Colossians 3:1-17

Put On the New Self

1 1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek 2the things that are above, where Christ is, 3seated at the right hand of God.
2 4Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For 5you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ 6who is your[a] life 7appears, then you also will appear with him 8in glory.
5 9Put to death therefore 10what is earthly in you:[b]11sexual immorality, impurity, 12passion, evil desire, and covetousness, 13which is idolatry.
6 14On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c]
7 15In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now 16you must put them all away: 17anger, wrath, malice, 18slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 19Do not lie to one another, seeing that 20you have put off 21the old self[d] with its practices
10 and 22have put on 23the new self, 24which is being renewed in knowledge 25after the image of 26its creator.
11 27Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is 28all, and in all.
12 29Put on then, as 30God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, 31compassionate hearts, 32kindness, 33humility, meekness, and patience,
13 34bearing with one another and, 35if one has a complaint against another, 36forgiving each other; 37as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on 38love, which 39binds everything together in 40perfect harmony.
15 And let 41the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called 42in one body. And 43be thankful.
16 Let 44the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, 45singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 46with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And 47whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 48giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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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.

Cross References 48

  • 1. Colossians 2:12
  • 2. [Philippians 3:14]
  • 3. See Ephesians 1:20
  • 4. See Matthew 16:23
  • 5. Colossians 2:20; See Romans 6:2
  • 6. See John 11:25
  • 7. [1 John 3:21">Phil. 1 John 3:21; 1 Pet. 1:1, 7, 13; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:2]
  • 8. 1 Corinthians 15:43
  • 9. Romans 8:13; [Galatians 5:24]
  • 10. Romans 6:13
  • 11. See Ephesians 5:3, 5
  • 12. Romans 1:26
  • 13. [Job 31:25, 26]
  • 14. See Ephesians 5:6
  • 15. See Ephesians 2:2, 11
  • 16. See Ephesians 4:22
  • 17. Ephesians 4:31
  • 18. See Ephesians 4:29
  • 19. Leviticus 19:11; See Ephesians 4:25
  • 20. Colossians 2:11
  • 21. Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22
  • 22. Ephesians 4:24
  • 23. See Romans 6:4
  • 24. See Romans 12:2
  • 25. See Romans 8:29
  • 26. [Ephesians 2:10]
  • 27. [Romans 10:12]; See 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 5:6
  • 28. Ephesians 1:23
  • 29. ver. 10
  • 30. Romans 8:33
  • 31. Philippians 2:1
  • 32. Ephesians 4:32
  • 33. See Ephesians 4:2
  • 34. [See ver. 12 above]
  • 35. Mark 11:25
  • 36. [See ver. 12 above]
  • 37. [See ver. 12 above]
  • 38. [1 Thessalonians 5:8]; See Ephesians 5:2
  • 39. Ephesians 4:3
  • 40. Hebrews 6:1; [John 17:23]
  • 41. See Philippians 4:7
  • 42. Ephesians 2:16
  • 43. ver. 17
  • 44. John 15:3
  • 45. See Ephesians 5:19
  • 46. Colossians 4:6
  • 47. ver. 23; 1 Corinthians 10:31
  • 48. Colossians 1:12; Colossians 4:2; See Ephesians 5:20

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Some manuscripts our
  • [b]. Greek therefore your members that are on the earth
  • [c]. Some manuscripts add upon the sons of disobedience
  • [d]. Greek man; also as supplied in verse 10
  • [e]. Greek bondservant
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.