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Q5. (Colossians 1:13-14) What are the two qualities mentioned in verse 14 that characterize the "kingdom of his beloved Son"? What did the idea of redemption mean in the Greek? In what way did Christ "redeem" us? What is the significance of the fact that our sins are forgiven in this kingdom? The two qualities are redemption and forgiveness. Originally redemption meant to free by means of paying a ransom. We have been redeemed through the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross. We cannot earn our redemption it is only by the grace of God, by the shedding of the blood of Jesus (Rev 5:9). Our sin is cancelled by the death of Christ, it will not be mentioned anymore. We have been released from the bondage of the penalty of sin. God has forgiven our sins once for all; we are forgiven eternally because of our faith in the blood of Christ. What a loving God we serve!

Q4. (Colossians 1:12-13) What are the three or four action verbs in verses 12 and 13 that paint a picture of salvation? Who performs the action? Who is it performed on? In what way were we "qualified/enabled/made meet"? In what way were we "rescued" or "delivered"? Through God

Q3. (Colossians 1:12-13) Why does Paul use the terms darkness and light to portray his readers past and future? Why does he remind them where they came from? What is "the inheritance of the saints in light" that he mentions? In verse 13 we find two terms used of governing bodies? How are they contrasted in verse 13? In what sense are subjects "governed" in each? We were dead in our trespasses and sins; in bondage to Satan, and subject to his kingdom of darkness

Q2. (Colossians 1:9-12a) What are the elements of Paul's prayer for the Colossian believers? What are the seven or eight specific results that he prays will be produced in their lives? Which of these are most important in a Christian disciple? Which, you think, are least important? What happens when some are missing? Paul prays for spiritual insight, a worthy walk, abundant power, and a thankful spirit for the Colossians. This will result in them knowing God's will, having spiritual wisdom and understanding, living a life worthy of Jesus, bearing fruit by doing good works, growing in their relationship to God, also being strengthened by God's power, and ultimately having the qualities of endurance, patience, thankfulness, and joy. All of these are important but we, as believers, cannot do it on our own. It requires supernatural strength, the strength which comes from the power of the risen Son of God. When we are saved God instantly makes us fit for heaven. That fitness is Christ. Nothing can improve on that. Not even a long life of obedience and service here on earth can make us more eligible for heaven than the day we were saved. Our title to glory is found in His blood. We have the Holy Spirit as the

Q1. (Colossians 1:5-6) Paul glorifies the gospel, the good news. What words does he use to describe the action of the gospel in verses 5 and 6? Given the temptation the recipients have to adopt another religious philosophy, why do you think he reminds them of the world scope of the gospel's influence? What happens in our day when a church becomes embarrassed or unimpressed with the gospel message? How does this affect the church? Paul describes the gospel as a message of true good news, as the word of truth. He also states that the gospel bears fruit in the salvation of souls, transforming us into children of our Lord, and at the same time maturing us as believers, making us more and more like our Lord and Saviour Jesus. This growth was demonstrated by the rapid growth of the gospel in the then known world. The gospel must be preached as is, not diluted in any way. When we start fiddling with the Word to adapt it to our modern society then we will encounter problems. The truth needs to be maintained and told to all. It is when we lose our enthusiasm for the Word our numbers start to decline.

Q5. (3:7) How can treating one's wife wrongly hinder a husband's prayers. How can treating a husband wrongly hinder a wife's prayers? God has told us He does not listen to sinners, but only to godly men who does His will (John 9:31). He does not accept prayers that a husband and wife offer in an atmosphere of strife and contention. So, if a husband is treating his wife wrongly, his prayers will not be heard. The same applies to the wife. There has to be mutual love and respect. Both husband and wife will then be able to pray together in peace and harmony and enjoy untold divine blessings.

Q5. (Revelation 5:13) What is the significance of the same quality of worship being offered to both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son? What does this tell us about their relationship to each other? Their relationship to us? God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, being one, are equally worthy of our worship and praise. They are our all, our creator, our God, our Heavenly Father, our Redeemer, our Brother, with us always.

