Bible ReadingColossians 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
[43:02]Colossians 3:7-9 “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices”
[41:34]Colossians 2:8-23 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch' (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
[35:05]Observation questions- In Colossians 3:7-9, what specific old behaviors are named as things to put away?
- In Colossians 3:12-17, what new qualities are believers told to put on, and what three larger commands follow that list? [51:43]
- In Colossians 2, what kinds of pressures were troubling the church in Colossae, and how were people treating each other because of them? [35:44]
- What everyday pictures help explain preparation for conflict and the “put off/put on” language: clothing, winter driving, and sports gear? [50:33]
Interpretation questions- Paul roots these commands in identity: “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” Why does starting with identity matter when dealing with conflict, instead of starting with rules alone? [37:06]
- Paul says believers should not keep the old behaviors in the closet, but throw them away like a ruined outfit. What does that image suggest about how seriously anger, slander, filthy speech, and lying should be treated?
- Tenderhearted mercy looks beneath someone’s anger without excusing sin. How can that help a believer respond wisely instead of simply reacting to the surface of the conflict? [44:38]
- Paul says the peace of Christ should “rule” in the heart like an umpire. What does that mean in a moment when two people both feel sure they are right? [54:42]
Application questions- Which part of the old wardrobe tends to show up most quickly in personal conflict: anger, rage, slander, dirty language, or lying? What usually brings that out? [41:52]
- Conflict is usually handled before it starts, not only in the moment. What would it look like this week to “put on” mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience before going to work, seeing family, or gathering with the church? [51:12]
- Kindness can act like a circuit breaker when someone comes in hot. Can anyone think of a recent situation where a kind response changed the direction of a hard conversation, or where it could have? [45:26]
- Humility lets go of the need to win. In a current or recent conflict, what would it look like to care more about the relationship than about coming out on top? [48:11]
- Patience stays in the relationship for the long haul. Is there a strained relationship where patience would mean staying present, listening longer, or refusing to give up too quickly? [49:33]
- When life bumps a person, whatever is in the cup spills out. What has been spilling out lately under pressure, and what might help the word of Christ dwell more richly so that something different comes out next time? [58:51]
- Every word and deed should pass through Jesus first. In one difficult conversation that may be coming soon, what would it look like to pause and ask, “Does Jesus give full approval to what I’m about to say or do?” [01:02:02]
