How to win friends and influence people.

John Farley
Pastor-Teacher
Sunday,
February 11, 2018

 

How to win friends and influence people

7. What is the book about? What is the overall message of the book?

Col 1:28
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, …

Col 1:28b
so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

To proclaim Christ,
to warn about heresies that reject Christ, to teach the glories of Christ,

and to exhort the saints to walk in Christ, setting their minds on Christ;

so that when they appear before Christ, Paul may present each man complete in Christ.

Col 3:1-4

Colossians is about the absolute supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ.

8. How is it written: what genre is it, how is it organized, and what is the author’s writing style?

Law, History, Wisdom, Prophecy, Apocalyptic, Gospel, Letter, Epistle.

Colossians is a letter. It has the classic structure of a New Testament letter.

Opening Salutation
Col 1:1-2
Prayer, Blessing, and/or Thanksgiving Col 1:3-12

The Body of the Letter (what the author wants to say based on his purpose for the letter) Col 1:13-4:6


The Closing of the Letter Col 4:7-18

There are five kinds of style in the Bible: Narrative, Expository, Descriptive, Exhortative, and Persuasive.

Narrative: telling a story. Examples include the story of Joseph in Genesis, and the parables of Jesus.

Expository: teaching facts. Informing, or explaining a subject to the audience. Example: Ephesians 1-3.

Descriptive: painting a picture in words by appealing to the five senses. Example: the Psalms.

Exhortative: coaching, commanding. Example: Ephesians 4-6.

Persuasive: arguing; writing to convince the audience or to warn them. Example: Gal 3:1-5:15.

The letter of Colossians is written primarily to persuade its audience.

Colossians is part exposition, part exhortation, and all persuasion.

Exposition: indicative mood verbs (statements of fact).

Also, Paul often uses long sentences with several clauses and phrases in his expository writing.
 

Col 2:9-12

Exhortation: imperative mood verbs, use of the word “therefore” to introduce.

Col 3:5

Persuasion: win friends; present a solid case; make emotional appeals.

Exposition: teaching about Christ. Col 1:13-20.

Exhortation: coaching about how to live victoriously in Christ. Col 3:5-4:6.

Persuasion: warning against heresies that attack Christ. Col 2:1-23.

One of the unique features about Colossians is that Paul tends to combine styles in a single paragraph.

He frequently combines teaching and exhortation in the same passage.

Col 2:1-5 is expository (teaching) , while Col 2:6-8 is exhortative (coaching).

This is not something Paul typically does in his letters.

He usually puts all of the teaching together in the early chapters, followed by all of the exhortation in the later chapters.

Romans chapters 1 -11 are expository.

Romans chapters 12-15 are exhortative.

Paul uses the persuasive techniques throughout this letter…

…to convince his audience not to be drawn away from the supremacy of Christ by heresy.

How do you persuade an audience? How do you win friends and influence people?

Ethos: The ethical approach – establish credibility, connect with the audience.

Logos: The logical approach – rhetorical questions, facts and logic.

Pathos: the emotional approach - personal appeals, language that stirs emotions.

Ethos: The ethical approach – establish credibility, connect with the audience.

He begins the letter with a powerful demonstration of his authority and credibility.

Col 1:1-2

He is an apostle: he saw the resurrected and glorified Christ, who gave him his apostleship to the Gentiles.

He had a message for them that came directly from God the Father.

 

 


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