Colossians! Pioneer Day!!!! =)

Read pp. 423-424 in your textbook. Answer the following questions and post to your blog:
a. Why are Bible experts having a tough time figuring out what Colosse's problem is?
-This letter is a bit like listening to one side of a phone conversation and trying to interpret what's happening on the other end
b. Who was Epaphras?
-a minister who started the church
c. What's heresy? What kind of heresy is Paul talking about?
-a warped teaching that the Colossians are starting to warm up to
-mindovermatter religion, jewish christianity,mixandmatch religion
d. What's Paul's "Main Point"?
-"Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him....Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense" (Colossians 2:6-8)
e. Where is Colosse?
-modern day Turkey


Read "For Those Tempted to Demote Jesus" page 425. Answer the following questions and post them to your blog.
a. What does Col 1:15 say?
-"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation."
b. Why can't Paul visit Colosse?
-he was in prison
c. How does Paul begin this letter?
-beginning with a greeting that's typical of Greek letters.
d. What does Col. 1:16 say?
-There's nothing superior to Jesus---who is God in the flesh. Jesus created everything, including the spirits in the "unseen world"
e. Who was Jupiter? Mithra? Local spirits? How does this fit into Colossians?
-he called Zeus amond the Greeks, he's the top Roman god and chief of all the Roman gods.
-Mithra was worshipped as a good spirit and ruler of the world, Mithra is popular among Roman soldiers and freed slaves--and widespread throughout Turkey.
f. Each person in your group should read Colossians 3, and post a 1-paragraph summary about this book to your blog.



Colossians 3 tells us that as Christians we should live heavenly lives. God can't stand when we live our lives in sin. He can't stand when we go around and and sleep with anyone we can find. God wants his children to know that HE is the only thing that matters. Not who you're with or what you want to do. What matter is God!!! What matters is the fact that God loves everyone more than any of us could ever possibly imagine! God wants us to speak words to other people that we would speak to him. Love God! He loves you!!!