Visual Diagram of Colossians

1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, 1:1 by the will of God To the 1:2 I. Paul affirms his pastoral love for the Colossian church (1:1-12) 1. Opening greeting (1:1-2) and Timothy our brother, saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing 1:3 1:4 1:5 1:6 the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,. when we pray for you, 2. Paul affirms the authenticity of the Colossians' faith (1:3-8)

2. as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. He 1:7 1:8 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will spiritual wisdom and understanding, in all so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 1:9 fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1:10 A. To be filled with the knowledge of God's will so as to walk in holiness (1:9-10) 3. Paul prays for the Colossian church (1:9-12)

3. II. Paul's doxology and exaltation of the gospel (1:13-1:23) May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, endurance and patience, for all with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, He has in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. He is 1:11 1:12 1:13 1:14 1:15 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – whether 1:16 B. To be strengthened with all power for endurance and patience (1:11) C. To give thanks to the Father (1:12) 1. Paul exalts the work of the Father (1:13-14) 2. Paul exalts the preeminence of Christ (1:15-23) A. The person of Christ (1:15-18) 1. Creator and Sovereign (1:16) through Him and for Him. all things were created

4. 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is head of the body, the church. 1:18 He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, on earth or in heaven, whether making peace by the blood of His cross. 1:19 1:20 2. Sustainer of all things (1:17) 3. Head of the church (1:18a) 4. Authority and preeminence declared (1:18b) B. The work of Christ (1:19-23) 1. Reconciliation purchased (1:19-20)

5. And you who once were alientated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, not shifting from the hope of the gospel stable and steadfast, that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 1:21 1:22 1:23 2. Reconciliation applied (1:21-22) 3. Reconciliation verified (1:23)

6. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church. of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God the mystery, fully known, hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. To them 1:24 1:25 1:26 1:27 B. Paul is divinely charged with a stewardship to proclaim the mystery of Christ (1:25-27) The nature of this mystery: A. Paul has died to self for the sake of the church (1:24) 1. Hidden but now revealed (1:26) 2. Inclusion of the Gentiles (1:27) III. Paul establishes his pastoral authority among the Colossian church, and reveals his heartfelt burden on their behalf (1:24-2:5) 1. Paul's stewardship (1:24-28)

7. Him we proclaim warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 1:28 1:29 2:1 2:2 2:3 C. Paul is faithful to his stewardship, warning and teaching everyone that he might present everyone mature in Christ (1:28) (Paul's Mission Statement) A. The affections of Paul's heart are riveted to his stewardship, as he toils to see the church possess all the riches of Christ (1:29-2:3) 2. Paul's heartfelt burden for the Colossians and others (1:29-2:5)

8. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible argument. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 2:4 2:5 2:6 2:7 See to it that no one takes you captive philosophy and empty deceit, by according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirit of the world, and not according to Christ. 2:8 IV. Paul declares his key message and subsequent call to action (2:6-4:6) 1. Paul declares his key message, exhorting the Colossians to walk in Christ (2:6-7) 2. Paul commands the Colossians not to submit themselves to the spiritual leadership of those who serve their own self-made religion and not the true gospel of Christ (2:8-19) A. Purity of mind - Do not be taken captive by the deceitfulness of human precepts and teaching, but understand the reality of our profound identity in Christ (2:8-15) B. Paul presents the purpose of his letter, warning the Colossians not to be deluded by worldly argument (2:4-5) 1. Paul's 1 st command (2:8)

9. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, all rule and authority. who is the head of 2:9 2:10 In Him also you were circumcised by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, with a circumcision made without hands, 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 your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, in God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses 2:11 2:12 2:13 2. Paul's declaration of Christ's identity and our identity in Christ (2:9-10) a. Spiritual circumcision (2:11) 3. Our identity in Christ described (2:11-15) b. Buried and raised (2:12) c. Dead but made alive (2:13)

10. He rulers and authorities disarmed the and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him. Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 2:14 2:15 2:16 2:17 B. Purity of practice – Ignore the contempt of the religious elite, and do not let our practical walk be influenced by the requirements of self-made religion (2:16-19) 1. Paul's 2nd command and his indictment of the religious elite's spiritual blindness (2:16-17) d. Debt cancelled (2:14) e. Accusations disarmed (2:15)

11. Let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, insisting on 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 no handle, Do no taste, Do no touch." (referring to things that all perish as they are used) – according to human precepts and teachings? 2:18 2:19 2:20 2:21 2:22 2. Paul's 3rd command and his indictment of the religious elite's self-deception (2:18-19) 3. Paul confronts the Colossians' submission to religiosity, condemning religiosity in all its impotence (2:20-23)

12. 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. 2:23 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 3:1 3:2 3:3 3:4 4. Paul exhorts the Colossians that if they have been genuinely regenerated by the power of the gospel, they must live in the reality of their position in Christ, and thereby pursue radical, practical transformation in their lives (3:1-4:6) A. In response to his indictment and condemnation of their submission to religiosity, Paul charges the Colossians to rivet their hearts and minds to Christ (3:1-4)

13. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, and which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk from your mouth. and Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self, 3:5 3:6 3:7 3:8 3:9 3:10 1. Man's natural condition (1 st list) (3:5-7) 2. Man's natural condition (2 nd list) (3:8-9) C. Put on the new self (3:10-4:6) B. Put off the old self (3:5-9)

14. which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, free; slave, but Christ is all and in all. Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and bearing with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 3:11 3:12 3:13 b. United under the headship of Christ (3:11) c. Chosen by God to be a body bound together in love (3:12-14) a. Being renewed (3:10) 1. Exhortations to the local body (3:10-17)

15. put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. above all these things And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. be thankful. And And Let the word of God dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness to God. in your hearts 3:14 3:15 3:16 d. Called as one body to minister to each other in thanksgiving (3:15-17)

18. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 4:5 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 4:6 Tychicus will tell you They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your heart, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. 4:7 4:8 4:9 b. Conduct towards unbelievers (4:5-6) V. Paul's final greetings and instructions (4:7-18) 1. Paul informs the church of two visitors he has sent to them (4:7-9) A. Tychicus (4:7-8) B. Onesimus (4:9)

19. Aristarchus they have been a comfort to me. my fellow prisoner These are the only men greets you and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions – if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and 4:10 4:11 2. Paul passes on greetings from his fellow prisoners and workers (4:10-14) A. Jews (4:10-11) 1. Aristarchus (4:10) 2. Mark (4:10) 2. Jesus (Justus) (4:11)

20. Epaphras who is one of you greets you always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, he has worked hard a servant of Christ Jesus, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 4:12 4:13 Luke the beloved physician greets you as does Demas 4:14 B. Gentiles (4:12-14) 1. Epaphrus (4:12-13) 2. Luke (4:14) 3. Demas (4:14)

21. B. Message to Archippus (4:17) 4:15 and Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, Nympha and the church in her house. to And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 4:16 say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord." 4:17 And I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. 3. Paul asks the church to greet others on his behalf (4:15) A. Brothers at Laodicea B. Nympha and the church in her house 4. Paul's special instructions to the Colossian church (4:16-17) A. Exchange letters with the Laodiceans (4:16) 5. Paul's closing greeting (4:18) 4:18