An Overview of Colossians
by David Gooding
The biblical authors used the literary conventions of their day to convey their message. These included structures and patterns less obvious to us in our modern age. David Gooding brought his expertise in ancient literature to the biblical text, and these study notes represent his thinking about the structure, patterns and thought-flow of Colossians.
When speaking to groups of Bible students, he often said, ‘When it comes to Bible study, there is structure, pattern and thought-flow, and the greatest of these is thought-flow. Here are the thoughts of God expressed. Our job is to follow the thought-flow’. He taught that the most important thing to grasp in biblical interpretation is the way the author develops his message, and that discerning structure and patterns within the text should always be directed towards that end.
David Gooding developed these study notes over many years and distributed them at public and private talks. The study notes are not meant to be the last word on the book, and may not cover it entirely. The Myrtlefield Trust offers them to Bible students, preachers and teachers in order to stimulate further thinking about the book, so that its message may be better understood.
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Study Notes
| I. | II. | III. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Colossians 1:1–8 | 1. Colossians 2:1–5 | 1. Colossians 3:1–4 |
| The hope laid up for you in heaven—and its effectiveness (Col 1:5). | All treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him—and their sufficiency (Col 2:3). | Your life hidden with Christ in God—its source and location (Col 3:3). |
| 2. Colossians 1:9–23 | 2. Colossians 2:6–15 | 2. Colossians 3:5–4:1 |
| a. Christ: first and supreme, image of God, firstborn of creation, creator of principalities and powers and of all things; firstborn from dead, head of church, all fullness in him, reconciler of all. | a. Christ: sufficient and triumphant, all fullness in him, head of principality and power; the circumcision, death, burial, resurrection, victory and triumph of Christ. | a. Christ: all and in all, the Lord, the master in heaven (Col 3:11). |
| b. Believers: | b. Believers: | b. Believers: |
| - In past: alienated/enemies. | - In past: dead. | - In past: old man, old life-style. |
| - Now: reconciled (Col 1:21). | - Now: made alive (Col 2:13). | - Now: new man, new life-style. |
| Made sufficient (Col 1:12). | Made full (Col 2:10). | Being made new again (Col 3:10). |
| 3. Colossians 1:24–29 | 3. Colossians 2:16–23 | 3. Colossians 4:2–18 |
| Pauls’ sufferings—striving: | The strivings of the religionists, mystics and ascetics. | The strivings of Paul and fellow-workers: |
| a. To make known the mystery (Col 1:26–27). | a. To speak the mystery of Christ (Col 4:3). | |
| b. To present everyone perfect in Christ (Col 1:28). | b. That you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God (Col 4:12). |