Discussion Questions for Colossians + Philemon
The prompts on the Meet Me In The Bible bookmark work well for discussion questions, and you may want to include content-specific questions in your discussion also. I’ve included a few for each lesson in the Meet Me In Colossians + Philemon study below. These should help kick-start robust discussion in your group.
Hint: If discussion seems to lag, the Wrap Up question in your book (at the end of each week) will get it going again!
Please do not include these discussion questions in published materials without permission from and acknowledgement of Meet Me in the Bible. Thanks!
Lesson 2, Colossians 1:1-14, The Fruit of the Gospel
Bounce question: (Bounce questions are easy questions to begin with and to help transition into discussion of the Scriptures.) Think of someone you know whose life radically changed for the better. What motivated the change? How did the change impact people closest to her/him?
Paul uses familial language in his greeting: brothers and sisters in Christ (NIV, CSB), and God our Father. Thinking back to the context, how might familial language be especially helpful for the original hearers?
Look at Colossians 1:10-12. Then read Galatians 5:22-23. How does the Galatians text expand your understanding of Colossians 1:10-12?
Look over Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12. In this moment, which phrase would you especially want a friend to pray for you? Why? Whom will you pray these verses for this week?
lesson 3, Colossians 1:15-23, The Heart of the Gospel
Bounce question: What do you expect from someone deemed the “head” of an organization?
Sometimes people see God the Father and God the Son very differently. Why do you think this is? How does Colossians 1:15 help shape your thinking of God the Father?
What do you think Paul meant when he wrote that Jesus was firstborn of all creation and firstborn from the dead? Hint: What did it mean to be the firstborn to the original hearers?
Colossians 1:18 states “...that in everything He might be preeminent.” How does the supremacy of Christ impact your family relationships? The way you view your work/responsibilities? The way you live in this country?
Lesson 4, Colossians 1:24-2:7, The Riches of the Gospel
Bounce question: Do you have a favorite book or movie in which a mystery is solved? Do you enjoy the tension of a good mystery? Why or why not?
Paul described himself as “struggling with all his energy” for the Colossian and Laodicean believers. Is there someone in your life who has struggled on your behalf, deeply desiring your good? How will you emulate this person?
Look up the word “plausible” in the dictionary. Name a few of our culture’s plausible arguments that could trip up believers today.
Paul uses 3 very different images in Colossians 2:6-7. Why do you think he chose these 3 particular metaphors?
lesson 5, Colossians 2:8-23, Complete in Christ
Bounce question: How do you determine what is true and not true?
What are a few practical steps believers can put into place to “see to it” that they are not taken captive by false teaching?
In the Old Testament, circumcision was the mark of God’s people. What is the mark of God’s people now (Colossians 2:11-12)? How are these marks similar? How are they different?
What practices or regulations are you tempted to add as a qualification of salvation?
lesson 6, Colossians 3:1-17, What to Put Off and What to Put On
Bounce question: When you played dress up as a child, what was your favorite thing to put on?
What are some practical ways to seek things that are above rather than seeking things on earth? What do you think Paul means?
Look up the words wrath and malice in the dictionary. What is the difference? Now look up the word slander in the dictionary. Considering that the Colossian church included people of different religious backgrounds, races, cultures, and socio-economic status, how might wrath and slander be especially damaging to this new church?
In verses 10-11, Paul says that as a result of “being renewed in the image of the creator,” old divisions of race, religion, and culture must be torn down. In what way(s) is the Colossian church similar to yours? In what way(s) is your church distinct from the Colossian church? What steps can you take to help tear down man-made barriers that do not belong in the Kingdom of God?
lesson 7, Colossians 3:18-4:6, Whatever You Do
Bounce question: When you hear the word submit, what feelings surface? Why do you think this is?
In a parallel passage to Colossians 3:18-4:1, Ephesians 5:20-6:4 begins with this command, “...submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” How do you think this counsel sets the pattern for the relationship between husband and wife? How does this counsel instruct single men and women?*
Look at Ephesians 5:22-24. Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Why is it fitting in the Lord to submit to one’s husband? Are there any acts of submission that would not be fitting in the Lord?*
How do you think Paul’s instructions to bondservants and masters apply to you?
Discussion questions marked with * were informed by the Life Change Series, Colossians and Philemon.
lesson 8, Colossians 4:7-18 + Philemon, Free to Serve
Bounce question: Did your parents make you write thank you notes? Why do you think this was important to them?
Read Colossians 4:13-16, then look at the map on p. 73 in your book. How might the relationship between the churches in Colossae, Laodicia, and Hierapolis be an example to churches today?
Why do you think the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to record the lengthy “thank you” note in Colossians chapter 4?
Review Philemon 4-9. How do you feel about the way Paul appealed to Philemon? Is there someone you need to appeal to in a similar way?
Now that you know about the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, how do you think Philemon felt when Paul’s letter to the Colossians was read...in his house? Which verses in the letter to the Colossians were most likely the hardest for Philemon to hear?