Mims Chapel Church 

Week 1, September 7, 2025

LESSON 1

What Was Going on in Colossae?

Lesson Text:

Colossians 1:1,2,9; 2:1,2; 4:7–9

Memory Verse
“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 1:29

Key Terms

Heresy • Belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine.

Salutation • A gesture or utterance made as a greeting or acknowledgment of another’s arrival or departure.

Syncretism • The combination or blending of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

Suggested Emphasis

This letter from the Apostle Paul was di­rected to the church in Colossae—a town in what is modern-day Turkey, approxi­mately 100 miles east of Ephesus. Paul had never been to Colossae; he had not played a personal role in the founding of this church (we know this from his com­ments in Col. 2:1). However, he may have felt a certain responsibility for them be­cause a disciple of his, Epaphras, had been a leader there. It seems that Paul’s heart was bound up with his fellow work­ers and beloved friends. His love for Ep-aphras became an emotional connection with the church at Colossae. He was curi­ous about their spiritual development (Col. 1:9), and he knew they would be concerned about his well-being (an impli­cation of Col. 4:7).

The Epistle to the Colossians is one of the “prison epistles” Paul wrote while under house arrest in Rome, presumably A.D. 60–62. Paul’s experience at this time is described in Acts 28. He was under guard (Acts 28:16), but was allowed to receive visitors (Acts 28:30). Paul endeavored to be productive during his imprisonment. For example, he chose to write the “pris­on epistles” to encourage the Saints in Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae.


Emphasis 1:

A Looming Danger

Paul also had a special purpose for reach­ing out to the Colossians. It is assumed that Epaphras had informed him of a looming danger facing that local church. An early Christian heresy was making in­roads into the region. It appears to have been a case of syncretism: an attempt to combine Christian teaching with other forms of belief. In effect, ”the false teach­ing failed to give its rightful place to the work of Christ, and it failed likewise to ascribe divine and unique glory to the person of Christ” ( Erdman, 1966, p. 22). The Colossian heretics were specifically promoting doctrines of ceremonialism (mandatory observance of sacred days and seasons), asceticism (celebrating aus­terity and the denial of physical appetites), angel worship, secret knowledge, and reliance on human wisdom and tradition (Williams, 2015). Some of these false doc­trines are similar to the teaching of the Essenes, while others remind us of the Gnosticism that would rise a century later. Perhaps the most we can say is that sev­eral streams of thought shaped the Colossian heresy.

Emphasis 2:

Holding Up the Truth
to Combat Error

“The best way to meet error is to empha­size truth...Thus when Paul has learned from Epaphras of the heresy, which threat­ens the Colossian church, and as he writes to warn and encourage the Christian be­lievers, he wastes no time in denouncing the false teachers or expounding the false doctrines. In fact, he refers to the heresy in such general terms and says so little of its specific features that its exact origin and character are still the subjects of con­jecture and debate” (Erdman, 1966, p. 23). Instead, it becomes the apostle’s mission to focus on the nature and minis­try of Jesus Christ, including Christ’s rela­tion to the universe, His centrality to the Church, and His complete sufficiency for all human needs.

Emphasis 3:

The Heritage Belonging
to God’s People

The revelation that Paul wants to share with the Colossians about the Son of God is part of the “grace and peace” he com­mends to them in his salutation. The mes­sage that he has for the Saints will prove to be an impartation of God’s grace. The Corinthians being called “Saints” con­notes their separation unto God; that they are called “brethren” is a designation that indicates their adoption by “God the Fa­ther” into His Holy family. Everything Paul will reveal about Jesus Christ is the birth­right and heritage of God’s people. It is a consequence of their being “in Christ.” Paul knows that the believers in Colossae are already in mystical union with the Lord. He intends to explain to them the full significance of that standing. This proper doctrine would expand their un­derstanding of the unmerited favor they have through salvation. It would indicate the depth of peace they could now enjoy with God.

Missions Application Questions

Describe the heresy creeping into the Colossian community.
How did the Apostle Paul address the looming danger to the Saints?
In what way is Paul’s teaching a “birth­right” of believers in Christ?

World Missions Prayer Points

Let us pray that the Church guards against syncretic forms of worship today.
Let us pray that our teachers and lead­ers emphasize the truth of the Gospel.
Let us celebrate the heritage we have as believers.

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