Bible Commentaries
Colossians 3

Verses 1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2

The problem with many Christians today is that we are often seeing things from the wrong perspective. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul says, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…" This is something God has already done. It is almost unthinkable, but we are now seated with Christ in the heavens, that is, if we can believe it. Now, we all need to start seeing things from the heavenly perspective, and here the apostle challenges us to do just that.

This might be a good place for each of us to stop and determine how much of our time each day we are focused on spiritual and heavenly things. Is it 50 percent of the day; 25 percent of the day; or is it more like 2 percent of the day? We will each one need to determine this, and our answer should indicate where we are spiritually speaking. In Philippians 3:19, Paul describes a group of people who have their mind set only on earthly things. Their picture is not pretty. Also, in our world today there are a lot of mystical-type folks who are looking inwardly for all the answers about life. Here we are challenged not to look inward but to look upward.^(F1)

There are several places in scripture where we receive this same exhortation to look upward. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." When we focus on the spiritual and the heavenly, God promises to take care of the natural and the earthly. It is just that simple.

The scripture is clear that all the things we see, and so earnestly concern ourselves with, will perish. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 Paul says, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." It seems almost unbelievable, but for most of our lives we are dealing with things that will pass away and be no more. What a waste of our time, energy and money!

We remember how Saul was intently looking for donkeys when he should have been looking for God's kingdom, which was at hand (1 Samuel 10:2). Trapp says, "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? (Proverbs 23:5)?… Wilt thou rejoice in a thing of nought? (Amos 6:13)… Most people are nailed to the earth, as Sisera was by Jael." ^(F2)

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (3:3-4). Calvin says here, "No one can rise again with Christ, if he has not first died with him…being buried under the ignominy of the cross, and under various distresses, differs nothing from death, but may patiently wait for the day of revelation." ^(F3)Strangely, the scripture looks at us as being dead with Christ – even crucified and buried with him.

All through the New Testament, Christians are pictured as being with Christ. We were crucified with him (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6); we were buried with him (Romans 6:4-5); we arose with him (Romans 6:4-5); and we are now seated with him in the heavenly places as Ephesians 2:6 assures us. In the above verses we see that when he appears we will appear with him in glory (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). In the meantime, our Christian lives remain hidden with God.

Our death and burial with Christ are so clearly pictured in the sacrament of baptism. In Romans 6:4 the scripture tells us, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." As we have mentioned, early Christian baptism was by immersion, and it was an adult or "believer baptism." To go beneath the water was to be buried with Christ symbolically and to come up from the water was to be raised with him.

The twenty centuries of Christian history have brought about many varied understandings and practices regarding the rite of baptism. It is good for us to try and get back to the first century source of this doctrine. In Colorado, where we reside, we have the long and meandering Arkansas River. When this very long river empties into the Mississippi in far-away Arkansas, it is dingy and often muddy. It is not exactly a pretty river. However, at its point of origin here in the high Rocky Mountains of Colorado, it is sparkling clear and beautiful. One would not hesitate to stoop and take a cold, refreshing drink from this stream at its source. Christian doctrine is a lot like that. We are two thousand years downstream and things often look a little dingy. We need to get back to the clear and beautiful source of Christianity that is clearly pictured in the Bible.

Now Paul tells us we should keep our mind in the heavenlies. Does this mean that the wife cannot ask the husband to take out the garbage or do other menial chores? Does it mean the husband can quit work and only study the Bible? Such a thing would be far removed from what Paul is teaching us here. Dr. D. L. Moody used to say that some people were "so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good." God wants us to be faithful in our earthly assignments but still keep our minds in the heavens. Actually, this in the end will make us better workers, better husbands and wives, and better citizens.

"Paul wrote 'for me to live is Christ' (Philippians 1:21)…Sometimes we say, 'Music is his life' or 'Sports are his life' or 'He lives for his work.' Of the Christian it should be said, 'Jesus Christ is his life.'…The Colossians, insignificant ex-pagans from a third-rate country town, will be seen in a glory which, if it were now to appear, one might be tempted to worship." ^(F4)

Verse 5

THE CHRISTIAN WALK

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

The apostle now begins his ethical section of the epistle. Like other epistles, such as Ephesians, Paul gives us his towering theology, but he immediately applies that theology to everyday life. He is saying here that there is no orthodoxy without orthopraxy.

