Colossians 4:7-18 | Food for Thought
Questions
Paul moves into his closing remarks, addressing a number of people by name. Do we know anything about these people - either from this letter or other parts of the New Testament?
Are there any meaningful observations (or questions!) about what the local church, ministry, etc. was like based on what we know about these individual people?
What does it say about Paul, the nature of his ministry, and the ministry of the local church that this is the way he chooses to close his letter?
It’s easy to forget that Paul’s life and ministry was so much more than the snapshots we see in Acts and the handful of letters we have from him. Paul explicitly says that Tychicus and Onesimus were being sent to let the Colossians know how they (Paul and his companions) are and what’s been happening there. What kinds of things do you think they’d report?
Why would Paul want the Colossians to know how he’s doing and what’s been happening? Why would the Colossians want to know that stuff? (Hint: to be encouraged!)
What does this tell you about the kind of relationship he had with the people in Colossae? Was it simply theology, instruction, and formalities?
How do you feel when you hear how someone is doing or what’s happening in their life? Why do you share those things with others (…assuming that you do!)?
We may also not think about Paul as someone who needed to be comforted. And yet, here we have Paul say that the Jewish believers (“men of the circumcision”) have been a comfort to him. Knowing what you do about Paul, why might these men be a particular comfort?
Who is / has been a comfort to you? What does that comfort look like?
How are you working to be a comfort to others?
Paul mentions that the churches in Colossae and Laodicea should swap letters and read them aloud. Why would he want them to do this?
What does this tell us about the helpfulness of Paul’s words to people who weren’t his “direct” audience?
What does this say about the similarities, differences, and/or relationship between Laodicea and Colossae?
How can we learn from words that were written / said to others? How is this especially true with the Scriptures?