Colossians Bible Trivia: 26 Questions and Answers for Families

These 26 Colossians Bible trivia questions cover the great "Christ is supreme" poem of chapter 1, the wardrobe of virtues in chapter 3, and the surprising cast of names at the end of the letter -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds by age. Every answer is bolded right after its question with a verse reference, so any dispute can be settled straight from the text.

Colossians is short -- four chapters -- but it contains the highest description of Jesus in Paul's letters: the one who made everything, holds everything together, and is the exact image of the invisible God. It's also unusually practical, telling kids how to obey, workers how to work, and everyone what to "put on" each morning.

What Is the Book of Colossians About?

Colossians is a New Testament letter arguing that Jesus Christ is supreme over everything, so believers need nothing added to him. It opens from "Paul... and Timothy" (Colossians 1:1) and was written from prison -- "Remember my chains," Paul ends (Colossians 4:18) -- traditionally during his Roman imprisonment around AD 60-62. It went to the church in Colossae, a small town in the Lycus Valley of modern-day Turkey that Paul himself had never visited (Colossians 2:1); the church had been planted by his coworker Epaphras (Colossians 1:7).

False teachers were apparently telling the Colossians that Jesus wasn't enough -- that they needed special rules, secret knowledge, or extra spiritual experiences. Paul's answer is the soaring poem of Colossians 1:15-20: Christ is "the image of the invisible God," everything was created through him and for him, and "in him all things hold together." Colossians matters because it settles the biggest question in the Bible -- who is Jesus? -- and then shows what a household looks like when he's in charge (Colossians 3).

Easy Colossians Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

Short, concrete verses first -- most of these double as excellent memory verses.

1. Whose names open the letter to the Colossians? Paul and Timothy (Colossians 1:1)
2. Who is "the image of the invisible God"? Jesus, God's Son (Colossians 1:15)
3. In whom do "all things hold together"? In Jesus (Colossians 1:17)
4. What does Paul tell children to do? Obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (Colossians 3:20)
5. Whatever you do, how should you work at it? With all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)
6. Which virtue should we "put on" over all the others, binding them together? Love (Colossians 3:14)
7. What should rule in our hearts? The peace of Christ (Colossians 3:15)
8. What three kinds of songs should believers sing with gratitude? Psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit (Colossians 3:16)

Medium Colossians Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

Now the letter's big argument: Christ is completely enough, so dress your life accordingly.

1. Had Paul ever visited the church in Colossae? No -- he wrote to believers who had not met him personally (Colossians 2:1)
2. Who first taught the Colossians the gospel? Epaphras, Paul's dear fellow servant (Colossians 1:7)
3. Colossians 3:12 says to clothe yourselves with five things -- name three. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12)
4. Where should we set our hearts and minds? On things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2)
5. What should our conversation be "seasoned with"? Salt -- always full of grace (Colossians 4:6)
6. What did God cancel by nailing it to the cross? The charge of our legal indebtedness -- the written code that stood against us (Colossians 2:14)
7. What lives in Christ "in bodily form"? All the fullness of the Deity (Colossians 2:9)
8. What is "Christ in you"? The hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)
9. What are fathers warned not to do, and why? Do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged (Colossians 3:21)
10. What should believers devote themselves to, "being watchful and thankful"? Prayer (Colossians 4:2)

Hard Colossians Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

The closing greetings of Colossians are a who's who of the early church -- a runaway slave, a Gospel writer, and a restored quitter all in one chapter.

1. Which two men carried this letter to Colossae? Tychicus and Onesimus (Colossians 4:7-9)
2. Onesimus, called "one of you," is the subject of which other New Testament letter? Philemon -- he was Philemon's runaway slave whom Paul sent home as a brother (Colossians 4:9; Philemon 10-16)
3. Which Gospel writer does Paul greet as "our dear friend... the doctor"? Luke (Colossians 4:14)
4. Mark, who is greeted in this letter, was the cousin of which famous missionary? Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) -- bonus point: this is the same John Mark who once deserted Paul's first journey (Acts 13:13; 15:37-39), now back on the team
5. With which nearby church were the Colossians told to swap letters? Laodicea (Colossians 4:16)
6. Who received the personal charge, "Complete the ministry you have received in the Lord"? Archippus (Colossians 4:17)
7. What does Paul warn could take the Colossians "captive"? Hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8)
8. What is Paul's very last request in the letter? "Remember my chains" (Colossians 4:18)

How to Use These Questions

Colossians works well as a two-round game that mirrors the book: a "Who is Jesus?" round (questions 2, 3, 14-16) and a "How do we live?" round (questions 4-8, 11-13, 17-18). The chapter 3 wardrobe is the best hands-on moment -- lay out five items of clothing, and each time a kid answers a virtue question, they "put on" one piece. For team play, scoring, and prize ideas, see our guide to family Bible trivia night.

The hard round is a name game, and it rewards families who know Paul's world -- who was Paul? and our retelling of Paul in Rome give the backstory of the imprisonment this letter came from. The video lessons at Faithful Kids pair each story with a short quiz kids can replay. When you want a bigger board, widen out to our New Testament trivia for kids or the all-ages 100 Bible trivia questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Colossians?

The letter opens from Paul and Timothy (Colossians 1:1), and Paul signs the final greeting in his own hand (Colossians 4:18). Church tradition places it during Paul's Roman imprisonment around AD 60-62, carried by Tychicus alongside the letters to the Ephesians and to Philemon; some modern scholars debate the authorship on stylistic grounds.

How many chapters does Colossians have?

Colossians has 4 chapters. Chapters 1-2 argue that Christ is supreme and fully sufficient, and chapters 3-4 apply it -- new clothes for the heart, instructions for households, and a long list of personal greetings.

What is the most famous passage in Colossians?

Colossians 1:15-20 is the book's centerpiece -- Christ as "the image of the invisible God," creator and sustainer of all things. For everyday life, Colossians 3:23 -- "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" -- is the verse kids and adults quote most.

Why did Paul write to a church he had never visited?

Epaphras, who had planted the church, came to Paul with news that false teaching was pressuring the Colossians to add rules and mystical experiences to Christ (Colossians 1:7-8; 2:8, 16-18). Paul wrote to insist that since all the fullness of God lives in Christ (Colossians 2:9), the believers already had everything they needed.

What happened to the letter to Laodicea?

Colossians 4:16 mentions a letter to Laodicea that the churches were to exchange, but no letter by that name survives in the Bible. Some scholars think it may have been what we call Ephesians circulating among several churches, while others believe it was simply lost -- the honest answer is that no one knows.

What age can kids start learning Colossians?

Ages 5-8 can grab the concrete commands -- obey your parents, put on kindness, work with all your heart. The supremacy-of-Christ material in chapters 1-2 suits ages 10 and up, and it's one of the best books for teens wrestling with who Jesus actually is. A good on-ramp for any age: read Colossians 3:12 aloud each morning for a week and let kids pick which "clothing" they'll wear that day.