The New Testament was written by Jewish people and the concept of "walking" was a very important concept to them. We see this actual expression used in the corresponding section of Ephesians 4:1ff In the Hebrew language the word for "walk" is "ha-lak." One can almost hear the sandal striking the pavement. Since Hebrew is a very poetic and expressive language, the word for walk has come to symbolize a person's manner of life. It expresses what the person does and how that person lives. In Judaism, the body of commandments and traditions governing the religion has come to be known as the ha-lak-hah. Thus, a person who lives according to halakhah today must be careful to observe all these laws and traditions.

Well, it might surprise us to learn that there is also a Christian halakhah. We see this in 1 John 2:6, where we read, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (NKJ). We also see it here in this verse. The New Testament simply has no patience with teaching that is not directly applied to one's life.

Perhaps we should make plain that Paul is not giving us a new list of commandments – a bunch of do's and dont's. Wall says here, "his point is not to prescribe a code of conduct which must be obeyed if one is to be fully Christian. This would oppose Paul's core ethical conviction: that the Spirit of the Risen Christ has replaced 'written codes' in the new dispensation of God's salvation (Romans chs. 7-8; 2 Corinthians ch. 3)." ^(F5) The essence of the Christian life is not codes but Christ. Because of who he is, and what he has done for us, we should be anxious to honor him in our earthly walk.

Because of Christ we have a command to put to death all these earthly temptations and allurements. This brings up a problem. We know from scripture that our earthly nature was supposedly put to death with the work of Christ on the cross. Paul has just said so in verse 3. So, if we are dead already how can he command us to put ourselves to death? Also, if we are dead why is it that the "old man" in us still seems so much alive?

To understand this, we probably need to see this as a part of the "already" and "not yet" tension we observe so much in the New Testament. Because of what Christ has done we are already dead. We died with Christ on the cross. The crucial battle of the ages was fought and won by Christ. The final outcome regarding our old nature was sealed and guaranteed at that moment. ^(F6)From that time until the present the "old nature" within us remains under the sentence of death. Although we are now new creations in Christ, the condemned old man still tries to hang around. We are "not yet" totally free of him. In another place Paul pictures it as a body of death that is still somehow bound to us and we still carry around the decaying corpse (Romans 7:24).

It is in this sense that we are to finish off the old man and make sure he is buried. Perhaps some of the other translations will make this clearer. The NASB says, "consider the members of your earthly body as dead." The NKJV has it, "put to death your members which are on the earth." The NRSV translates it, "put to death whatever in you is earthly." The Greek here is the Aorist active imperative and it denotes something that is urgent.^(F7) "In the Greek, this phrase literally reads 'the limbs that are upon the earth' (ta mele ta epi tes ges) and probably refers to people's body parts or 'limbs' (compare Romans 6:13,19)." ^(F8) Wall says here that there is no thought of celibacy or actually removing body parts. Obviously, it is rather a spiritual matter and the completion of a spiritual operation.

In this verse Paul begins to give us some things that we need to put to death, things like "sexual immorality, impurity…." Paul is certainly speaking to our age, for sexual immorality is running rampant in our midst. There is a reason why sexual sins seem worse than others. They are worse. They mess with the coming generations. They compromise what might be the most holy and glorious task assigned to us; it is the first commandment of God, to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). It is a task where we can become co-creators with God and bring forth godly marriages and godly children. How tragic when this great task is cheapened and defiled for the sake of momentary and illicit "pleasure." There is a common lie mouthed around in these days that whatever a person does is his or her own business. The truth is that whatever we do in the moral realm is often everybody's business. It affects all those around us, even the generations that are to come. We remember how David's sexual sin directly affected many people and ultimately the whole nation.

