Bible Workout Notes – Colossians 2:16–23 & 3:1–11
1. Freedom from Shadows and False Religion (Colossians 2:16–23)
Paul warns believers not to let anyone judge them over:
What they eat or drink
Religious festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths
These things were a shadow of what was to come, but Christ is the substance.
Now that Christ has come, we are no longer under those systems.
Paul says that when we allow people to judge us by these outward rules, they are:
Cheating us out of what Christ has already accomplished
Promoting themselves, not Christ
Puffing themselves up with false humility
These religious practices may look spiritual, but:
They have no power to stop the indulgence of the flesh
The flesh still manifests itself
People simply hide fleshly behaviour under the veil of religion
Key truth: Rules without Christ give position but no power.
2. A New Focus: Seeking Things Above (Colossians 3:1–4)
Because we have been raised with Christ, we are commanded to:
Seek the things above, where Christ is
Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things
This is not about ignoring responsibilities, but:
Not living carnally
Not being dominated by worldliness or distractions
Not being consumed by natural thinking
Paul reminds us:
Our life is hidden with Christ in God
Right now, our lives may not look impressive to the world
The world may not recognise or celebrate what God is doing
But when Christ appears:
The full revelation of who we are in Him will appear
Faithfulness now leads to future glory
Encouragement: Stay faithful. What is hidden now will be revealed later.
3. Putting Sin to Death – No Compromise (Colossians 3:5–7)
Paul moves from identity to action and says clearly:
“Put to death” what is earthly in you.
He names sins directly:
Sexual immorality
Impurity
Passion
Evil desire
Covetousness (which is idolatry)
This language is violent and deliberate:
Not managing sin
Not hiding sin
Not giving sin access
But killing it
Too many Christians:
Allow these things to remain
Give them “a foot in the door”
Try to cover them rather than destroy them
Paul says:
Because of these things, the wrath of God comes
We once walked in them — but not anymore
Key challenge: Christians cannot be content with sin remaining alive in their lives.
4. Putting Off the Old Man, Putting On the New (Colossians 3:8–11)
Paul continues by telling us to put off:
Anger
Wrath
Malice
Slander
Obscene talk
Lying
Notice:
Paul assumes these things are already present
He doesn’t say “don’t let them come”
He says put them off
This shows:
Even as Christians, the flesh still tries to manifest
Responsibility is on us to actively remove these things
Why?
Because we have:
Put off the old man
Put on the new man
The new man:
Is being renewed in knowledge
Is shaped by knowing Christ
Is becoming more and more like Christ
Is restored into the image of the Creator
Paul finishes by removing all grounds for pride:
Background
Culture
Ethnicity
Status
None of that matters.
What matters is:
Christ is all, and in all.
Final focus: Our identity is not where we’re from, but who we are in Christ.
Overall Takeaway
Religion without Christ has no power
Our focus must be upward, not earthly
Sin must be killed, not tolerated
Growth comes by putting off the old and putting on Christ
Everything flows from being in Christ