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Colossians 3

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Set Your Minds on Things Above 1–4

1
If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. ​
2
Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.
3
For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ​
4
When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. ​

Putting Off the Earthly Vices 5–11

5
Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; ​
6
for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience:
7
wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things;
8
but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: ​
9
lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, ​
10
and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: ​
11
where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. ​

The New Self 12–17

12
Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; ​
13
forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: ​
14
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. ​
15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. ​
16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. ​
17
And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ​

Duties in the Christian Household 18–25

18
Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ​
19
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. ​
20
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.
21
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged. ​
22
Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: ​
23
whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; ​
24
knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. ​
25
For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Colossians 3

Verse 1

risen with Christ — Synegeiro, to raise together, the union already stated in 2:12: 'Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him'. 'Seek' (zeteo) is a continuing action. Christ's seat is the place of Ps 110:1, 'Sit thou at my right hand'.

Verse 3

ye are dead — Apothnesko, a single past act: death 'with Christ from the rudiments of the world' (2:20), as in Gal 2:20, 'I am crucified with Christ'. 'Is hid' (krypto) places the believer's life 'with Christ in God', out of sight until v.4.

Verse 4

shall appear — Phaneroo, to make manifest; the same verb is used of Christ and of believers, who are made manifest with him. 'Who is our life' makes Christ himself the life of v.3. Compare 1 John 3:2, 'when he shall appear, we shall be like him'.

Verse 5

Mortify — Nekroo, to deaden, from nekros, dead: the believer who 'is dead' (v.3) is to treat the 'members' (melos, limbs) as dead to these sins. 'Covetousness' (pleonexia) is grasping for more; 'idolatry' (eidololatreia) is the charge of Eph 5:5, 'covetous man, who is an idolater'.

Verse 8

put off all these — Apotithemi, to lay aside as a garment. 'Anger' is orge, ire, violent passion; 'wrath' is thymos, passion; 'malice' is kakia. 'Blasphemy' (blasphemia) is abusive speech, and 'filthy communication' is aischrologia, foul talk (cf. Eph 4:29).

Verse 9

Lie not one to another — The command echoes Lev 19:11, 'neither lie one to another'. 'Put off' is apekduomai, to strip off wholly: the 'old man' (palaios anthropos) is the former self, 'crucified with him' (Rom 6:6). Eph 4:25 gives the same rule: 'speak every man truth with his neighbour'.

Verse 10

renewed in knowledge — Anakainoo, to make new again; 'knowledge' is epignosis, full knowledge. The 'image' (eikon) is that of the Creator (ktizo), as in Eph 4:24: 'the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness'.

Verse 11

Barbarian, Scythian — Barbaros is a non-Greek speaker; Skythes the Scythian, the type of the most remote and rude. All divisions of race, rite and rank give way, as in Gal 3:28, 'there is neither bond nor free'; here 'Christ is all, and in all'.

Verse 12

bowels of mercies — Splanchnon, the inward parts, seat of feeling, with oiktirmos, pity. The garment (endyo, 'put on') answers the 'put off' of vv.8–9. 'Elect… holy… beloved' are titles given the readers; Eph 4:32 pairs 'kind' with 'tenderhearted'.

Verse 13

even as Christ forgave you — Charizomai, to give freely, from charis, grace; the same verb is used for believers' forgiving and Christ's. 'Quarrel' is momphe, a ground of complaint. 'Forbearing' (anechomai) is to hold oneself up against. Compare Eph 4:32.

Verse 14

charity, which is the bond of perfectness — Agape, love. 'Bond' is syndesmos, a ligament that holds together; 'perfectness' is teleiotes, completeness. 'Above all these things' echoes 1 Pet 4:8, 'above all things have fervent charity'; compare 2:2, 'knit together in love'.

Verse 15

let the peace of God rule — Brabeuo, to act as umpire, the judge at the games; peace decides among the pulls of the heart. Compare Phil 4:7, where the same peace 'shall keep your hearts and minds'. 'One body' is the church; 'thankful' is eucharistos.

Verse 16

dwell in you richly — Enoikeo, to inhabit, with plousios, abundantly. 'Admonishing' is noutheteo, to put in mind. 'Psalms' (psalmos), 'hymns' (hymnos) and 'spiritual songs' (ode) are the list of Eph 5:19, where the word is spoken 'to yourselves'.

Verse 17

in the name of the Lord Jesus — 'Word or deed' (logos, ergon) covers speech and action alike, and 'all' is done under Christ's authority (onoma, name). Thanks go 'to God and the Father by him', as in Eph 5:20; compare 1 Cor 10:31, 'do all to the glory of God'.

Verse 18

submit yourselves — Hypotasso, to arrange under; the same verb stands in Eph 5:22. 'Fit' is aneko, to be proper, and the standard is 'in the Lord'. The command to wives is the first of three paired duties (vv.18–4:1), each addressed to both parties.

Verse 19

love your wives — Agapao, the verb of v.14's agape. 'Bitter' is pikraino, to embitter, so harshness is forbidden along with the love commanded. Eph 5:25 sets the measure: 'even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it'.

Verse 21

provoke not your children — Erethizo, to stir up. The fathers are named as those who held authority in the household. 'Discouraged' is athymeo, to be spiritless, literally without thymos; Eph 6:4 gives the same command as 'provoke not your children to wrath'.

Verse 22

eyeservice, as menpleasers — Ophthalmodouleia, service done only under the master's eye, and anthropareskos, one who courts men. The alternative is 'singleness of heart' (haplotes), sincerity. The word for servants is doulos, slave; compare Eph 6:5.

Verse 23

do it heartily — Literally out of the soul (ek psyches), with the whole self. The reason is 'as to the Lord, and not unto men', the same turn as Eph 6:7, 'doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men'. The verb ergazomai is to work.

Verse 24

the reward of the inheritance — Antapodosis, requital, and kleronomia, inheritance; the service is paid by 'the Lord', while the masters of v.22 are lords only 'according to the flesh'. 'Ye serve' (douleuo) the Lord Christ: the same root as slave. Compare Eph 6:8.

Verse 25

no respect of persons — Prosopolepsia, literally receiving the face, partiality. Adikeo, to do wrong, applies to every party: 'he that doeth wrong shall receive'. The principle is stated of God in Rom 2:11, 'there is no respect of persons with God'.