Lewis Smedes, a professor at Fuller Seminary, has put it this way: Some rules are absolute. They roll like moral thunder through the ages, down the hills of every civilization and into the valleys of every culture. They hold all peoples everywhere to account, all classes, all creeds, rich or poor, ancient or modern. They come with an imperious claim to respect, everywhere, under all circumstances, in every nook and cranny of every individual's private or public existence… Many people, old and young alike, often say, "What I do in private is nobody else's business." We hear that on many sides today, even in connection with the discipline of the church, "It is not your business what we do." But it is, because when individuals indulge themselves in this way God takes away the restraints upon evil and all of society is widely affected. ^(F9)

Along with sexual immorality Paul mentions impurity and lust. How these things are running wild among the youth and on the college campuses today. It seems that dating has almost become passé in our society. Now young people talk of "hooking up." Wikipedia defines a hookup as "a sexual encounter between friends or acquaintances that might consist of manual stimulation, oral sex, or sexual intercourse. About one-third of hookups involve sexual intercourse." ^(F10) Along with hookups there are also "friends with benefits." In this arrangement some degree of emotional attachment may be displayed but couples still desire essentially to have "no strings attached." ^(F11)

Next Paul mentions "lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Lust is "pathos" in the Greek and is often translated as lustful passion or "vile affections." Lust and evil desires (Gk. epithumia kaken) are closely related. Obviously, we can lust and have evil desires in a sexual sense or that evil desire can be directed toward things. Greed or covetousness (Gk. pleonexia) is called "one of the ugliest sins" and is described as a "desire to have more" ^(F12) Kretzmann says of it, "monsters of covetousness have usually been also monsters of lust." ^(F13)

Verses 6-8

THE COMING WRATH

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Colossians 3:6

In the Book of Romans Paul clearly pictures God's attitude toward people's sin and rebellion. He says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). He states that humanity has had a clear enough revelation of truth in the created order that people are without excuse.

It is a constant theme of the prophets and of the New Testament that God is coming to judge the wickedness of humanity. This great time of judgment is often called the Day of the Lord. We see it in the New Testament as "the Day of the Lord," "the Day of Christ," "the Day," and "that Day. It is a day of disaster and destruction upon the ungodly (Isaiah 13:6). We see this also pictured in Revelation 6:17, "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who withstand it?"

Not only is there a day of judgment coming, but sin brings God's judgment even as we live out our lives in this world. Proverbs 13:15 tells us, "…the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction." Proverbs 22:5 says, "In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls…" In Proverbs 11:31we read, "If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!" So, it seems, while the righteous enjoy the best of heaven and earth the sinner will get the worst of both worlds.

"You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived" (3:7). We remember that the Colossians came fresh out of a totally pagan background. Their "church" was previously a pagan temple where absolutely everything went on in a most degrading manner. It all went on in the name of religion. The pagan temple was a place where "holy" prostitutes and homosexuals hung out. Coffman says, "Frequently an idol's temple was a short-cut to indulgence in all of the things mentioned here." ^(F14)

"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips" (3:8). Vincent, and Barclay as well, see this imperative translated as "put off" ^(F15) Indeed, several other translations have it as "put off," "put away," or "put aside." Bruce translates it, "Put off all those old habits, just as you would discard an outworn suit of clothes which no longer fitted you." ^(F16)

The first things that we should put off are anger and rage. Anger (Gk. orge) is described as a long lasting, slow-burning thing, while rage (Gk. thumos) is more like the blazing up of sudden anger.^(F17) While we are told in scripture that we can be angry and not sin (Ephesians 4:26), this is not usually the case when we get roused up. Anger, and especially rage, are much like fires that can quickly get out of control and cause great damage. We had best play it safe and shun these things "because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:20). Also Proverbs 29:11 tells us that, "Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end."

