Colossians | 1:1-8 | 1:9-20 | 1:21-29 | 2:1-10 | 2:11-23 | 3:1-10 | 3:11-17 | 3:18-25 | 4 | PDF |


These small group studies of Colossians 1:9-20 contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications.  Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Colossians 1:9-20 Bible Study With Questions – The Preeminence Of Christ

Outline

I. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians (9-14)
II. Who is Christ? (15-20)

I. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians (9-14)

Discussion Questions

• Since the day we heard what (9)?
• How would you describe Paul’s prayer life?
• Why did he pray for the Colossians so much?
• What exactly did he pray for the Colossians?
• What can we learn from the content of Paul’s prayer for them?
• What knowledge did Paul want the Colossians to gain?
• What is the difference between knowledge, wisdom, and understanding?
• What is the goal of the knowledge he was praying for them?
• What does it look like when a person walks in a worthy manner?
• For what does this passage say God empowers us?
• How is this different from what we generally want God to empower us for?
• What transformation has God brought about in our lives (13)?
• How should we respond to the truth that you have been “transferred” to the kingdom of His beloved Son?
• What does redemption mean?
• What will you do in the following week to apply what we have learned today?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Have not ceased to pray for you – One cannot help when reading these epistles but to notice Paul’s heart of prayer for the churches. It comes up again and again. It appears that Paul spent as much or more time praying as he did preaching.

In the world today, many people say that they are too busy to pray. There is simply too much to do. Once Martin Luther wisely said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

2. The content of Paul’s prayer – Paul’s prayer is very specific. It is also very deep. You can see that he has a heart for their long-term spiritual welfare and Christian character, not just for their temporary comfort or convenience.

Imagine for a minute if we were gathered here today studying your prayers for other believers. What would we think? Are your prayers rich with spiritual truth? Do they reflect a deep faith in and dependence on the Lord? Are they focused on the true spiritual needs of others or just on some simple external things like health?

3. So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord – This is a high calling.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 Bible Verse

We ourselves can never be worthy of what Christ has done for us. We can never earn His grace. Grace by definition is something that is not deserved. On the other hand, we can respond worthily to what He has done for us. We can respond by repenting of our sin and allowing Him to transform us. We should make it a habit to daily ask ourselves, “Would I be doing this if Jesus was here watching me?” Because He is in fact here watching us.

4. Please Him in all respects – When we become followers of Christ, we receive many spiritual benefits (which we will see more in verses 13-14). However, as His followers, we also have new responsibilities. He is the Shepherd. We are the sheep. He is the Master. We are His servants. Does a servant get to pick and choose which commands he can obey? Of course not. Neither do we get to pick and choose in which areas of our life we should please God. We must strive to please Him in every area, in every decision.

Our innermost thoughts should be pure and holy. Our words must be edifying to others and glorifying to God. Our decisions (James 4:15) must be made to please God and not to please ourselves. We must please Him at work, at home, in our family, and while among our friends. We must use our free time in a way that honors the Lord. He cares about how we treat our parents, our siblings, our spouses, our children, our neighbors, our classmates, our co-workers, our bosses, our teachers, our students, our relatives, our enemies, and even strangers. Get the point yet?

How can we achieve this massive and all-encompassing goal? One good way is to work toward it little by little. Evaluate your life in various areas. Set clear and specific short-term goals for yourself. Give yourself a deadline. Then follow through and do it. We move forward little by little, inch by inch.

5. Bearing fruit in every good work – Ephesians 2:10 tells us that God has prepared many good works for us to do. Every task that we complete is a fruit which we can offer as a sacrifice to the Lord. Are you a tree heavily laden with fruit or a sick and dying tree on which it is hard to find any fruit at all?

6. Increasing in the knowledge of God – Do you know God better today than last year? Last month? Last week? We should be steadily growing in our knowledge of the Lord and at the same time putting what we know into practice. To do this, we must be committed to maintaining good habits in our study of the Word, including Bible reading, group Bible study and church. We should be regularly exercising all five fingers of the Word (Hear, Read, Study, Memorize, and Meditate.)

7. Strengthened will all power for the attaining of all steadfastness, patience, and joy – Many sermons these days focus on God empowering us. One of the most famous verses and most oft quoted is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse is really attractive.

It reminds me of a cartoon movie I watched as a kid called Space Jam. In the movie, Bugs Bunny and many other little animals were playing a basketball game against alien monsters which were incredible at basketball. The loser had to be slaves of the winning team. It seemed the Looney Tunes characters had no chance, but then Bugs Bunny started handing out some of what he labeled, “Michael Jordan’s secret stuff.” This magic formula was supposed to instantly transform them into amazing basketball players. After drinking it, these little animals suddenly transformed into skillful basketball