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Colossians 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Let 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

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

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

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Colossians 3

Paul grounds Christian ethics in resurrection reality—if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated—making practical morality a consequence of positional identification with Christ's exaltation. The command to put to death earthly things (sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness) and to put off anger, wrath, malice, slander reflects a mortification ethic flowing from baptismal union with Christ. The positive clothing metaphor—put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving one another as the Lord forgave you—culminates in the command to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, with peace functioning as the arbiter (brabbeuō) of internal discord. Love is the binding agent (synedesmos) and perfect bond holding together all these virtues, the animating principle of the Christian community's life. The household code (wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, masters) is radically Christianized when Paul insists that whatever you do, do it as for the Lord Jesus, transforming even slavery into Christocentric service, since you serve the Lord Christ not merely a human master. This makes ordinary social relations arenas of gospel witness and obedience, relativizing social hierarchy under Christ's universal lordship.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him — 'Whatever you do' (ti an poieō) is all-inclusive: every action is sacramental. 'In the name of the Lord Jesus' (en tō onomati kyriou Iēsou) grounds all conduct in Christ-authority. 'Giving thanks to God the Father through him' (eucharisteo tō Theō patri di' autou) makes gratitude Trinitarian. Life is worship; all acts are priestly.

Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord — the household code begins. 'Submit' (hypotassō) is voluntary positioning, not coercion. 'As is fitting in the Lord' (ōs anēken en kyriō) Christologically grounds submission: it fits the Lord's order. This is cultural accommodation (household codes were Greco-Roman convention) applied to Christian households. Submission is not unique but contextualized in Christ.

Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them — husbands are commanded to 'love' (agapeō), not merely lead. 'Do not be harsh' (pikraino, embitter) forbids cruelty. The mutual command (wives submit, husbands love) establishes reciprocity: love enables submission; submission enables love. The household is not patriarchal tyranny but mutual covenant.

Colossians 3:20

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord — 'Obey' (hypakouo) to parents is commanded. 'In everything' (en pasin) is comprehensive. 'For this pleases the Lord' (euarestos en kyriō) frames obedience as pleasing Christ. Parental authority reflects divine order. Yet it is qualified by 'pleasing the Lord': if parental command contradicts Christ, Christ supersedes.

Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged — 'Provoke' (erethizō, irritate) creates discouragement (athumeo, loss of spirit). This tempers paternal authority: harsh discipline destroys the child's spirit. Discipline must be measured, not crushing. Children are not property but persons whose discouragement grieves the Lord.

Colossians 3:22

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord — the household code extends to slavery. 'Obey' (hypakouo) masters is commanded. 'Not only while watched' but 'wholeheartedly' (ex psyches) shows sincerity. 'Fearing the Lord' (phobos kyriou) reframes obedience: ultimate allegiance is Christ's. Slavery is unquestioned here, but submission is spiritualized.

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ — 'Work heartily' (ergon latreuo, serve/work) is whole-hearted. 'As for the Lord' (hōs tō kyriō) redirects service: masters are servants' proxies. 'From the Lord you will receive the inheritance' (aparche klēronomia) promises eschatological reward. 'You are serving the Lord Christ' makes the slave's lowliest work priestly service to Christ. This is radical spiritualization of slavery without abolition.

Colossians 3:24

For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality — the judgment applies to all: wrongdoers (ho adikos) face divine repayment (apolambano). 'No partiality' (prosōpolēmpsia) means masters are not exempt. Divine justice transcends earthly hierarchy.

Colossians 3:25

Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven — masters are commanded to treat slaves 'justly and fairly' (dikaios, isotēs). They answer to a 'Master in heaven' (kyriēs en ouranois): God oversees their conduct. Slavery's brutality is checked: masters are accountable. Yet abolition is not demanded, only ethical mitigation.

Colossians 3:10

And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator — 'Put on the new self' (endyō ton kainen anthrōpon) is clothing-metaphor: new identity is assumed. 'Being renewed in knowledge' (anakainosis en epignōsis) shows continuous renewal through growing understanding. 'After the image of its creator' (eikōn tou ktisantos) echoes Genesis: believers are re-imaged toward Christ-likeness. Sanctification is restoration of divine image.

Colossians 3:11

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all — the catalog breaks down ethnic, religious, and social categories: Greek/Jew (ethnic), circumcised/uncircumcised (religious), barbarian/Scythian (cultural—Scythians were considered wild), slave/free (social). All distinctions dissolve. 'Christ is all, and in all' (ta panta kai en pasin Christos) shows Christ transcends and includes all: he is the unity.