Paul continues with his list of wrongs, adding "malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips," as old clothes we need to strip off Malice (Gk. kakia) means "vicious thoughts" (cf. Romans 1:29; Ephesians 4:31) and has within it the desire to hurt other people. ^(F18)Slander (Gk. blasphemia) can be used to speak against people or to speak against God. We usually speak against people because our faith is weak or because we have a poor self-image. We think such evil speaking will lift us up in the eyes of other people but unfortunately it has the exact reverse affect. Then we also must put off the dirty clothes of foul talk (Gk. aischrologia). Lucas says of such things, "They are precisely the sins of speech that make harmonious human relationships impossible…" ^(F19)

Verses 9-11

STOP FIBBING!

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10

It is interesting in Ephesians 6:14, that the first item of our spiritual armor that we must put on is the belt of truth. It holds our sword in place. If we do not believe the truth and speak the truth, there is no way we can serve the one who is the Truth (John 14:6). Neither can we properly serve and fit into the church, which is called, "… the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).

But little lies are so commonplace in our truth-denying age, and sometimes they seem so handy and even so necessary. On some occasions we almost have to agree with the little lad who was asked to define a lie. He said, "A lie is an abomination to the Lord, but a very present help in time of trouble!" ^(F20) It is amazing how a little lie can quickly seem to get us off the hook when we are under pressure. A lie seems to be effective and speedy solution in those cases. Mark Twain said, "A lie can go around the world while truth is lacing up her boots." But alas, the lie is like a boomerang that comes right back and smacks us on the head. Also, we are now associated with our Father and with his truth. We cannot continue to be related to Satan who is called the "father of lies" (John 8:44).

Paul tells us that we have taken off the old self and have put on the new self. The Lord has given us Christians a wonderful new wardrobe. We need to strip off the old ragged and dirty clothes and put on the new heavenly clothes. I have heard this compared to taking off the rags and putting on the robes.

The apostle says of the new society, "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all" (3:11). The Christian church did wonders to end the deep divisions and soothe the hatreds of the ancient world. The church immediately bridged the unbridgeable gap between Greek and Jew, uncircumcised and circumcised. It even ended the division between civilized and uncivilized. The Greeks and Greek speakers considered themselves as civilized and the rest of the world as barbarians. The Scythians, nomads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, were the barbarians of all barbarians. ^(F21) Vincent quotes Herodotus who says of them that they lived in wagons, offered human sacrifices, sometimes scalping their enemies and drinking their blood, even using human skulls for drinking cups.^(F22)

It is almost unthinkable that the church bridged the gap between slave and free. Slaves and their masters took the love feast together in the early church. Bruce sadly remarks that "In the arena of Carthage in AD 202 a profound impression was made on the spectators when the Roman matron Perpetua stood hand-in-hand with her slave Felicitas, as both women faced a common death for a common faith." ^(F23) Another deep division that Paul does not mention here was the divide between male and female. Jesus took care of that division as we see in Galatians 3:28 where he says, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Verses 12-14

A LOVING, FORGIVING FELLOWSHIP

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Here Paul brings out some more of the beautiful clothes in the Christian wardrobe. These are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We don't see too many of these Christian clothes worn today in our neo-pagan society. In other scriptures the new apparel of Christians is pictured as mere clothing, as wedding attire (Matthew 22:11) and even as armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). The unmistakable idea is that we are responsible for clothing ourselves. Of course, the new clothing is provided freely by our heavenly Father. The Father, through his Holy Spirit, will even assist us as we put on our new garments.

Let us take a closer look at these heavenly garments. The first item of clothing and likely the most important one is compassion. The Greek would read here "bowels of compassion." In the ancient world it was often thought that compassion was something that was felt deep in the stomach or intestines. It was sort of like our "gut feeling." Stedman tells the story of a little girl who was asked to describe the parts of man. She said, "Man has three parts: the brainium, the chester, and the abominable cavity. The brainium holds the brain, the chester holds the heart, and the abominable cavity holds the bowels, of which there are five: a, e, i, o and u." ^(F24) Hopefully, we are not as confused about our feelings as the little girl.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-4, Paul tells us that in the last days there will be many folks without love, who are even abusive and brutal. We have now witnessed many instances of that, such as Andrea Yates, the former Houston resident, who in 2001 coldly and callously drowned here five small children in the bathtub.

