Study 1, Lesson 3

Colossians Chapter 1

Study One: Lesson Three -- Colosse & Paul's Friends

Verse 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Verse 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Verse 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

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Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV

Study One: “Thankful for You”

Colossians 1:1-3

Paul opens by telling his friends how thankful he is for them, and that he is praying for them. Who are you thankful for? The husband who spends evenings in a recliner in front of the TV? The teen who doesn’t remember his shoes until you have driven halfway to his school? The friend who has saddled you with her drama for over twenty years? In this passage (and related Scriptural references) we learn why we are to be thankful, and more importantly, why we are to pray for those closest to us.

Lesson Three: Colosse & Paul's Friends

COLOSSE (Gr. Kolossai). An ancient city of Phrygia, situated about 11 miles (18 km.) from Laodicea and 13 (21 km.) from Hierapolis. Colosse stood on the most important trade route from Ephesus to the Euphrates and was a place of great importance from early times. The church at Colosse was established on Paul's third missionary journey, during his three years in Ephesus, not by Paul himself (Col 2:1), but by Epaphras (1:7, 12-13). Archippus also exercised a fruitful ministry there (4:17; Philem 2). Philemon was an active member of this church as was Onesimus (Col 4:9). During Paul's first Roman imprisonment Epaphras brought him a report of the religious views and practices in Colosse that called forth his letter, in which he rebuked the church for its errors.

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Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV

Assignment: