Bible Study - Colossians 1

Amplified Bible (AMP)

1 Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ

Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2

To the [a]saints and faithful [b]believers in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you
and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father.
3

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for
you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with
absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] [c]love
which you have for all the saints (Gods people); 5 because of the [confident] hope [of
experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously
heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation] 6 which has
come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and
spreading [by Gods power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day
you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and
deeply acquainted with it]. 7 You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our
beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf 8 and he
also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.
9

For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you,
asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual
wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things], 10 so
that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral
courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every
good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer
insight and fervent love for His precepts]; 11 [we pray that you may be] strengthened and
invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of
endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to
share in the inheritance of the saints (Gods people) in the Light.
13

For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness,
and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have
redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the
cancellation of sins penalty].
15

He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the
visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign,
and the originator] of all creation. 16 For [d]by Him all things were created in heaven and
on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for
Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold
together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] 18 He is also the head
[the life-source and leader] of the body, the [e]church; and He is the beginning, [f]the
firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand
Jeanne McIntosh 2016

supreme and be preeminent] in everything. 19 For it pleased the Father for all the
fullness [of deitythe sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and
attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), 20 and through [the intervention of]
the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the
blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21

And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded
[toward Him], participating in evil things, 22 yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in
His [g]physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and
blameless and beyond reproach 23 [and He will do this] if you continue in the faith,
well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a
result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed [h]in all creation under
heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.
24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf. And with my own body I [i]supplement
whatever is lacking [on our part] of Christs afflictions, on behalf of His body, which is
the church. 25 In this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship which
God entrusted to me for your sake, so that I might make the word of God fully known
[among you] 26 that is, [j]the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for
ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (Gods people). 27 God
[in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the
riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and
guarantee of [realizing the] glory. 28 We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone
in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God],
so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and
perfect in Himthe Anointed]. 29 For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion],
striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.

Jeanne McIntosh 2016

Bible Study Guide - Colossians Chapter 1

Read verses 1-4
1. Verse 1 mentions Paul as a special messenger by the will of God. What does
this mean for us today?
2. According to verse 2, to whom is the book of Colossians written?
3. How can we continually give thanks?
4. What does faith in action have to do with our trust, Gods power, ability,
knowledge, goodness, and love?

Read verses 5-7

1. How does the faithful Christian continue to bear fruit and grow? Can the
Christian grow without bearing any fruit?
Read verses 8-12
1. Does the love from the Holy Spirit give all people the same degree of
discernment in spiritual things? Why or why not?
2. How can we use verses 9-11 as a prayer for others and even ourselves?
3. Do we always experience the joy of Jesus when every circumstance
(Verses 11-12) is not perfect in our lives? Explain.
4. How can we encourage others under opposition?
Read verses 13-17
1. What is verse 13 saying when is speaks of transferring us into the
kingdom?
2. How are you able to prove the existence of God to the unbeliever as
referred to in verses 16-17?
Read verses 18-22
1. If Christ is the head of the body, the church, according to verse 18, who
is the pastor under, the board, the congregation? What is the chain of
command?
2. If Christ is the head, then what does that mean about our priorities?
Jeanne McIntosh 2016

3. What does it mean in verses 20-21 when it reads that ALL things would
be completely reconciled back to Him in heaven and earth?
Read verses 23-24
1. How is it possibly that whatever the church body suffers be considered
ordained and justified sufferings by Christ Himself?

Read verses 25-29

1. God has entrusted and given pastors the responsibility to make the
Word of God fully known to their congregation; He has called
missionaries around the world to share the Gospel, yet Satan fights so
hard to discourage the Christians? There are times we may feel
defeated, but what is the hope we can remember?
2. How do we limit ourselves when we look closely around us and focus on
ourselves and our circumstances?

Jeanne McIntosh 2016