History tells us how a little love can go a long way. The Great church leader, Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) may have had more influence in the early Christian church than any other leader. His influence lasted from the fifth century through the Middle Ages. Augustine tells in his works how he was converted to Christianity by Ambrose of Milan. Augustine says of him, "I began to love him, not at first as a teacher of the truth, which I despaired of finding in the church, but as a fellow creature who was kind to me." ^(F25)

Let us look at some more of our beautiful garments. After compassion and kindness there is humility. We are no longer seeing much of this in our narcissistic, "ME Generation." The Bible says in James 4:10, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." We should quickly place ourselves in the lowest seat and if God desires he will cause us to go up higher (Luke 14:10).

Next we have the beautiful garments of gentleness and patience. Gentleness or meekness (Gk. praotes) describes the person who is God controlled and is therefore self-controlled. This describes one who is angry and the right time and not at the wrong time. Barclay says of it, praotes or praus is the picture of a wild horse that is now broken. He says, "There is gentleness in praus but behind the gentleness there is the strength of steel." ^(F26) Next we have long-suffering (Gk. makrothumia) or patience with people. I like to spell it looooong-suffering. We do not have much of that in this Age of Twitter. Wiersbe says "The school of patience never produces any graduates, and it never grants any honorary degrees." ^(F27) The Bible says, "In your patience ye shall win your souls" (Luke 21:19 ASV).

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (3:13). Here we are reminded of the Lord's own words in Matthew 6:12, where he commands us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." In verse 15, he assures us that if we do not forgive one another our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. Proverbs 19:11 tells us of a righteous man, "…it is one's glory to overlook an offense." In the church we should be especially careful not to irritate or provoke one another. We should be quick to forgive and let troublesome things pass.

"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (3:14). "The Apostle shows that love is the outer garment which holds the others in their places – that which gives a finish to the whole Christian dress. All Christian graces are held together by this golden clasp of charity." ^(F28)We have a beautiful picture of charity or love in 2 Samuel 9:1-7. King David searched for and found Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathan. Although he was a legitimate heir of deceased King Saul, David still placed him under his care and allowed him to eat from then on at his table. Although this was not politically expedient, he did it out of his great love for Jonathan.

The early Christian preacher Chrysostom says of love, "All those things fall apart, unless they are done with love…Whatever good thing it is that you mention, if love be absent, it is nothing, it melts away…Think of a body. Though its bones be large, if it lacks ligaments, the bones cannot support the body." ^(F29)

Verses 15-17

A SNAPSHOT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

The Greek word "rule" (brabeuetō) is the picture of an umpire from the Olympic games, and it has the meaning of being a director or arbiter.^(F30)So, the peace of Christ is our umpire. The Holy Spirit will tell us immediately when we have committed a foul. "When the believer loses his inner peace, he knows that he has in some way disobeyed God." ^(F31)

The peace of God is a wonderful and calming thing. When the eighteenth-century prospective evangelist John Wesley was sailing to the American colonies, he found himself in the midst of a terrible storm and was greatly frightened. However, on board there were 25 Moravian Germans who all remained peaceful and calm during the storm. That inner peace made a great impression on Wesley, and he determined to know more about it. After his unsuccessful mission he returned to England and there found out about the Moravian's secret in his Aldersgate conversion experience.^(F32)

We see here also that thanksgiving was a part of the early church picture. When I try to picture thanksgiving, I remember my father-in-law. When he would offer the prayer before meals in his humble household he would often say, "Lord, we thank you that things are as good as they are." As my wife and I grow older, as I have said, we find ourselves feeling much more thankful. We are constantly thankful for long life, for children and grandchildren, and for the Lord's bountiful provision through life.

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts" (3:16). In our western culture it would be wonderful if we even treated the Bible like we treat our cell phones or iPhones. It is not unusual to see people checking their phones often, even while they are in church. Normally we do not see them checking their Bibles so often. Few seem to even carry their Bibles with them anymore. In previous generations young people spent a lot of time memorizing the Bible. When we were children, it was common to have "sword drills" where we raced each other finding Bible verses.

