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General Outlines of the Epistle to the Colossians

The Experience of Believers in Christ
1. We died with Christ (Col. 2:20);
2. We were buried with Him in baptism (Col. 2:12);
3. We were raised with Christ (Col. 2:12; 3:1);
4. Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3);
5. We will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4);
 
The Comparisons between the Old and New Life of Believers
1. The Old Life:
1) Be in the power of darkness (Col. 1:13);
2) Lead a life of sins (Col. 1:14);
3) Be alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works (Col. 1:21);
4) Be dead in trespasses (Col. 2:13);
5) Manifest the old man (Col. 3:5-9);
2. The New Life:
1) Into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col. 1:13);
2) Have redemption and the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14);
3) Reconciliation to God (Col. 1:20, 22);
4) Be raised together with Christ (Col. 2:13);
5) Manifest the new man (Col. 3:10-25);
 
The Reasons Why Christians Are Equal
1. All of them are saved by the grace of the Lord (Col. 1:6);
2. Their Head is Christ (Col. 1:18);
3. All of them are brothers in the Lord (Col. 1:2);
4. All of them have the life of the Lord (Col. 3:4);
5. All of them have put on the new man and Christ is everything of the new man (Col. 3:10-11);
 
The Surpassing Christ
1. Christ’s being (Col. 1:15-19);
2. Christ’s doing (Col. 1:13-14, 20-22);
3. Christ’s mystery (Col. 1:27; 2:2-3; 4:3-4);
4. Christ’s fullness (Col. 2:9-12, 19);
5. Christ’s concealment and revelation (Col. 3:3-4);
6. Christ’s universality (Col. 3:11);
7. Christ’s peace (Col. 3:15);
8. Christ’s words (Col. 3:16);
9. Christ’s name (Col. 3:17);
10. Christ’s authority (Col. 3:18-4:1);
 
Christ is All
1. Christ’s status (Col. 1:12-18);
2. Christ’s redemption (Col. 1:19-23);
3. What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ (Col. 1:24-29);
4. Christ’s fullness (Col. 2:1-3:11);
5. Christ’s peace (Col. 3:12-15);
6. Christ’s words (Col. 3:16);
7. Christ’s name (Col. 3:17-4:1);
8. Christ’s mystery (Col. 4:2-6);
 
In Christ
1. Be redeemed in Christ (Col. 1:12-29);
2. Be established in the faith in Christ (Col. 1:1-7);
3. Be sanctified in Christ (Col. 2:8-23);
4. The hope of being rewarded in Christ (Col. 3:1-4:1);
 
The Two-sided “Truth”s
1. Inner life (Col. Chap. 1-2) and daily life (Col. Chap. 3-4);
2. Truth (Col. Chap. 1-2) and way (Col. Chap. 3-4);
3. Faith (Col. Chap. 1-2) and works (Col. Chap. 3-4);
 
Christ and the Church
1. Christ Is the Head of the Body, Having the Preeminence in All Things (Col. 1:12-3:4):
1) Christ is the fullness of all things (Col. 1:12-29).
2) Christ is the mystery of God (Col. 2:1-5).
3) Christ is the fullness of the Godhead (Col. 2:6-10).
4) Christ is the substance that the Old Testament typifies (Col. 2:11-23).
5) Christ is the life of believers (Col. 3:1-4).
2. The Church Is the Body of Christ, Obeying Christ in Everything (Col. 3:5-4:1): 
1) The church has put on the new man, who is renewed to be like Christ (Col. 3:5-11).
2) It is love that binds one another in the church in one body (Col. 3:12-17).
3) All the members in the church deal with each other in the Lord and do everything to Christ (Col. 3:18-4:1).
 
The Church of Christ and Believers
1. Christ’s being and doing (Col. 1:12-29);
2. The crisis and responsibility of the church (Col. 2:1-23);
3. Believers’ inner life and daily life (Col. 3:1-4:6);
 
The Responsibilities that the Lord’s Workers Shall Take
1. They shall pray always for the church (Col. 1:3, 9);
2. They shall fulfill the word of God (Col. 1:25);
3. They shall warn every man and teach every man in all wisdom (Col. 1:28);
4. They shall labor and strive for the church (Col. 1:29-2:1);
5. They shall speak the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3-4);
6. They shall fulfill the ministry they have received in the Lord (Col. 4:17);

── Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible Commentary Series》

Translated by Mary Zhou