evangelism, more specifically Paul's ministry and the church of Colosse's ministry to "speak the mystery of Christ."

I think Paul may have closed with these instructions in order to remind the Colossians of their primary responsibility:  the Gospel.  The whole book has been leading up to this reminder.  When Paul explains his prayers for them, his ministry, when he warns them, teaches them, and instructs them in Christian living, when he explains how they should act to one another -- it all boils down to living in a manner that promotes Christ and His Word.

While this would be a great place to start closing out our study, Paul continues Colossians 4 with a long farewell speech.  Take a look at this and glean what you can.

Intro to Colossians 4

For the index for the Colossians Series, click here.

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I saw two main section of Colossians 4 during my reading:  Paul's Final Commands and Paul's Farewell.  (Colossians 4:1 really fits better with the end of Colossians 3 and our relationship study, so my "study" of Colossians 4 really begins with verse 2.)

Take some time to write down Paul's last few commands, warnings, and thoughts for the Colossians, specifically from Colossians 4:2-6.  Think about why he chose to close with these ideas.