Bible Commentaries
Colossians 3

Verses 1-25

The Christian’s Risen Life and the Duties it entails

1-4. Resurrection with Christ and the heavenly life.

Paraphrase] ’(1) Seeing then that at your conversion you shared not Christ’s death only, but His resurrection, go on to participate in His heavenly life, in that heaven where He is, and where He sits at God’s right hand. (2) Let your whole thought be set on heavenly, not on earthly things. (3) For you died with Christ, and your life in union with Him is a hidden life in God. (4) It is not always to remain hidden, for at Christ’s second coming it will be revealed; for Christ is our very life, so that His manifestation involves ours.’

2. Affection] RV ’mind.’

3. For ye are dead] RV ’Ye died,’ i.e. at conversion.

5-16. The moral life of the Christian.

Paraphrase. ’(5, 6) Since you died and rose with Christ and your life is hidden with Him in God, realise these experiences already ideally yours in putting your sins to death, impurity and covetousness, (7) those heathen vices which draw down God’s wrath, which you also once practised. (8) Put away anger, malice, abusive speech, (9) lying, for the old self has been discarded, (10) and the new self has been put on, which is being renewed with a view to deeper knowledge in conformity to the Creator’s image. (11) Where there is such a new nature, all distinctions of race, social position, and religion are annulled, and Christ is all and in all the relations of life. (12-14) Be kind, forbearing, and forgiving as Christ forgave you, and let love, which binds all Christians in one, do its perfect work. (15) Let the peace of Christ control your life, do nothing to ruffle it, and be thankful. (16) Let the gospel dwell within you, wisely teach and warn each other in songs of praise, let all your life be lived in Christ’s name, and express through Him your thankfulness to God.’

8. Blasphemy] RV ’railing.’ Filthy communication] rather, ’abusive speech.’

10. In knowledge] RV ’unto knowledge.’

11. Is] RV ’cannot be.’ Scythian] the extreme barbarian.

14. Charity] RV ’love.’ Bond of perfectness] the bond in which perfection consists. Love is the bond, in the sense that it binds Christians together (not the virtues).

18-Colossians 41. Reciprocal duties of wives and husbands, children and fathers, slaves and masters.

22. The case of slaves is treated more fully, since the case of Onesimus was engaging Paul’s attention. But he wished to keep the gospel clear of any attempt to revolutionise society. It was to be leaven, not dynamite. Eye-service] i.e. service most zealously performed when the slave is under observation.

25. The meaning is probably that the Christian slave must not suppose, because he is a Christian, that God will deal leniently with his misconduct.