In this teaching we first tackle the question of why Paul wrote this letter (to address two doctrinal challenges facing the church). In addressing those problems, Paul develops the foundational idea that since Christians have died and been buried with Christ, we must now be raised with Him. This concept has profound implications regarding baptism and how we live the Christian life.
In this Part A we focus on the first two chapters of Colossians, with a deep dive on the significance of what Paul says here regarding baptism. We explore four Old Testament foreshadowings of baptism, the early Christian understanding, and some of the historic controversies related to that topic.
In Part B we will look at chapters 3 and 4, especially regarding the implications of dying and being raised with Christ. Understanding this will impact how we present the gospel message, challenging us to the core regarding how we live the Christian life.