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Colossians 3 Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. Why should we be making spiritual life a focus in our lives? Where is Christ? What do you think He is doing there?

We were raised with Christ so we are no longer dead spiritually. We should be spending time with Christ and rise above our current situations to enjoy the heavenly blessings that God has for us. Christ is sitting at the right had of God watching what is happening here on earth. He sees each person and cares for all His creation. He cares for those who are in His presence.

2. How can we set our minds on spiritual things? Where is your life focus? Can you honestly say that you have made it a priority to focus your mind on Godly things? What would happen if you did?

Focus our attention not on material things but on the Bible and following His way. There are times when we begin to look at the material side of life.

3. How did we die? What does it mean to be "hidden with Christ"? How intimate can we get?

We are to die to the sinful nature, the flesh and live with Christ. Being hidden in Christ, is a picture that we are surrounded and that the devil won't find us. The only one that others should see is Christ. He is the exterior that others should see in our character and actions.

4.Is Christ really your life? What can we do to make Him our life?

Stay close to Him by studying His life in the gospels. It is wonderful to think that we will appear with Him in glory. We need to live a pure life so that we will focus of Christ and His presence in our lives. You die to self and you don't have a life.

5. Where can we find people with these kind of moral attributes? Do you identify any of these in your own life?

(In the church, - He that is without sin, cast the first stone.)
The following are the words that we have in this verse:
You (pl) deaden (kill imperative) your body members upon the earth
proneos - engaging in unlawful sex (adultry, homosexuality, fornication,
impure passions,
epithumia -upon passions - lust, longing
kakos - bad, evil, wickedness
and pleonexia greed which is eidolo latreia - image worship

6. Why is the wrath of God coming?

God wants to destroy these things because they destroy his creation. They damage those who engage in these acts and activities so God gets angry that these things destroy the love, joy and peace that He wants us to enjoy.

7. Have you ever experienced any of the above sinful activities? Do you still?

Walking is a term that indicates repeated action. It is not just one step but many. This kind of life is a lifestyle not just a fall in the mud one time experience. We need to be cleansed and purified by the Lord and stay clean. Work at getting scripture to be our guide and begin to think like Christ. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it.

8a. What other things are we to get rid of? How do you think these things are related? Do you ever get angry with your spouse or make snide comments about her to others?

These things are the ways that we learned to cope in the flesh and gain acceptance from others. Putting others down is a subtle way of making ourselves look better. If we can "one up: our spouse or others, we might feel better about ourselves (pride) but end up destroying our relationship with them.

8b. What causes anger or when might a person become angry? What is the antidote or cure for anger?

Tension, pressure or frustration often causes outbursts of anger.
Anger is sometimes a control or defence mechanism.
Family relations are often learned and passed on to children, so if our parents ever got real angry we might have a weakness to the same.
In contrast to righteous indignation, anger is about a violation or injustice of MY rights vs justice for other people.
Anger is controlled when we recognize that God should be in control not us. Learn to relax and keep things in perspective.

8c. What is malice and slander? What is the goal of these. How do we defend against these?

Malice is a desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness.
Slander is a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report, spoken not graphic or in writing
The goal of these is to hurt someone else and often done to put others down so that we might look better to others. We are trying to get revenge or we are bitter against another person.

9. What is lying related to? Why do we lie? Are white lies which protect others OK?

It is related to covering up that which we have done that was wrong. If we no longer do wrong things we no longer have to lie. We tell people what we think they might want to hear. We tell others things to protect someone or some activity from becoming known.

Hypocrisy is also a form of lying. Do you ever try to look good when you know you are deceiving others?

10. What happens when we become a Christian? v.10 Rom 12:2, Is 55:7-9

We are renewed in our inner man. Note that in verse 9 it says to put off the old self and in this verse we are to put on the new self. We are to have our minds renewed and learn to think like God thinks, with love and care for all creation. We need to saturate our mind with the bible and memorize portions to make it available to our thinking especially when we are faced with trials and challenges. We have become a new creation 2 Cor. 5:17.

11. Does God play any favourites? Are you just as important to God as everyone else? v. 11

God has made us in His image and as the creator, has a concern for everyone. It doesn't matter what our background, God has a heart and a plan for each person. God does give people different gifts and power to exercise those gifts based on our intimacy with Him. Being faithful is a measuring stick for God.

