Colossians 3:1-17

Put On the New Self

1 Therefore if you have been ¹raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, ²seated at the right hand of God.

2 ³Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

3 For you have ⁴died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, ⁵who is our life, is revealed, ⁶then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

5 ⁷Therefore consider ⁸the members of your earthly body as dead to ⁹immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6 For it is because of these things that ¹⁰the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,

7 and ¹¹in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

8 But now you also, ¹²put them all aside: ¹³anger, wrath, malice, slander, and ¹⁴abusive speech from your mouth.

9 ¹⁵Do not lie to one another, since you ¹⁶laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

10 and have ¹⁷put on the new self who is being ¹⁸renewed to a true knowledge ¹⁹according to the image of the One who ²⁰created him-

11 a renewal in which ²¹there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, ²²circumcised and uncircumcised, ²³barbarian, Scythian, ²⁴slave and freeman, but ²⁵Christ is all, and in all.

12 So, as those who have been ²⁶chosen of God, holy and beloved, ²⁷put on a ²⁸heart of compassion, kindness, ²⁹humility, gentleness and ³⁰patience;

13 ³¹bearing with one another, and ³²forgiving each other, whoever * has a complaint against anyone; ³³just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is ³⁴the perfect bond of ³⁵unity.

15 Let ³⁶the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in ³⁷one body; and be thankful.

16 Let ³⁸the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom ³⁹teaching and admonishing one another ⁴⁰with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ⁴¹singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 ⁴²Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ⁴³giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

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

• 1. Colossians 2:12
• 2. Psalms 110:1; Mark 16:19
• 3. Matthew 16:23; Philippians 3:19, 20
• 4. Romans 6:2; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Colossians 2:20
• 5. John 11:25; Galatians 2:20
• 6. 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 John 3:21">Phil 1 John 3:21; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:2
• 7. Romans 8:13
• 8. Colossians 2:11
• 9. Mark 7:21; 1 Cor 6:9f, 18; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Ephesians 5:3, 5
• 10. Romans 1:18; Ephesians 5:6
• 11. Ephesians 2:2
• 12. Ephesians 4:22
• 13. Ephesians 4:31
• 14. Ephesians 4:29
• 15. Ephesians 4:25
• 16. Ephesians 4:22
• 17. Ephesians 4:24
• 18. Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 4:23
• 19. Genesis 1:26; Romans 8:29
• 20. Ephesians 2:10
• 21. Romans 10:12; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28
• 22. 1 Corinthians 7:19; Galatians 5:6
• 23. Acts 28:2
• 24. Ephesians 6:8
• 25. Ephesians 1:23
• 26. Luke 18:7
• 27. Ephesians 4:24
• 28. Luke 1:78; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 2:1
• 29. Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3
• 30. 1 Corinthians 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:6
• 31. Ephesians 4:2
• 32. Romans 15:7; Ephesians 4:32
• 33. Romans 15:7; Ephesians 4:32
• 34. Ephesians 4:3
• 35. John 17:23; Hebrews 6:1
• 36. John 14:27
• 37. Ephesians 2:16
• 38. Romans 10:17; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Thessalonians 1:8
• 39. Colossians 1:28
• 40. Ephesians 5:19
• 41. 1 Corinthians 14:15
• 42. 1 Corinthians 10:31
• 43. Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Be intent on"
• [b]. Lit "put to death the members which are upon the earth"
• [c]. Lit "fornication"
• [d]. Lit "is"
• [e]. Two early mss do not contain "upon the sons of disobedience"
• [f]. Or "among these"
• [g]. Or "Stop lying"
• [h]. Gr "anthropos"
• [i]. Lit "renovated"
• [j]. I.e. those who were not Greeks, either by birth or by culture
• [k]. I.e. forbearance toward others
• [l]. Lit "the uniting bond of perfection"
• [m]. Or "act as arbiter"
• [n]. Lit "also"
• [o]. Or "show yourselves thankful"
• [p]. One early ms reads "the Lord"
• [q]. Or "in"
• [r]. Or "one another, singing with psalms..."
• [s]. Or "by;" lit "in His grace"