Colossians 3:12

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience — 'Put on' (endyō) continues the clothing-metaphor. The virtues (splancha, compassion; chrestotēs, kindness; tapeinophrosynē, humility; prautēs, gentleness; makrothymia, patience) are Christ-like character. 'God's chosen ones' (eklektoi tou Theou) establishes their identity as elect. Virtues are not self-generated but donned: Christ-wardrobe.

Colossians 3:7

In these you too once walked, when you lived in them — 'Once walked' (peripatēō pote) recalls their pre-conversion state. 'When you lived in them' (zaō en autois) shows enslavement: these vices were life-context. The past tense absolves the present: they are no longer captive. Yet memory serves warning.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony — 'Above all these' (hyper panta) makes love supreme. 'Love' (agapē) is not sentiment but commitment. 'Binds everything together' (syndesmō) is bonding-agent metaphor: love unites virtue-community. 'In perfect harmony' (teleiotēs) shows completeness: love perfects the ensemble. Love is crowning virtue, cohesive force.

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful — 'Peace of Christ' (eirēnē tou Christou, Christ-peace) is arbiter (brabeuo, serve as umpire). 'Rule in your hearts' is internal governance. 'Called in one body' (kaleo en hen sōma) emphasizes corporate unity as calling's content. 'Be thankful' (eucharistos) returns to gratitude as fundamental posture. Peace and thanksgiving are spiritual marks.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God — 'Word of Christ' (logos Christou) indwells communities. 'Dwell richly' (enoikeō perisseuō) suggests abundance: Christ-word saturates. 'Teaching and admonishing' (didaskō, noutheteō) build community. 'Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs' shows liturgical life: music expresses theology. 'With thankfulness in your hearts to God' frames singing as gratitude-expression.

Colossians 3:13

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive — 'Bearing with one another' (anechō allelōn, endure each other) is patience in relationships. 'Complaint' (momphē, blame) triggers forgiveness. 'As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive' (aphieō hōs kai ho kyrios ephiesato hymin) models forgiveness on Christ's: unconditional, total. Christological pattern grounds interpersonal grace.

Colossians 3:8

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth — 'Now' (nyn) marks eschatological shift: present time-frame demands present renunciation. The list shifts from sexual to relational vices: anger (orge), wrath (thymos), malice (kakia), slander (blasphēmia), obscene talk (aischrologia, shameful speech). These poison community. Speech-control is character-control.

Colossians 3:1

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God — the conditional 'if you were raised' (oresthe syzōopoieo) recalls 2:12-13: resurrection is accomplished reality. 'Seek the things above' (zeteō ta anō) reorients desire toward heaven. 'Where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God' (en dexia Theou) locates Christ in eschatological exaltation. Present seeking flows from accomplished resurrection: realized eschatology meets ethical effort.

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth — 'Set minds' (phroneō) is habitual orientation. The binary contrast (anō/katō, above/below) divides heaven from earth. Earthly concerns are not intrinsically evil but are misplaced priority. The mental discipline required reflects the threat of worldly enticement. Renewed mind is warfare.

Colossians 3:3

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God — death (apothnēskō) is aorist-accomplished: the old self died. 'Your life is hidden with Christ in God' (zōē...kryptē syn Christō en tō Theō) is paradoxical: true life is concealed, not visible. The hiding (kryptē) in Christ's hiddenness protects from worldly exposure. Eschatological unveiling (1 John 3:2) is awaited, but security is present.

Colossians 3:4

When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory — 'Christ who is your life' (Christos tē zōē hymōn) identifies Christ as life-source. 'When revealed' (apokalyptō) is eschatological unveiling. 'You also will be revealed' (apokalyptō hymas) shows believers' transformation parallels Christ's: hidden then revealed. 'In glory' (en doxē) is resurrection-glory. Hope is fixed: hidden now, visible then.

Colossians 3:5

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry — 'Put to death' (nekroo, mortify) demands active killing of vices. The list progresses: sexual sin (porneia, immorality), impurity (akatharsia, uncleanness), passion (pathos, uncontrolled desire), evil desire (epithymia, lust), covetousness (pleonexia, greed). The final equation—'covetousness is idolatry'—redefines sin: greed replaces God as ultimate loyalty. Vices are not mere ethics but theology.

Colossians 3:6

On account of these the wrath of God is coming — eschatological judgment (orge, divine anger) awaits those enslaved to vice. This is stern warning: vices are not lifestyle preferences but divine-wrath triggers. Judgment lends urgency to present mortification.

Colossians 3:9

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices — lying (pseudomai) violates community truth. 'Seeing that you have put off the old self' (apekdyō ton palaion anthrōpon) recalls 2:11: the old self is stripped at conversion. Its 'practices' (praxeis) are characteristic deeds. The indicative foundation ('you have put off') supports the imperative ('don't lie'): act according to your new identity.