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(Colossians 3:12-17)

Why is putting “to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature” (autophagy) a necessary part of the renewal process of verses 9 and 10?

How does lying (v. 9) keep the old self in place and prevent the new one, based on Christ’s image, from replacing it?

What does baptism have to do with putting off the old person and putting on the new?

Read Colossians 3:12-17.

What happens if we try to obey these instructions without knowing and believing that we are “God’s chosen, holy and beloved”?

Why is the process of taking off “the old person with its practices” so difficult?

If I act compassionately when I don’t feel compassion, am I being a hypocrite? Explain.

How can we take advantage of the fact that the virtues of verse 12 “grow into you” as you put them on?

Explain what Paul means by “compassion” (verse 12) in your own words. How does acting compassionately change the recipient of compassion? How does it change the person extending compassion?

What have you learned about humility? (verse 12)

How could a person “put on” gentleness? What does that entail?

“Kindness” regards other people’s feelings. Do you think God regards or my feelings? Do I need to feel kind to be kind?

Read verse 13: What behaviors are we supposed to “put up with” and what behaviors are we supposed to forgive?

How can a person grace another person? (The word “forgiving” could be rendered “gracing.”) What does it look like to grace a person who has sinned against us?

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