the Fifth Week after Epiphany
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New King James Version
Colossians 3:14
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And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And aboue all these thinges put on loue, which is the bond of perfectnes.
Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
And to all these [add] love, which is the bond of perfectness.
Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity.
Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.
And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.
Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly;
Above all, clothe yourselves withclothe yourselves with">[fn] love, which ties everything together in unity.John 13:34; Romans 13:8; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Ephesians 4:3; 5:2; Colossians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 3:23; 4:21;">[xr]
and with all these charity, which is the girdle of perfection.
And with all these, [fn] love, which is the girdle of perfection.
And aboue all these things put on charitie, which is the bond of perfectnesse.
And aboue all thynges [put on] loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection.
And above all these, love, which is the bond of perfectness.
In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.
And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And, over all these things, love, which is a uniting-bond of completeness;
But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.
And with all these things have love, which is the bond of perfection.
And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
And above all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection:
And over all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of union;
And vpon alle these thingis haue ye charite, that is the boond of perfeccioun.
And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Above all these thinges put on love which is the bonde of parfectnes.
and above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness.
and above all these things, [have] love, which is a bond of the perfection,
And more than all, have love; the only way in which you may be completely joined together.
But aboue all thinges put on loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.
to all this add love, which is the band of perfect union:
And to all these things, you must add love. Love holds everything and everybody together and makes all these good things perfect.
The most important thing to remember is to ride in love. It is the cinch that holds us all in the saddle. When we're all cinched down tight in love, we will be able to stay in the saddle and accomplish the task set before us.
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
charity: Colossians 2:2, John 13:34, John 15:12, Romans 13:8, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Ephesians 5:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Peter 4:8, 2 Peter 1:7, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:21
the: Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 4:3, 1 John 4:7-12
Reciprocal: Song of Solomon 1:7 - turneth aside Jeremiah 43:12 - putteth John 17:23 - made Romans 12:18 - General 1 Corinthians 13:13 - the greatest Colossians 3:10 - put Revelation 2:19 - charity
Cross-References
Romans 5:12-21">[xr] Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
"Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust.
You shall be brought down, You shall speak out of the ground; Your speech shall be low, out of the dust; Your voice shall be like a medium's, out of the ground; And your speech shall whisper out of the dust.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD.
They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And above all these things,.... Bowels of mercies, kindness, c.
put on charity, or brotherly love, for without this all is nothing they will only be done in show and appearance, in mere guise and hypocrisy, if love is wanting; this actuates and exercises all the rest; it is only from this principle that true sympathy, real kindness, undisguised humility, and meekness, patient longsuffering, and forbearance, and hearty forgiveness proceeds: this is greater, and more excellent, than all the other, and adds a glory, lustre, and beauty to them; this is the upper garment that covers all the rest, for so the words may be rendered, "upon all these things put on charity"; whereby a disciple of Christ is visible, and distinguished, and is known to be what he is; this is like a strait and upper garment, keeps close all that is under it, and within it: and it is called
the bond of perfectness; either of the law, and the duties of religion, which it is said to be the fulfilling of; or rather of the saints, for this is the bond of union between them, which knits and cements them together, so that they are perfectly joined together, and are of one mind and one heart: it is the bond of peace among them, of perfect unity and brotherly love; and a most beautiful and pleasant thing it is for brethren to live and dwell together in unity; such are beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem among themselves, and terrible to their enemies as an army with banners, being not to be divided or broken by them. The Claromontane exemplar reads, "the bond of unity".
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And above all these things - Over, or upon all these things; compare the notes at Ephesians 6:16.
Charity - Love. Notes, 1 Corinthians 13:1.
Which is the bond of perfectness - The bond of all perfection; the thing which will unite all other things, and make them complete; compare the parallel place in Ephesians 4:3. The idea seems to be that love will bind all the other graces fast together, and render the whole system complete. Without love, though there might be other graces and virtues, there would be a want of harmony and compactness in our Christian graces, and this was necessary to unite and complete the whole. There is great beauty in the expression, and it contains most important truth. If it were possible to conceive that the other graces could exist among a Christian people, yet there would be a sad incompleteness, a painful want of harmony and union, if love were not the reigning principle. Nor faith, nor zeal, nor prophecy, nor the power of speaking with the tongue of angels, would answer the purpose. See this sentiment expressed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and the effect of love more fully explained in the notes at that chapter.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. And above all these things — επι πασι δε τουτοις. Upon all, over all; as the outer garment envelopes all the clothing, so let charity or love invest and encompass all the rest. Even bowels of mercy are to be set in motion by love; from love they derive all their feeling, and all their power and promptitude to action. Let this, therefore, be as the upper garment; the surtout that invests the whole man.
Which is the bond of perfectness. — Love to God and man is not only to cover all, but also to unite and consolidate the whole. It is therefore represented here under the notion of a girdle, by which all the rest of the clothing is bound close about the body. To love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one's neighbour as one's self, is the perfection which the new covenant requires, and which the grace and Spirit of Christ work in every sincerely obedient, humble believer; and that very love, which is the fulfilling of the law and the perfection itself which the Gospel requires, is also the bond of that perfection. It is by love to God and man that love is to be preserved. Love begets love; and the more a man loves God and his neighbour, the more he is enabled to do so. Love, while properly exercised, is ever increasing and reproducing itself.
Instead of τελειοτητος, perfection, several reputable MSS., with the Itala, read ενοτητος, unity; but the former is doubtless the genuine reading.
