“Happy Thanksliving!” | Colossians 3:12-17 Bible Study (In-Person)

November 15, 2023 @DannyScottonJr Bible Studies, Lessons, Preaching 0

Introduction

I hope you are all getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday season – and for Thanksgiving dinner.

But, as we’ve said, though we can savor a side dish, we can’t treat the Savior like a side dish.

And, I know Thanksgiving is a special day. But, we should give thanks everyday. For as the song says, “everyday is a day of thanksgiving”.

Every single day, Jesus deserves most of the attention. He should be in first place, not an honorable mention.

And how can we properly give thanks, to the One who gave us everything? How can you possibly repay someone who saved your life?

The best way to give thankfully to Christ is to live thankfully for Christ.

During this season of Thanksgiving, let’s focus on the reason for Thanksliving.

Context

(forthcoming)

Commentary

(forthcoming)

Crossword Puzzle (✞-word)

Crossword Puzzle Answers

  • Alienated Sinful evil behavior results in spiritual distancing, being ____ from God (Col 1:21).
  • Reconciled We should give (and live!) thanks since Christ has ___ us back into right relationship with God through faith(fulness) (Col 1:22-23).
  • Clothes Living thankfully to Christ who saved us entails exchanging a sinful (life)style for faithful fashion. We must take off vices (Col 3:5-11) on put on virtues (Col 3:12) like we are changing ____.
  • Holy As the Church – the new, true people of God under the new covenant (cf. Jer 31:31-34) – we are chosen, beloved, and ___ (Col 3:12; Ex 19:5-6; 1 Pet 2:9).
  • Kindness We should clothe ourselves with heartfelt compassion and ____ (Col 3:12) – even towards our enemies (Lk 6:35-36)!
  • Godly Children resemble their fathers; children of God should be ____.
  • Humility Though, in the first-century Greco-Roman world, meekness was considered weakness, we should seek to clothe ourselves with holy ____ – (Col 3:12; Php 2:3-4) just like gentle Jesus (Mt 11:28-29; Php 2:5f.).
  • Forbearance We are to clothe ourselves not merely with patience, but with faithful ____ (Col 3:12-13; Pr 12:16). We are not only to be able to endure a wait, but to endure a weight (i.e., putting up with people who weigh on our last nerve)!
  • False Though we are to forgive and put up with one another, we are not to put up with ____ teaching (cf. Mt 18:6; Gal 1:6-9).
  • Reciprocity Righteous _____: since God forgives us, we should forgive others (Col 3:13). If we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven (Mt 6:14-15).
  • Love This Christian virtue (1 Cor 13:13) and command (Mt 22:35-39) is over all, and brings the whole virtuous outfit together (Col 3:14). People who are recipients of ___ should therefore walk in the way of ____ (Eph 5:1-2), which seeks good and not evil (1 Cor 13:6; Rom 12:9).
  • Peace Jesus, the Prince of ____, brings about true ____ and reconciliation between God and mankind (Col 1:19f.; Rom 5:1f.; Col 3:15). Such vertical ___ with God should lead to horizontal ___ among God’s people (cf. Eph 2:14-22).
  • Identity In Christ, all previous social distinctions are defunct (Col 3:11; Gal 3:28). In Him, we have a new _____, and there should be unity in the Christian community.
  • Teaching The word of Christ must indwell us richly; we are to be a team teeming with the _____ of Jesus (Col 3:16).
  • Fruit Individually and collectively, we are the temple(s) of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 3:16, 6:18-20). Within us, if the Gospel takes root, the Gospel makes ____ (Gal 5:22-23; Jas 1:21; Mt 13:1-23).
  • Admonish So that we all may mature in the Christian faith, we should teach and ____ one another with all wisdom (Col 1:28, 3:16) – out of love (Eph 4:15; cf. Pr 13:24).
  • Singing Thanksliving entails ____ psalms, hymns, and songs of thanksgiving (Col 3:16; Eph 5:18-20).
  • Everything ____ that we do – all of our words and works – should be done in the Name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father (Col 3:17). Everyday, we should be thanksliving as living sacrifices to our Savior (Rom 12:1).

Bibliography

  • Aland, Barbara, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger, eds. The Greek New Testament. Fifth Revised Edition. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014.
  • Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [BDAG]
  • Arnold, Clinton E. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Romans to Philemon. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
  • Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–. [EDNT]
  • Bratcher, Robert G., and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on Paul’s Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1993. [UBS]
  • Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984.
  • Cohick, Lynn. “Colossians”. In The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, edited by Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
  • Davids, Peter H. “Colossians”. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, Philemon. Vol. 16. Hoehner, Harold W., Philip W. Comfort, and Peter H. Davids. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
  • Dunn, James D. G. The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press, 1996.
  • Evans, Craig A., and Craig A. Bubeck, eds. The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts–Philemon. First Edition. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2004.
  • Garland, David E. Colossians and Philemon. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.
  • Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014.
  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. [LN]
  • Lucas, R. C. Fullness & Freedom: The Message of Colossians & Philemon. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980.
  • Melick, Richard R. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Vol. 32. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991.
  • Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008.
  • O’Brien, Peter T. “Colossians.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 4th ed., 1260–76. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
  • Pao, David W. Colossians and Philemon. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
  • Patzia, Arthur G. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011.
  • Porter, Stanley E. Idioms of the Greek New Testament. Sheffield: JSOT, 1999.
  • Silva, Moisés, ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014. [NIDNTTE]
  • Still, Todd D. “Colossians.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition), edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Vol. 12. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
  • Wall, Robert W. Colossians & Philemon. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
  • Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
  • Witherington, Ben, III. The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians : A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Captivity Epistles. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007.
  • Wright, N. T. Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 12. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986.
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