Colossians 3:15-25

15 Let ¹the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in ²one body; and be thankful.

16 Let ³the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom ⁴teaching and admonishing one another ⁵with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ⁶singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 ⁷Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ⁸giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Family Relations

18 ⁹Wives, ¹⁰be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 ¹¹Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.

20 ¹²Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

21 ¹³Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

22 ¹⁴Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, ¹⁵not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

23 Whatever * you do, do your work heartily, ¹⁶as for the Lord rather than * for men,

24 ¹⁷knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of ¹⁸the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ¹⁹serve.

25 For ²⁰he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ²¹that without partiality.

Colossians 3:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 3

This chapter contains exhortations to several duties, some more general, which relate to all Christians, and others more particular, which belong to saints in such and such a state of life. The apostle begins with an exhortation to seek things heavenly, and not earthly, and to set the affections on the one, and not on the other: the arguments used to enforce it are taken from the saints being risen with Christ; from Christ being in heaven at the Father's right hand; from their being dead to sin, the law, and the world; from their having life in Christ safe and secure; yea, from Christ being their life, and their appearance with him in glory, Col 3:1-4. And next he proceeds to an exhortation to the mortification of sin, and the deeds of it, which he urges from the wrath of God coming upon men for these things, and from the consideration of their former state and condition, expressed by walking and living in them, Col 3:5-7, and by a metaphor taken from the putting off and on of garments, he exhorts to the putting off of the old man, with his deeds, several of which are mentioned, Col 3:8,9, and to the putting on of the new man, and to the exercise of various graces, as mercy, meekness, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, and peace, Col 3:10-15. And then he proceeds to exhort to such duties as relate to the word and worship of God; as that the word of Christ should have an abiding place in them, and that they should teach and instruct one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and do all they did in a religious way, in the name of Christ, with thankfulness to God by him, Col 3:16,17. And closes the chapter with the duties of wives to their husbands, and of husbands to their wives, and of children to their parents, and of parents to their children, and of servants to their masters, Col 3:18-25.

Cross References

• 1. John 14:27
• 2. Ephesians 2:16
• 3. Romans 10:17; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Thessalonians 1:8
• 4. Colossians 1:28
• 5. Ephesians 5:19
• 6. 1 Corinthians 14:15
• 7. 1 Corinthians 10:31
• 8. Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15
• 9. Col 3:18-4:1: {Eph 5:22-6:9}
• 10. Ephesians 5:22
• 11. Ephesians 5:25; 1 Peter 3:7
• 12. Ephesians 6:1
• 13. Ephesians 6:4
• 14. Ephesians 6:5
• 15. Ephesians 6:6
• 16. Ephesians 6:7
• 17. Ephesians 6:8
• 18. Acts 20:32; 1 Peter 1:4
• 19. 1 Corinthians 7:22
• 20. Ephesians 6:8
• 21. Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Ephesians 6:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "act as arbiter"
• [b]. Lit "also"
• [c]. Or "show yourselves thankful"
• [d]. One early ms reads "the Lord"
• [e]. Or "in"
• [f]. Or "one another, singing with psalms..."
• [g]. Or "by;" lit "in His grace"
• [h]. Lit "in"
• [i]. Lit "according to the flesh"
• [j]. Lit "eyeservice"
• [k]. Lit "from the soul"
• [l]. Lit "and not"
• [m]. I.e. consisting of
• [n]. Lit "there is no partiality"