12. What kind of people do we become? Based upon who we are in Christ what are we to do? v. 12

We are chosen people. Something you coose is special to you. God thinks you are special and loved dearly. We are also cleansed and made pure. We need to take on the attributes of compassion and kindness, humbly realizing that it is because of God's mery that we have this position in god's heart and so we will be patient and gentle with others.

13. What is the basis for our forgiving and loving everyone? v. 13

The basis of forgiving others is that God has forgiven us so we must forgive others. We get hurt when others find fault with us. Do we correct the problem or are we stubborn and fail to make corrections needed on our part. We need to continually examine our hearts to determine how we are to change and become more like God.

14. What is the key to unity? v. 14

Unconditional love is the key to unity in the faimly, in the church, and in all relationships.

15. What happens if we don't let Christ rule in our hearts? v. 15

If peace is not in our hearts then we have aqnger, bitterness, or unforgiveness in our hearts.

16. What is the criterial for Godly music? What is key to the use of music according to this verse? Is that the way we use music in our churches today? v. 16

In the body of Christ, songs are to teach and admonish each other. The songs should be joyful and full of thankfulness to God. Some music does teach but not much. There is some admonition but most of the songs are of the psalm (worship) category. Unfortunately, much of the music called Christian is influenced by our pop culture and the world is driving our church music and not vice versa.

17. Can you attach Jesus' name to everything that you do? Would He be pleased with the things you do? What should our attitude always be? v. 17

Paul encourages us to have a thankful spirit in all we do. God has blessed us with so much but often we want a lot more (material things) If we have a desire for spiritual things our focus will be on doing and saying things that honor God.

18. What do you understand the concept of submission to mean? What do you think the phrase "as is fitting in the Lord" means in practical terms?

Paul uses the comparison of submission to a husband with that of our submission to Christ. What kind of submission are we in with Christ. That same type of submission we are to Christ needs to be the attitude the wife has to her husband. On the other side, the husband needs to act like Christ, sacrifice his life like Christ and care for and love his wife like Christ has done for us.

19. How can we love our wives? Why would husbands be harsh with their wives? Why do you think Paul added that phrase?

Ephesians 5 tells husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Some husbands "lord it over their wives" instead of loving their wives. Some husbands are not caring and those that come from a "pagan" background often have patterns in their lives which need transformation in their marriages. In Paul's day wives were often seen as "property" and husband did not respect the fact that their wives were made in God's image and were to be treated as such. When we respect and love our wives we are careful to understand and dialogue with them.

20. Why are children to obey their parents in EVERYTHING? v. 20

Children are to obey their parents because this pleases the Lord. This is a good verse for our children to memorize but we shouldn't use it as a baseball bat to batter our kids into submission.

21. How do we embitter our children?

Having too high expectations. Should be professional athletes at amateur level.
Be harsh with them. Being angry (yelling or threatening) when they don't respond immediately. Can we go to where they are to be involved in their world to encourage them to obey. Extending grace.
Expecting them to know how to do things that they have not been taught. Expect them to catch on the first time.

22. What is to be our work ethic?

Our work is not to be just to work to get a raise or just enough so that we don't get fired but working diligently, going the second mile, so that we please the Lord. We need to honor Him with our work ethic

23. Are there times when we are less than enthusiastic about the responsibilities that we have at our workplace? What about the jobs we have at home? Who should we be working for?

Our goal in our work is to do what pleases God. Are we good stewards, do we work to please our boss or our Lord?

24. What is to be the motivation to have the right attitude toward our work? How would it be different to work for the Lord? v. 24

Our goal for work is not material but a spiritual inheritance. We are to serve Christ in our workplace. Others should see Christ reflected in our work and attitudes. We will receive not just material rewards but an inheritance for His kingdom after this earthly existence is over.

25. Do you think you should be extended special favours because you are a Christian and work hard? v. 25

It isn't just the good things that we will be rewarded for but we will be punished for the wrong that we do, whether we are hypocrites, slackards, or deceitful. Just because we are Christians and our boss might be a Christian, we should not expect to get promoted because of that fact. We should gain trust and promotions based on our good honest work.