Q4. (3:7) Why should a husband relate to his wife with knowledge and wisdom? In what way does this demonstrate love? In what way does this demonstrate self-interest? Why do men sometimes try to dominate their wives? Why do wives sometimes try to dominate their husbands? What harm does this do? How is domination of another person contrary to God's nature? We are to love our wives in a Christian manner, demonstrating the love of Jesus in our marriage. As husbands we must love and respect our wives in harmony with God's Word. This means being considerate and understanding, putting her interests before ours. It is very easy for us to dominate the marriage because we are mostly the income earner and also stronger physically. This is all wrong, she is our equal partner in life and deserves to be treated with the respect she deserves. God

Q4. (Revelation 5:10) How can our destiny as believers include reigning? In what sense could we reign? In what sense do we serve as priests? In what sense are we a kingdom? This is way too complicated for me. My present understanding is that we are to be

Q3. (Revelation 5:9, 12) What made Jesus so worthy of opening the scroll and thus bringing history to its consummation? Why was this act so noteworthy and praiseworthy? He is worthy because of His redemptive work on the cross and because of His resurrection. He voluntarily gave up His life to pay the penalty for our sin, and it is because of His sacrificial death that Jesus can take the scroll out of God

Q3. (3:4-6) How does a person cultivate inner beauty? How does one gain character? Why is true character so important and precious to God? How can character help a Christian woman win and hang onto her husband? It is by joining our life to the life of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will start producing the character traits found in Jesus (John 15:4-5). We must know Jesus, love Him, and imitate Him, then the fruit of the Spirit will grow in us and give us that inner beauty. It is not possible to do this on our own, we need His help and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Being like His Son is important and precious to God. We will be putting all our faith in Jesus, we will be living a righteous life of obedience to Him. Any husband will count himself most fortunate and will want to hold onto such a precious jewel.

Q2. (3:3) Why should women try to look their best? How can trying to look their best divert women from what is more important? What is the balance? Out of respect for themselves and their family Christian women should always try and look their best. At the same time they must keep a proper balance, recognizing that beauty and adornments have their place, but knowing that the key to lasting beauty is what is inside them. They must not necessarily conform to social pressures. Christian women should rather let their beauty come from within, others should see an unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. The Christian women will have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, and their beauty is seen in their personality, their attitudes, their thoughts, and their motivations. Her inner faith and character will shine through reflecting the light of Christ; drawing attention not to herself but to her Lord.

Q1. (3:1) Why is submission so difficult for us humans? Does submission require you to be silent when you don't agree or feel something can be improved? When is submission wrong for Christian? In married life, a husband is expected to give leadership, exercise authority, and obey God. This authority which God has given him must be used lovingly for the wellbeing of his wife. His wife should strive to uphold her husband and help him in his task. With her talents and abilities, she is God's servant in fulfilling her role as her husband's helper. So within the family we observe that both husband and wife are equal as human beings, but the differences are in their respective functions and roles. But in practice this does not always work because of our selfishness and the tendency of one partner trying to dominate the other. It being all about ME, instead of the marriage. Marriage is about team work not about submission. Submission would be wrong when required to disobey a plain command of Scripture. Here we are to take a stand against breaking any of God

Q2. These chapters contain many insights into worship that have been adopted by the Christian Church. What do you learn about Christian worship from chapters 4 and 5? Don't miss the basics. Your list might include 20 elements and concepts of worship - or more. We experience an attitude of worship when we begin to see God as He is and then respond to His presence. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 gives us an idea of what it will be like to be with our Lord, and to worship Him. In the meanwhile in most of our churches there is much genuine, deep, and heartfelt worship. "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev 4:11 Reminds me of the hymn: Thou Art Worthy Thou art worthy, thou art worthy, thou art worthy, O Lord. To receive glory, glory and honour, glory and honour and power. For thou hast created, hast all things created, thou hast created all things; And for thy pleasure, they are created, thou art worthy, O Lord.

Q1. Many Christian hymns, songs, and choruses come from Revelation chapters 4 and 5. Which can you think of? There are so many beautiful hymns that bring praise and glory to our Heavenly Father. The ones that come to mind are: Holy, Holy, Holy (Rev 4:8); Worthy Is the Lamb (Rev 4:11); All Hail the Power (Rev 4:11); King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Lion of Judah, Word of God (Rev 5:5) Lion of Judah on the Throne, I shout Your Name, Let it be Known (Rev 5:5); Hark! Ten Thousand Harps and Voices (Rev 5:11-12). I also think of: All You Angels Round His Throne, Praise Him!; For We see Jesus Enthroned On High; Great Is the Lord and Most Worthy of Praise; Crown Him with Many Crowns.

Q5. Summarize the lessons of this chapter. What are the churches criticized for? What are they praised for? How should these observations shape the twenty-first century Church? We read that the churches were criticized mostly for having lost their intense and enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, and allowing false teachings to come into the church. Most were praised for their good deeds, hard work, and perseverance. This is very much like our are churches today. We must however, be careful we don

Q4. Why are so many churches a "hotbed of apathy"? How can we combat spiritual apathy and an insipid witness in ourselves? Many churches act as social clubs. People go there, not to worship, but to be seen, to gossip, to meet business contacts, and many other reasons, except to worship and glorify our Lord. There is often infighting and conflict as people try to get positions of authority. So in the end we are no different from, for example, our local tennis club. I’m sure unbelievers must look upon us as a bunch of hypocrites. One way to combat spiritual apathy is to surrender all to Jesus. We must make Jesus first in our lives; no matter what. We need to be on our knees more often. If we want to draw closer to God we need to be reading, studying, and meditating on His Word. It is also important to confess our sins consistently, permitting God to cleanse our lives, so that we can have a greater fellowship with Him. Once we realize our need to often confess our sins, we become spiritually alive and sensitive to any thought, speech, or action that is not in accord with God’s will.

