Colossians 1:15-18

Home group questions:1) What does Paul mean when he says that Jesus is the ‘image of the invisible God’?(v15) Hint: see John 1:18, Hebrews 1:3. Some of the Colossians may have been teaching that through visions and the worship of angels they can get a better understanding of God. If we need new or different revelation about God, what does that say about Jesus? 2) How do you think Paul would expect us to increase in the knowledge of God (as he prays in verse 10)? Does that mean that we should spend most of our time reading the gospels which speak specifically of Jesus’ time on earth? Hint: Luke 24:27&44-45, John 5:39, Acts 1:1, Revelation 1:1.  3) Jesus is described as ‘the firstborn’ in v15a. Jehovah Witnesses think this means that Jesus was created, whilst Mormons believe that Jesus was actually the result of a union between a divine father and a divine mother. Firstborn can obviously mean born first but it is also tied with rank and status. Look at what the Bible can also mean by the word ‘firstborn’ by looking up Psalm 89:24-28, Exodus 4:22, Hebrews 1:1-3. How do we know Jesus wasn’t created and therefore the firstborn in that sense? John 1:1-2 & 8:58. (Also consider that he is called the ‘firstborn from the dead’).  4) How does the knowledge of Jesus’ supremacy over all “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” bring comfort and reassurance? How do you feel about the influence of the powers of evil over Christians and your life? Consider 1 Peter 5:6-11.  5) What does it mean that Jesus is the “head of the body, the church”(v18) and how should this influence the way we ‘do’ church?  The word preeminent means “to have first place”. What is the scope of Jesus’ preeminence and how should that effect our Christian life?