1. WRITER:
Paul (Col 1:1) Written from prison (Col 4:3,10,18).

2. KEY VERSE:
(Col 1:15) "Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature."
Key Words: All, Mystery, Wisdom, Fullness, Faith.

3. MAIN THEME:
Christ Our All
     a. Warning against man's philosophy, vain deceit, man's traditions and rudiments of the world.
     b. Written to present Christ as the "Fullness of the Godhead bodily" (2:9) and our identity with Him.
     c. Paul meets the Colossian error by counter-truth, JESUS CHRIST.

4. OUTLINE:
     A. Christ's Preeminence (Ch 1-2)
     B. Christian Precepts (Ch 3-4)

5. NOTES:
Epistle deals with the error of gnosticism.

COMMENTS:
Gnosticism was a belief that Christ was not fully God but an angel. Gnostic comes from a Greek word meaning 'to know' or 'to have understanding'. Every chapter in Colossians mentions something about Christ: (1:15) He is the Head of the church, (2:3) He is the Wisdom of God, (2:9) Christ is God Himself, (3:4) Christ is life, (4:1) He is the Master.