Q4. (2:24b) If Jesus died to set us free from sin's power, why does sin have such power over us still? According to 2:24b, how must we deal with sin? In practical terms, how can we "die to sin"? In everyday language, what does "live for righteousness" mean? Sin still has power over us since we all were born with a tendency to sin; not only in our individuals acts but also in our attitudes. We are all sinners and it is only by the grace of God that we are saved. When we become believers the Holy Spirit helps us in our fight against sin. We will begin to sin not so often, and when we do, we immediately repent and ask for forgiveness. Jesus Himself bore our sins so that we might

Q3. Why do you think the religious compromise required by participating in heathen religious practices in the trade guilds was so spiritually destructive? What compromises do twenty-first century Christians struggle with? Let's not settle for trite legalisms about drinking and smoking. What are the real compromises that dilute vital Christianity? Pagan practices and idolatry mixed with Christian works and worship is a recipe for disaster. Our Christian beliefs will be impregnated with impure and false doctrines. In our modern world today, I find that we live our lives at such a hectic pace. Pressures at work make such huge demands on our time, because we live in a very competitive society. Then there is our leisure time; this also seems to take up much of our time. We put all sorts of other interest before God. There seems to be no more time for prayer, reading and studying the Word, Bible study, and even Christian fellowship. If we sometimes manage to make time, we rush the time spent with our Lord; almost as an afterthought.

Q3. (2:24a) This may seem like a simplistic question, but give it thought before you answer, and then answer thoughtfully. What is the significance to you personally that Jesus bore your sins in his own body on the cross? I cannot even begin to imagine the suffering Jesus must have gone through for my sins alone, never mind the sins of the world. It must only be because of His love for us, and His obedience to His Father, that He endured this inexpressible punishment. To think Jesus bore all of our past, present and future sins. I am now dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I can now approach our Heavenly Father clothed in His righteousness. I am forever grateful to my Lord and Saviour!

Q2. Why is Jesus' sinlessness important to understanding your salvation? In what way do you think Jesus suffered when your sins were poured into his soul? How could a sinless Man stand this kind of corruption? Only one who is without sin can approach our Heavenly Father. Jesus was that one; only He, because He was sinless (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 5:21; 1 John 3:5) could approach God on our behalf. I know when I

Q2. Why would loosening of sexual standards to conform to the prevailing morals of the culture be destructive of vital Christian faith and witness? How has your culture tended to take the edge off your own Christian moral convictions or forced you to be quiet about them? We have the Word as our absolute authority. There should be no compromising to adjust to prevailing moral standards. Christian values are under constant threat and we need to be strong and stand fast to the truth. We should remember that Jesus said we are to be the light of the world, and are to shine for our Father in heaven. This we will not be able to do if we adopt the world standards. Jesus also said that we are to be the salt of the earth, and that if the salt loses its saltiness it is no longer good for anything. This is exactly what will happen to believers who compromise. Lastly, in Matthew 7:14 we read a warning Jesus gave us,

Q1. How can a local congregation lose its "first love" for Jesus? What are the signs of genuine love for Jesus in worship and ministry? How does the lack of love show up? How can a congregation regain this love? We can unfortunately have a church that preaches sound doctrine and are actively involved in serving their community, but their true motive of worship and service is missing. There are churches more interested in their financial affairs and the number of people attending. We see their leaders living an extravagant lifestyle. Without an intense and enthusiastic devotion to Jesus Christ they are not functioning properly. It is only when the congregation, and leaders have an intimate and personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour can they be a shining light for Jesus. Work for God must be motivated by love for Jesus. Jesus also said that the love for Him will grow cold if there is an increase of wickedness (Matthew 24:12).

Q1. (2:21) According to 2:21, in what sense did Jesus suffer for you personally? Jesus suffered by dying on the Cross. Jesus suffered for my sins, setting me free from the stranglehold of sin, and allowing me to come to the Father. He died so that I may enter the Kingdom of Heaven, escape everlasting Damnation, and spend eternity with Him.

Q5. What is the significance of the exalted Jesus walking among the lampstands? What does this teach us about the church? What does it teach us about Jesus? With the lampstands representing churches we see Jesus walking among them totally in control. We know Jesus spoke of Himself as