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The Letters · New Testament

Colossians 3

Colossians 3: the old life taken off and the new life put on

General context

Since the readers are risen with Christ, Paul tells them to seek things above where Christ sits at God's right hand, and to set their affection there rather than on the earth, because they are dead and their life is hidden with Christ in God, and will appear with him in glory. He tells them to put to death what belongs to the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which he calls idolatry, and says they once lived that way. Now they are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy speech, and stop lying to one another, having put off the old man and put on the new man, renewed after the image of his creator, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all. As the elect of God they are to put on mercies, kindness, humbleness, meekness and longsuffering, forgiving quarrels as Christ forgave them, and above all charity. The peace of God is to rule in their hearts, the word of Christ to dwell in them richly as they teach one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and everything they do in word or deed to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanks to God. The chapter then turns to a household: wives to submit to their own husbands, husbands to love their wives and not be bitter, children to obey their parents, fathers not to provoke their children, and servants to obey their masters with singleness of heart, working as to the Lord, since the reward comes from him and there is no respect of persons.

Cited passages: Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2, Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4, Colossians 3:5, Colossians 3:6, Colossians 3:7, Colossians 3:8, Colossians 3:9, Colossians 3:10, Colossians 3:11, Colossians 3:12, Colossians 3:13, Colossians 3:14, Colossians 3:15, Colossians 3:16, Colossians 3:17, Colossians 3:18, Colossians 3:19, Colossians 3:20, Colossians 3:21, Colossians 3:22, Colossians 3:23, Colossians 3:24, Colossians 3:25

Colossians 3 (KJV)

1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

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

4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

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

8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

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

17And what soever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

23And what soever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

No person is named in this chapter and no place, date or journey appears. It quotes no scripture. The list at verse 11 uses four kinds of distinction at once, Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, and bond and free, and the letter neither defines Barbarian and Scythian nor says why they stand together. The household instructions are addressed to groups rather than to individuals, and each pair is given a single verse, except servants, who receive four. The chapter states that servants will receive the reward of the inheritance from the Lord, and follows it with a principle about wrongdoing rather than with a case, But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Who is meant by that is not specified.

Cited passages: Colossians 3:11, Colossians 3:18, Colossians 3:19, Colossians 3:20, Colossians 3:21, Colossians 3:22, Colossians 3:24, Colossians 3:25

Literary context

The chapter thinks in clothing. Things are put off and put on, first as behaviour and then as identity, and the two lists of what comes off are followed by one list of what goes on, with charity added last and placed above all these things. The metaphor connects back to the circumcision image earlier in the letter, putting off the body of the sins of the flesh. Direction organises the opening: above and on the earth are repeated until the reader knows which way the argument faces. The household section is much shorter than the argument before it, and it works by pairing an instruction with a reason in the same breath, so fathers are told not to provoke their children lest they be discouraged. The chapter also returns to thanks twice in three verses, at be ye thankful and giving thanks to God and the Father, which keeps the instructions from reading purely as prohibitions.

Cited passages: Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2, Colossians 3:5, Colossians 3:8, Colossians 3:9, Colossians 3:10, Colossians 3:12, Colossians 3:14, Colossians 3:15, Colossians 3:16, Colossians 3:17, Colossians 3:21

Key moments

  1. Seek things above (Colossians 3:1). The chapter opens by giving the readers a direction.
  2. Hidden with Christ (Colossians 3:3). Their life is described as out of sight for now.
  3. Put off the old man (Colossians 3:9). Lying is banned on the grounds of a change already made.
  4. Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:11). Four kinds of distinction are set aside in one verse.
  5. Forgive as you were forgiven (Colossians 3:13). The measure for forgiving quarrels is stated.
  6. Above all, charity (Colossians 3:14). Charity is added on top of the list as the bond of perfectness.
  7. The household addressed (Colossians 3:18). Instructions turn to wives, husbands, children, fathers and servants.

For reflection

The instruction is to forgive a quarrel the way you were forgiven, not the way the quarrel deserves. Which quarrel of yours would look different if the measure came from somewhere other than the offence?

People in this chapter

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