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Colossians 3

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Set Your Minds on Things Above 1–4

1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ​
2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ​
4
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. ​

Putting Off the Earthly Vices 5–11

5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ​
6
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. ​
9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ​
10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: ​
11
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. ​

The New Self 12–17

12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ​
13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ​
14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. ​
15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are 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 in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ​
17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. ​

Duties in the Christian Household 18–25

18
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit 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 unto the Lord.
21
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. ​
22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: ​
23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ​
24
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. ​
25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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'.