New Testament Commentary - Colossians 3

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
              CHAPTER 3

Some lives are his with God in Christ—Saints exhorted to be holy and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

  1 IF ye then be arisen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
  2 Set your aaffection on bthings cabove, not on things on the dearth.
  3 For ye are adead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
  4 When Christ, who is our alife, shall bappear, then shall ye also appear with him in cglory.
  5 aMortify therefore your bmembers which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, cinordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and dcovetousness, which is eidolatry:
  6 For which things' sake the awrath of God cometh on the children of bdisobedience:
  7 In the which ye also walked asome time, when ye lived in them.
  8 But now ye also aput off all these; banger, wrath, cmalice, dblasphemy, filthy ecommunication out of your mouth.
  9 aLie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the bold man with his deeds;
  10 And have put on the anew man, which is renewed in knowledge after the bimage of him that ccreated him:
  11 Where there is neither aGreek nor Jew, bcircumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
  12 Put on therefore, as the aelect of God, holy and beloved, bbowels of cmercies, dkindness, ehumbleness of mind, fmeekness, longsuffering;
  13 aForbearing one another, and bforgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
  14 And above all these things put on acharity, which is the bond of perfectness.
  15 And let the apeace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye bthankful.
  16 Let the aword of Christ dwell in you richly in all bwisdom; cteaching and admonishing one another in psalms and dhymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
  17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, ado all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving bthanks to God and the Father by him.
  18 aWives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
  19 aHusbands, blove your wives, and be not bitter against them.
  20 aChildren, bobey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
  21 aFathers, bprovoke not your children to canger, lest they be discouraged.
  22 aServants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in bsingleness of heart, cfearing God:
  23 And whatsoever ye do, do it aheartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
  24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall areceive the breward of the cinheritance: for ye dserve the Lord Christ.
  25 But he that doeth awrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath donea: and there is no brespect of persons.  25a he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done Unlike the concept of merciful salvation without any responsibility and penalty for sin, Paul absolutely teaches that a person will receive according to their works. Of course salvation is a free gift unto all men who do come unto Christ, but the degree of rewards and penalties are contingent upon performance. There is no 'free' ride, just a guarantee of forgiveness based upon Christ's atonement which does reconcile men unto God if they come in and through Jesus Christ, no other way being acceptable before God. And will forgiveness and mercy is to be shown to all, men shall receive for the wrong which he hat done that which is so associated with that wrong. Now least one considers one self lost, sin may be remitted and washed away in Christ through repentance. Therefore repent and live righteously for all unrepented of wrong will be rewarded according to the justice thereof.