One Bible fanatic of the past was Smith Wigglesworth. It was his rule to never go more than fifteen minutes without reading from the Word of God. On one occasion he was being driven to a certain location by a Christian brother when he cried out for the vehicle to stop. The driver stopped supposing something was wrong. Instead, Wigglesworth prayed and asked forgiveness of God for talking about other things for ten minutes and not reading the Bible. ^(F33) Wigglesworth, so loved the Word and considered it the most precious thing in all the world. He even made a challenge that he would give a five-pound reward to anyone who could catch him, at any time, without either his Bible or his Testament.

Wigglesworth was not only filled with the word, but he was filled with the power of God to witness, teach, preach and even work mighty miracles. It is most difficult for us to teach and admonish others, or even sing psalms if we are not thoroughly familiar with the Bible.

In this verse we note that the earliest Christians sang Psalms. In former generations it was quite common to sing Psalms. Even back in the 1970s, when our children were growing up, there was a brief period when singing Psalms and scripture was once more popular. Many of the verses our children still know are the ones we sang over and over. It is so much better to sing God's thoughts than our own. His words endure forever and ours quickly pass away. His theology is sound and good but some of our songs often have poor theology.

I think our later call to minister in Israel might have resulted in some way from singing Psalm 48:1-2, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King (KJV). After we had sung that Psalm many times we began to think about Zion and wonder about this beautiful city of God. In time we moved our family there so we could learn more.

Wiersbe laments about both the teaching and the music in our churches today. He says, "There seems to be a lack of simple Bible teaching in Sunday school classes and pulpits. Far more interest is shown in movies, musical performances, and various entertainments than in God's Word…Perhaps this 'poverty of Scripture' in our churches is one cause of the abundance of unbiblical songs that we have today…It is a dangerous thing to separate the praise of God from the Word of God." ^(F34) Some Christian music today is known as the "God and Girlfriend" genre. These songs are worded in such a way that they can either be sung to God or to your girlfriend.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" ( 3:17). We might add that if we cannot do something in the name of the Lord, we might be better off not doing it at all. This scripture admonishes us to put Christ first in everything. Everything we do should be seen as a ministry to the Lord. Ruth Graham seemed to have grasped this truth well. For years she had a sign over her kitchen that said, "Divine services held here three times a day." ^(F35)

Verses 18-21

RULES FOR CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLDS

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18

Unfortunately, we live in a time when many women no longer feel they should submit to their husbands. Submission is almost a despised word. We live in a time when God's ideal of marriage between man and woman, and sexual relationship within the sacred bonds of marriage have been ridiculed and cast aside. Several radicals from the women's liberation movements took it upon themselves to abolish marriage. Gloria Steinem said plainly, "We have to abolish and reform the institution of marriage…" Feminist author, Vivian Gornick, tenured professor at the University of Arizona, said, "Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession…" Author, scholar, and university lecturer Germaine Greer said, "If women are to effect a significant amelioration in their condition it seems obvious that they must refuse to marry." Radical feminist and author Andrea Dworkin even said, "Like prostitution, marriage is an institution that is extremely oppressive and dangerous for women." ^(F36)

One very influential voice in the feminist camp was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, and political activist. Her 1949 book The Second Sex has become a foundational treatise of the feminist movement. Most people probably have never looked into her background and way of life. She carried on a long-term relationship with the existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. They were never married since both felt that was much too bourgeois. Both agreed that they would have other lovers. Actually, Sartre carried on a deplorable lifestyle, and once managed a number of lovers simultaneously. He looked upon sex in a casual and even brutal manner.^(F37)

De Beauvoir who was bisexual seemed to work together with Sartre in sharing her lovers with him. Many of these were students and they quickly came under his spell.^(F38) It was unfortunate that during the rebellious 1960s, Sartre became almost the high priest for many young people and De Beauvoir with her book The Second Sex had a massive effect on the thinking of young women everywhere. How tragic that a whole generation took its moral and sexual guidance from depraved people like Sartre and De Beauvoir!

