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. - Colossians 2:5-7 (ESV) 

Since the letters to Ephesians, Philemon, and Colossians were all sent via Tychicus and Onesimus, Colossians was likely written around AD 62.[1] This would mean that Paul wrote the letter after his adventurous voyage to prison in Rome narrated in Acts 27-28. Paul expresses love and affection for the church at Colossae and others around them and tells them to pursue and cling to Christ. He writes about Christ's person and work, his own person and work, and the Colossians' person and work. Paul is concerned that the Colossians be encouraged by his and others' love for them, that they be clear on the sufficient nature of Christ's work in order to live properly and avoid errors, and also that they be living in a manner worthy of their identity. We are in a similar place; although not being addressed by the apostle himself, this letter was always intended to be read by others. We also need to understand Christ and his clarifying impact for how we live and act wisely and as God's chosen and beloved.

The Big Idea of Colossians

I have taught the Big Idea of Colossians as the following: Remember to live for God through Christ. Yes, it is a bit snarky since that is a restatement of the sentence that I take as the definition of theology. But I also believe it is accurate. As we read Colossians, so much of it is a reminder of and call back to the life that they have for God, through Christ, and with each other. In short, the Colossians need to remember to live for God through Christ. Do not turn to the right or left. Do not get distracted or lured off the path. Stay on the path where Paul put them as an apostle and remain faithful to Christ. 

An Outline of Colossians

1:1-2:5 - Christ Is Our Goal

Paul emphasizes the preeminence of Christ for life in 1:1-2:5. Paul expresses thanks for the Colossians as an introduction to the manner in which he prays for them. He describes how he prays for the way that they live, that it would fully please the Lord and be worthy of him. From there, he launches into a description of the exalted nature and status of Christ as above all and having reconciled all through himself, including the Colossians. For this reason, Paul can rejoice in his sufferings as he works for their maturity in accordance with the calling of the Lord on his life.

2:6-23 - Christ Is Our Foundation

Paul emphasizes the fact that Christ is our foundation. I am referring to Christ as the foundation in the context of what Paul addresses in this section. Paul admonishes the Colossians not to be taken in or deceived by false teaching that would have them be saved by something other than Christ. He further instructs them not to submit to judgements by those who would judge by a standard other than Christ. He exhorts them to remember that they have died to the things of the world and that the sinful desires of the flesh are not stopped by such efforts. Christ is our foundation for life and doctrine, not man-made religion. It seems like it will work, and people may sound convincing that it will work, but it does not. 

3:1-4:1 - Christ Is Our Guide

Chapter three to the first verse of chapter four can be summarized as Paul saying that Christ is our guide. Paul instructs the Colossians to set their minds on Christ in heaven and then to live accordingly. They must put to death all that belongs to sin and idolatry, replacing those things with all that becomes those who are holy and beloved of god. This trickles down into our relationships as believers with one another, including those of the households that make up the church, within marriage, between children and parents, and also between slaves and masters.

4:2-18 - Christ Is Our Unifier

Paul concludes the letter with what can be summarized as saying that Christ is our unifier. He tells them to pray consistently among themselves and for Paul, as well as to conduct themselves in a way that those outside the church cannot condemn. He ends with information regarding various people and logistics surrounding their activities and their relation to Paul and the Colossians. In all the diversity of activity, their shared union with and life through Christ is the unifying principle.

Benefits of Colossians

Colossians is full of innumerable benefits for believers, in part because the topics range rather far and wide. In all of it, however, there is the consistent call back to Christ. Christ is our goal, our foundation, our guide, our unifier. As we live and serve with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, we can trace all of our problems to some departure from Christ in thought, desire, or choice. Instead of navel-gazing and name-calling, we must always set our hearts on Christ in Heaven, seated at the Father’s right hand and ruling reigning over all.

Colossians reminds us to keep the “Christ” in “Christian”. Our view of the world is dominated by, grounded in, and directed toward Christ. Colossians reinforces the fact that it is through Christ that we can have peace with God. It is through Christ that we live. We must be careful not to allow any supposedly biblical teaching to turn us away from Christ while it pretends to push us toward him or add to him. We look for Christ our life to appear so that we can appear with him in glory. Because of that, we kill all remaining vestiges of sin in our lives and put in their place all that is good, holy and righteous. Because we have been loved by God through Christ, we now love one another through Christ. In short, we must remember that we live for God through Christ and be about the business of doing so.

[1] This observation is taken from the ESV Study Bible