Reflect

Once you've watched the featured video, take time to reflect on these questions.

1. What is one way this video expanded your understanding of Paul’s letter to the Colossians?
2. How does Paul talk about Jesus in his letter?
3. How would you describe the difference between existing in the “old humanity” and living in Jesus’ “new humanity”?

Go Deeper

Paul encourages the church in Colossae to withstand the cultural pressures of living in a world filled with visible rulers (like corrupt religious leaders) and invisible powers (like deceptive spiritual beings). The church can withstand these pressures because it has been rescued to live in a new world, God’s new creation. King Jesus rules this new creation by bringing God’s invisible world to our tangible world. He rules with forgiveness, honor, and generosity. He welcomes every human, no matter their ethnicity, social standing, age, or gender. And he never uses fear, coercion, or exploitation to establish his authority on Earth. Best of all, Jesus’ new creation does not end in death. Jesus promises that those who trust in him survive the grave through resurrection with him. When we believe this, we no longer need to fight to win or survive—we can truly love others instead. Living this way with Jesus allows his new creation to become a visible and experienced reality on Earth as it is in Heaven, even in the midst of life’s daily pressures and suffering.

Read: Colossians 1:13-20, Colossians 2:1-10, Colossians 3:1-17

1. Review Colossians 1:13-23. Take note of repeated words like “all” and “first.” How does Paul describe the King of the new creation? Who is he, what has he done, and what will he do?
2. Compare Colossians 2:1-10 to Genesis 3:1-8. How are the concepts of deception, knowledge, and wisdom described in each passage? Notice the repetition of sight in each passage. How does Eve see? What does Paul say we should see instead?
3. Humans often feel like they are missing something in life. What is one example of how deception can exploit that feeling in order to persuade people to rely on things other than God? With this in mind, how do you think Paul’s message in Colossians 2:8-10 helps us escape the serpent’s deceptions and hollow philosophies?
4. Our lives are only complete in Jesus, so Paul says we must live in him by putting away old habits of life and putting on new habits of love. What is one example of how living out the message of Colossians 3:1-17 allows us to experience new creation on Earth?