Answer: things above
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2)
Paul again was correcting teachings that focused on religious ritual for holy living rather than on the holiness the people were freely receiving through their faith in Christ.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Colossians
Answer: the blood of his cross and the body of his flesh
Paul writes that Christ Himself has laid the foundation of salvation; that He paid the price of redemption. He was, Paul says, the ransom for humanity, the sacrifice that God's law required and the redeemer of all. His blood paid the cost and put sins into remission, and through that same blood, Paul writes, His people are set free from sin and its bondage.
Christians believe that He has made peace with the Father for humanity through the blood of His cross (verse 20), and in the body of His flesh (verse 22). It is the blood that makes atonement for sins because the blood is the life, and because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).
This belief says that there was such a value in the blood of Christ that God was willing to deal with man upon a new set of terms based upon grace for His sake; to pardon and accept man as a righteous being, if man would only come to Him through the blood of His Son, admitting his sin, asking forgiveness and repenting of his evil ways. Christians generally believe that man has to accept the terms that God has provided, without bargaining, negotiating or seeking some other way back to God's will.
From Quiz: A Letter to the Churches of the Lycus Valley
Answer: charity
It says in Colossians 3:14, "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."
In some versions, the word charity is translated as love.
From Quiz: Colossians
Answer: roots
"Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done." Colossians 2:16-17
From Quiz: Paul's Letter to the Colossians
Answer: because it detracts from Christ's preeminence in all things
Christians believe that Jesus became the curse for human sins and that through His righteousness all people are commanded to be righteous. He took the law of the commandments and nailed them to the cross; these are the same commandments which Christians believe had been a burden to the Jews and a wall of partition to the Gentiles. Christians believe that this barrier is abolished, fulfilled completely in Christ and no longer of any necessity.
He has also become known as a glorious victory for believers in Christ over the powers of darkness. Some of these angels, some of the Powers and Principalities, were fallen with Lucifer. Not all spirits or angels are "good" ones in Christianity.
As the curse of the law was against man in Christian thought, so was Satan against man. Christians feel that, since Christ has redeemed mankind from that law, he has also exercised his power over Satan. Christians believe that the devil and all of the powers of hell were conquered and disarmed by the resurrected Redeemer. The first promise made in Genesis 3:15 makes reference to this. Christ is manifested in his power and glory after Satan "bruises his heel." Jesus crushes the serpent's head in complete and utter victory and makes a show of His triumph openly, for all creation to see.
Paul also addresses the Gnostic teaching that encouraged angel-worship, especially when seen as mediators between man and God. It may seem to be a form of humility to make use of angelic beings, as if people were conscious of their unworthiness to appear before God, but this is seen by Paul to be a false humility. It involves taking honor that is due to Christ and offering it to one of the created beings, not to the creator. This passage seems to indicate that the APPEARANCE of humility is insufficient.
From Quiz: A Letter to the Churches of the Lycus Valley
Answer: Lest they be discouraged
It says in Colossians 3:21, "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."
This goes with the verse before, which talks about children obeying their parents.
From Quiz: Colossians
Answer: love
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:14)
In Paul's teachings, as well as in other New Testament teachings, love was to be at the heart of everything they believed and practiced.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Colossians
Answer: he is referring to false doctrines in the vicinity of the church
In vs. 23 we notice a phrase that bears close scrutiny: "which things have a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body..."
This "show of wisdom" seems to be a reference to the teaching of the Gnostics, who thought themselves wiser than their neighbors. Their Jewish counterparts were constantly trying to get the people to follow the legalism of Judaism. The Gnostics felt that if observing the law of Moses didn't obtain their salvation, then the Gnostic "wisdom" of self-will might do the job. This, according to Paul, constituted only a "show" of wisdom and was mere pretence, an invention of their own minds.
The second part of the statement concerning humility and neglecting the body was an invention of the Ascetics, who taught abstaining from certain foods (much as the Jews taught), and mortifying their human bodies.
One of the more severe of these practices is still taught today by the self-flagellants, who lash on themselves in a show of self-abasement and humility. Many Christians feel that there is no true devotion in any of these practices: they are all self-willed acts, in this view, and not God-willed actions.
From Quiz: A Letter to the Churches of the Lycus Valley
Answer: grace
It says in Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
In this case, grace likely refers to grace like what a ballerina might have when dancing.
From Quiz: Colossians
Answer: The church body is dead, yet alive. Believers' true lives are in another world. It is in that world that believers have hope of perfection.
Paul presents three arguments for this reasoning. First, he say that men are dead. If not born-again, then people are spiritually dead, he reasons, but if people are children of God, then they are dead to sin and the things of this world, so that they are spiritually alive.
Second, he point out that the true life of a Christian lies in another world.
Third, Paul says that in that perfect world there is hope of the perfection of happiness.
From Quiz: A Letter to the Churches of the Lycus Valley
Answer: Marcus
It says in Colossians 4:10, "Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him)."
Marcus is the Latin form of Mark and the name means large hammer.
From Quiz: Colossians
Answer: love
"And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony." 3:14
From Quiz: Paul's Letter to the Colossians
Answer: Laodicea
"After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea." (Colossians 4:16)
Laodicea was about ten miles from Colosse. It is not known what happened to the letter from the Laodicean church. It may have been lost or it may have been one of the other known New Testament letters that had been passed on to them.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Colossians
Answer: the beloved physician
It says in Colossians 4:14, "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you."
This is the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament.
From Quiz: Colossians
Answer: An inheritance
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." (Colossians 3 v. 23-24)
Paul is often criticised for not opposing slavery in his letters, but this should be set against two things. Firstly, he believed, like the other early Christians, that the end of the world was imminent. Their emphasis, therefore, was on living impeccably as a Christian in the short-term rather than on long-term social reform.
Secondly, he indicates that the Christian approach to slavery is completely different to that of the world. Both slaves and free are Christians on equal terms (Colossians 3 v. 11) and Jesus has no favourites (Colossians 3 v. 25). Masters are reminded they cannot act as they please but they, too, have a master in heaven to whom they are accountable (Colossians 4 v. 1). Finally, the statement that slaves could look forward to an inheritance in heaven was hugely significant. In Roman society, slaves had no rights, could not hold property and, therefore, could inherit nothing. Paul is saying that slavery belongs to the sinful things of earth and has nothing to do with the things of heaven.
From Quiz: Quizzing the New Testament: Colossians
