Colossians 3:3-13

3 For ye be dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 For when Christ shall appear, your life, then also ye shall appear with him in glory.

5 Therefore slay ye your members [Therefore slay your members], which be on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, lechery, evil covetousness, and avarice, which is service of maumets [which is service of simulacra];

6 for which things the wrath of God came on the sons of unbelief;

7 in which also ye walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now put ye away all things, wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy and foul words of your mouth. [But now and ye put away all things, wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, foul word of your mouth.]

9 Do not ye lie together; despoil ye you from the old man with his deeds, [Do not ye lie, or gab, together, spoiling the old man with his deeds,]

10 and clothe ye the new man [and clothing the new man], that is made new again into the knowing of God, after the image of him that made him;

11 where is not male and female, heathen man and Jew, circumcision and prepuce, barbarous and Scythian, bondman and free, but all things and in all things Christ.

12 Therefore ye, as the chosen of God, holy and loved, clothe you with the entrails of mercy, benignity, and meekness, temperance, patience; [Therefore clothe ye you, as the chosen of God, holy, and loved, with the entrails of mercy, benignity, and meekness, temperance, patience;]

13 and support ye each one (the) other, and forgive to yourselves, if any man against any hath a quarrel; as the Lord forgave to you, so also ye. [supporting, or bearing up together, and forgiving to yourselves, if any man against any hath quarrel, or plaint, as and the Lord Christ forgave to you, so and ye.]

Colossians 3:3-13 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.