No doubt, primarily because of such ideas there is now a family meltdown in the US. Fatherhood is rapidly disappearing on the American scene. This is not only due to young people refusing to marry, or living together unwed, but to an extremely high rate of divorce for those who do marry. In American courts today divorce and custody battles make up over half of the civil litigation.^(F39)David Kupelian says, "Numerous studies show that adult children of divorce have more psychological problems than those raised in intact marriages." He makes plain that "fatherlessness far surpasses both poverty and race as a predictor of social deviance." ^(F40)

In some non-white populations the breakdown of the family has reached tragic proportions. The syndicated columnist and author Star Parker shares some troubling and even astounding information about black populations in the US. She says:

Up until 1965, Census Bureau statistics show that 78 percent of black household were comprised of intact families with a husband, wife, and children. But by 1995, after the political manipulations of the welfare state, black marriage rates had dramatically declined, and 69 percent of its children were being birthed outside of wedlock. (p. 66)…The African-American out-of-wedlock birth rate is consistently around 70 percent, according to figures from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Census Bureau. (p. 113)…Children born in single-parent households are seven times more likely to be poor than those born to couples who stay married. Girls raised in welfare homes are five times more likely to give birth before marriage…With the help of feminism, marriage in secular America is dying. In 1965, about 11 percent of all families with children were single-parent households. In 1995, that number was dangerously close to one in three American families. (p.115)…The death rate by homicide in the 1980s of youth between the ages of 15 and 19 increased by 60 percent. For African American males the homicide rate is almost eight times that of the rate of whites (p. 134). ^(F41)

Let us get back to the subject of submission in marriage. We need to make plain here that submission is not something to be hated but something that is actually good. It is ironic that women should despise the Christian concept of submission, when it was in fact the teachings of Christ and Christianity that lifted women, as well as children and slaves, from their abysmal standing in ancient societies. Even in the enlightened Greek culture the woman lived her life in seclusion. She did not dare to appear in public alone, not even to buy food in the market. She was not allowed to join the men in her family even for meals, but rather she lived in her own apartment. The husband, on the other hand, was free to carry on as many relationships as he chose outside of marriage. Even in the Jewish home the woman had no legal rights. She could be divorced with a word from her husband and for almost any reason.^(F42)

The words "as is fitting in the Lord" qualify biblical submission to a great degree. Lucas says here, "The significant truth about a Christian woman's relation to her husband is that it mirrors her commitment to her Lord…In his concept there is no possibility of a married woman's surrender to a heavenly Christ which is not made visible and actual by some submission to an earthly husband." ^(F43) Lucas goes on saying that this "…is part of the divine order within the Blessed Trinity, where Christ who is equal with the Father is forever subject to him…This, according to the biblical testimony, is the only way in which human society can work without disintegration…The Christian wife has been set free from the age-old downgrading of her kind in pagan societies, now to enjoy equality with her husband as 'joint heirs of the grace of life.'" ^(F44)

Paul makes it clear that the wife is to submit to the husband and his spiritual headship (cf. Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1). This submission has nothing to do with inferiority, lack of talent or intelligence on the part of the wife. But rather it has to do with mission. There is a spiritual mission to marriage and this mission is involved with bringing glory to God. For this mission to succeed there must be "submission." ^(F45)

"Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them" (3:19). This verse balances out that which has gone before concerning the wife and her submission. The husband is to love and adore the wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). When a husband loves his wife this way it should make submission to him very easy. Barclay says here, "The fundamental effect of this Christian teaching is that marriage becomes a partnership." ^(F46) It is a joint venture in the grace of life that husband and wife should fulfill the divine plan for love and stability in the home and for the bringing forth of godly children (Malachi 2:15).

