Christ in Colossians

The Colossians were devout, serious-minded Christians, willing to forgo earthly pleasures for the Gospel. They were intent on spiritual advancement. All such influences combined in Colossae to form what was understood to be a higher level of spirituality. Yet Paul was displeased and sought to rectify their shortcomings by this letter. Whatever their intentions, their understanding of the Christian Faith made light of Christ and obscured his stupendous glory. History seems to indicate that various forms of the Colossian heresy consistently repeated themselves, hence one of the values of our study. The Colossians developed doctrinal shibboleths and lists of do's and don'ts which served to distinguish between the Truly Faithful and all the others. They considered themselves to be a spiritual elite, in possession of superior knowledge....