Colossians 3:18-4:1
Tell us about your family of origin. Did you grow up with a mom and a dad? If so, how did they live out this passage? If not, how would you and/or your parent/guardian have responded when you were 14 to someone saying that wives should submit to their husbands?
David emphasized the importance of reading these verses in the context of what precedes them in Colossians chapter 3. Do you agree with him that these practical words to wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves and masters flow out of the beautiful admonitions that precede them? How are they connected? What points of connection can you see between vs 3:9-17 and 3:18-4:1?
David wanted us to remember that this passage was not addressed to an individual but to a whole community, a congregation. He suggested that remembering that will potentially change how we apply the passage. The example that he gave is a wife who is in an abusive relationship with her husband. How does this understanding of the whole of chapter 3 being written to our community change the way we apply this passage in that situation? Is our community of believers able to address that kind of a situation? Why or why not?
David wanted us also to remember that this passage is revolutionary. Do you buy that? One person came up to David after worship and said that they really liked his “spin” on this passage. Do you think this passage truly is revolutionary or is that just a nice spin to not make it so embarrassing for us as Christians?
Wives
David made a distinction between the word “submit” (v. 18) and the word “obey” (vs. 20, 22). He stated that this concept of submission as a choice that is made by the wife is revolutionary in that it can transform the battle between the sexes that began in Genesis 3 into a conversation of equals. Does this make sense to you? Why or why not? Is this concept of submission part of God’s created order (based on Genesis 1-2) for marriage or is it a concession to our fallenness (based on Genesis 3 and following)?
Husbands
How would you respond to a man who said that Paul’s command to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” are not manly enough? How can we as a community redefine what is “manly”?
Children
Our culture values independence above almost everything else. Is it important for our children to learn obedience? Can you think of a time in your life as an adult or a child when you were called to obey without being able to understand why?
Fathers
Do you agree that fathers need to “step up”? Why or why not? If so, how?
Slaves and Masters
How do we apply these verses today? Would these verses be helpful if you were in a job with a boss who is oppressive or who leaves town when it comes time to deal with difficult scriptural passages?
