Colossians 3:1-17

1 If therefore ye have been raised with the Christ, seek the things [which are] above, where the Christ is, sitting at [the] right hand of God:

2 have your mind on the things [that are] above, not on the things [that are] on the earth;

3 for ye have died, and your life is hid with the Christ in God.

4 When the Christ is manifested who [is] our life, then shall *ye* also be manifested with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore your members which [are] upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, vile passions, evil lust, and unbridled desire, which is idolatry.

6 On account of which things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7 In which *ye* also once walked when ye lived in these things.

8 But now, put off, *ye* also, all [these] things, wrath, anger, malice, blasphemy, vile language out of your mouth.

9 Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds,

10 and having put on the new, renewed into full knowledge according to [the] image of him that has created him;

11 wherein there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ [is] everything, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

13 forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any should have a complaint against any; even as the Christ has forgiven you, so also [do] *ye*.

14 And to all these [add] love, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of Christ preside in your hearts, to which also ye have been called in one body, and be thankful.

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

17 And everything, whatever ye may do in word or in deed, [do] all things in [the] name of [the] Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.

Colossians 3:1-17 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.

Footnotes

• [a] Or 'covetousness;' as Eph. 4.19 ('greedy unsatisfied lust'), and Eph. 5.5 ('unbridled lust').
• [b] Or 'among whom.'
• [c] Neos, i.e. young or fresh: see Luke 5.37, Heb. 12.24.
• [d] Renewed -- the present tense -- is from the same root as kainos, as in Rom. 12.2; 2Cor. 4.16; Tit. 3.5; and refers to what is entirely new in contrast to old.
• [e] Lit. 'all things,' as 1Cor. 15.28.
• [f] The aorist: 'be in the state of having done it.'
• [g] As Eph. 4.32.
• [h] It is a question of spiritual understanding whether 'in all wisdom' relates to 'dwell' or to 'teaching.' It may be the former: Paul taught in all wisdom (ch. 1.28), and in them the word was so to dwell.
• [i] 'In psalms,' &c., may be connected with 'singing' rather than with what precedes: but in Eph. 5.19, 'speaking' is connected with 'psalms.'