Colossians

 Here are the highlights from my time in Colossians--as a way of consolidating and thinking over this book.

The church at Colossae, a town about 90 miles inland from Ephesus, was really more of a region, in the Lychus (sp?) Valley.  Paul had never visited this church personally, yet from this letter, you get a sense of his authentic concern for them.  His overarching concern is to address the issue of false doctrine among these churches, primarily in the form of Gnosticism, but even above this, you gain a sense of Paul being concerned for their growth. He longs to see them mature fully in Christ.

He characterizes maturity in Christ as "seeking that which is above," and manifesting fruit---primarily in the form of fulfilling God's call and exhibiting Christian virtues such as compassion, unity, peace. He urges their speech to be seasoned with salt and that they set an example for those who do not know Christ.

It's tempting to pass over the minor names because we don't know these people or have a sense of them, but it's striking how Paul's concern comes back to individual people time and time again. You also get a sense of his agony for them---his is not a casual interest; he earnestly longs for the best for them.