Overview and Objectives
Lesson Overview
This course offers an analysis of four of the epistles that Paul wrote from prison (Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians). As Christians we face many challenges to our faith. False teachings and worldviews assault our loyalty to Christ. Suffering tempts us to think that God is not in control, or that He does not have our best interest at heart. And our relationships with other believers are often strained to the point that we doubt the value of the church. But Paul responded to these types of difficulties in his letters from prison. This course is a study of these epistles, based on the DVD lessons of Dr. Reggie M. Kidd produced by Third Millennium Ministries.
Lesson Objectives
When you complete this lesson, you should be able to:
- Gain an appreciation of the important ways in which Christianity is superior to other world religions and different from them.
- Understand the background, the key subjects, and the major theological issues that Paul deals with in his letter to the Colossians.
- Apply key teachings from Colossians to your life and use them to analyze contemporary expressions of thought.
Personal Reflection
As you proceed through this lesson have the following question in mind.
How does union with Christ help Christians live ethically? Why should this strategy be more effective than the ethical strategies of the ascetics? How does asceticism contrast with appropriate uses of the Christian disciplines?