The book of Colossians

I've been struggling to find a good book in the Bible to begin a study in. I didn't want one that was too deep that it would require a lot of Old testament research (like Romans or Hebrews) and I wanted to find a book that was a good introduction into the person we study the Bible to learn about...Jesus Christ. All scripture points toward Jesus, but some more clearly than others. Colossians is one of the clearer ones. So to begin with let me say that to study the Bible is more than reading the Bible. This is not like reading "Old Man and the Sea" or a John Grisham book. The Bible is deep enough to study over a lifetime and still not be able to tap into all it's depths. So, for me, to "study" means to read small sections of it slowly and then keep re-reading those same sections over and over. It sounds like over-kill, but many times the scripture will begin to open itself up after this type of "meditation". So let's get into Colossians.

This is a relatively short letter written by Paul to a church in Colossae. It seems to be a church that Paul didn't ever visit personally, but had an acquaintance (Epaphras) that apparently started the church. So it helps to read this as a letter written to encourage an early church, and read the zeal and passion Paul has for both this church and Jesus. I'm going to start with spending some time in chapter 1 and I'll use the comment section of this post to record some of my thoughts. And any one is welcome to contribute anyway they see fit. Chapter 1 has one of the most thorough descriptions of Jesus in all the Bible, and pretty much spells out the Gospel message perfectly. Check it out...and as you read it, check out how there is no selfish motive in Paul's intent behind this letter. Paul is actually in prison as he writes this, and his only desires seem to be for these people in Colossae and their (and his) God.

"The Bible says..."

Have you ever heard someone say things like: "The Bible says...'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'", or "The Bible says...'God helps those who help them self"', or "The Bible says...'every dog has it's day'"? Well, the Bible doesn't say those things! In fact the Bible doesn't say a lot of things that people claim it says. And conversely, the Bible says a lot of things that people never claim it says. So how can we know what the Bible really says? We can listen to hear-sayer's, or we can read it for ourselves. An estimate 90% of Christians have not read the Bible all the way through. I am part of that majority. I have read large portions of the Bible, and all the New Testament many times, but even after seven + years into Christianity I'm still sometimes surprised when I hear about "new" Old testament books of the Bible. Books like "Nahum" or "Obadiah". Where did those books come from?

So to combat this problem of people (myself included) not having a very strong grasp, or even a light grasp, of what the Bible is really teaching us, I plan to start a regular Bible study and post what God is revealing to me on this Blog. Hopefully others will follow along and learn and share with me, but more importantly, I hope this format brings me a little accountability so I stay consistent in my studies. Consistent Bible study is what I believe is the key to a successful life. Way more crucial than a collage education, but you wouldn't know that based off our society's influence on our kids. So stay tuned and hopefully I'll live up to my expectations of a regular, beneficial, God honoring Bible study that ultimately helps me to know what "The Bible says..."!