"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged" (3:20-21). We can see that the biblical principles here apply also to children. Their job is to obey their parents since parents are totally in charge of the divine mission of the family. Obedience is an old, old principle that has been necessary in every civilization. In the Roman world the law of Patria Protestas was a very severe one. Under this law the father had total control over his children. He had the right to condemn a disobedient child to death and even carry out the execution himself. ^(F47)

Christian teaching was not nearly as severe but it at once gave status to the child and required the child's obedience to parents. They were meant to form a holy unity. Chrysostom describes it, "At the beginning God's wise counsel divided the one into two; and yet even after this division God desired to show that humanity was still one…Moreover, from the very fashioning of her body, one may see that they are one, for she was made from his side, and they are, as it were, two halves…The child is a sort of bridge, so that the three become one flesh, the child connecting on either side." ^(F48)By constant love and earnest prayer the family is not only held together but it grows and matures in the Lord.

John H. Starkey was a violent British criminal. He murdered his own wife, then was convicted for the crime and executed. The officials asked General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, to conduct Starkey's funeral. Booth faced as ugly and mean a crowd as he had ever seen in his life, but his first words stopped them and held them, "John H. Starkey never had a praying mother!" ^(F49)

Verses 22-25

CHRISTIANITY WILL EVEN CHANGE SLAVES

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Colossians 3:22

Paul continues on with the same principle of loving submission in regard to slaves. In the first century slaves and freed slaves made up a very large part of the Roman Empire. The scholar C. S. Keener estimates that as much as 80 percent of Rome's inhabitants were descendants of freed slaves from the East.^(F50)There were many slaves and freed slaves in the early church. In the 16th chapter of Romans, Paul lists many saints who had common slave names. It is possible that almost half of the Roman empire was made up of slaves.^(F51)

Like women and children, slaves had no rights. The owner could severely punish or even kill a slave and no questions would be asked. When the slave got old and was unable to work the owner could just cast that one out of the house to die.^(F52)Someone will surely ask why the Christian church did not immediately appeal to the empire for an end to slavery. Clearly such an act would have turned the Roman world upside down and brought about a great hatred and resentment toward Christianity. It was not really possible at this early time for Christianity to have done such a thing. The church was the "new kid on the block" so to speak and all eyes were upon the church to see if it was teaching rebellion against authority.

Many centuries would have to pass before Christianity would be in a position to end slavery and the slave trade. In time, names like William Wilberforce and Abraham Lincoln would come into prominence. Such people, many with strong Christian convictions, would put an end to the evil practice.

To explain this further we might say that there are two ways to take down a great tree. We can just cut it down with a chain saw and watch it fall, smashing all the smaller trees. Or, we can cut a small ring around it. Either way, it is just as dead. In the latter method it takes much longer for its death to be noticed. The teachings of Christianity cut the ring around the tree of slavery. The institution was doomed. Under Christian teaching slaves like Onesimus, and many others, were suddenly looked upon not only as fellow humans but as dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (3:23-24). This is a verse that applies equally to the free person and to the slave. It even applies to husbands, wives and children. It is a rule for every Christian. Nisbet sums it up in this little poem:

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.
'A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine:
Who sweeps a room as for Thy laws
Makes that and the action fine. ^(F53)

The Greek word in verse 22, aploteti, seems to apply to these verses as well. We should do all our work with singleness of heart, with sincerity and without duplicity.^(F54) All work should be done with all our hearts, seeing all our work is being done for the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:22-23).

In the 21st century such an attitude would certainly change our outlook toward our "boring" or "distasteful" jobs. The radio preacher Dr. J. Vernon McGhee, of former days, says that if we are lazy on our jobs we are not serving the Lord. He says we should keep our eye on Christ and not on the clock when we are working. McGhee even says that one of the curses of the Christian ministry itself is preachers loafing on the job.^(F55)

We remember how Joseph always did his job well, even when he was thrown into prison. He was always noticed by those in charge and was quickly promoted by them, even when he was in jail. He served God, not humans.

"Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism" (3:25). In Acts 10:34-35, Peter says, "…I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." God does not show favoritism in his blessings and in a very similar sense he does not show favoritism in his punishment.