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Begin your study of Colossians + Philemon by gathering important context. Watch this video to learn why this is important, how to do it, and to see my favorite tools.

 

Why is the passage for Week 3 so short, while the passages for Week 8 are quite lengthy?

You will notice that the book of Colossians is not divided equally between the eight weeks of study. Week Three, The Heart of the Gospel, is super short, and Week Eight, Free to Serve, includes a lot of text. Why did I divide Colossians and Philemon this way?

  1. The passage for Week Three, The Heart of the Gospel, is shorter because Colossians 1:15-23 is basically Christology 101. Paul clearly claims the supremecy of Jesus Christ in this passage, and I want you to get to take your time as you study it. It is a monumental passage of Scripture, pointing the reader to who Jesus Christ is and what he has accomplished. Big questions surface in this short yet power-packed passage, such as:

    • What does it mean that Christ is the firstborn of creation? (Hint: think about what it meant to be the firstborn to the original readers of Colossians. Think back to the stories of Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau in Genesis for a better understanding of the honor bestowed on the firstborn.)

    • What does it mean that Christ is the firstborn from the dead?

    • What are the implications of Christ reconciling to himself all things?

    • What does it mean that Christ made peace by the blood of the cross?

  2. The passage for Week Eight, Free to Serve, is especially lengthy because it includes most of Colossians chapter 4, and the short book of Philemon. A man named Onesimus is mentioned in Colossians 4:9, and his backstory is given in the book of Philemon. It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I chose to include the book of Philemon along with Colossians chapter 4, so that you will feel the continuity of the story that unfolds between Philemon and Onesimus.

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How should you plan your daily Bible study?

This is an important question, and there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. Listed below are a few approaches you can take. If your daily schedule is unpredictable, approach #2 might work best for you.

APPROACH #1

Complete one step a day. If you follow this approach, you will spend about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week on your Bible study.

For example:

STEP 1/SETTING & SUMMARY will be day 1 of your study. Follow the STEP 1 prompts on your bookmark, recording your thoughts in the corresponding spaces in your book. Wrap up your time with prayer, asking the Lord to remind you what you read throughout the day. Enjoy God. Talk to him and listen!

STEP 2/KEY WORDS & PHRASES will be day 2 of your study. Follow the STEP 2 prompts on your bookmark, recording your thoughts in the corresponding spaces in your book. Wrap up your time with prayer, asking the Lord to remind you what you read throughout the day. Enjoy God. Talk to him and listen!

STEP 3/WHAT WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND? will be day 3 of your study, and so on.

APPROACH #2

Read the assigned passage each day, then pray. For example, for Week 1, you will read Colossians 1:1-14 each day, then wrap up your time with the Lord in prayer. You will be amazed at how much you notice through repetitive reading! When you pray, ask the Lord to bring the Scripture passage to mind throughout the day. Invite him into every part of your day; your decision-making, your meetings, your time with others. Ask him to help you follow Jesus in all of it. Talk to him and listen!

Then, set aside 1 1/2 hours or so on a weeknight or on a Saturday morning to work through your bookmark prompts, recording your thoughts in the corresponding spaces in your book. Choose a time with few distractions. For example, make Thursday evenings movie night for kiddos while you do your Bible study in a quiet room. Or block out 10:30am - 12:00pm on Saturdays to go to your favorite coffee shop.

approach #3

You may find a different pace that works best for you. You may prefer to complete STEPS 1 & 2 - OBSERVATION - in one sitting, then move on to STEPS 3 & 4 - INTERPRETATION - another day. Meet Me In The Bible is a flexible tool! The important thing is that you set aside time each day to spend with the Lord in his Word and in conversation with him. Enjoy him as you get to know him better and better!

Coming soon…

  • Tips on how to start robust discussion for Bible study!

  • Tips on how to handle prayer in a small group