Passage Explorer

Colossians 3

Setting the scene
Who wrote it
Paul (debated)
Who it was for
The believers in Colossae
What was happening
Raised with Christ: put off the old self, put on the new, and live it out at home and at work
Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

"If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory." So put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience, in which you also once walked when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speech out of your mouth. Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his creator, "where there can't be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all." So, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. "Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Then follows household teaching: wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and don't be bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, don't provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; you serve the Lord Christ." For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

Why the setting matters

With chapter 3 the letter turns from what Christ has done to how to live in light of it, and the turning point is the repeated pattern of "died and raised with Christ" (2:12, 3:1) leading to "put off" and "put on." The "things above" do not mean escaping the world, since the commands that follow are very practical: speech, forgiveness, work. The list in 3:5-9 names two kinds of sin, those of the body and those of speech and anger, and "covetousness, which is idolatry" ties greed to worship. The line about no Greek and Jew, barbarian, Scythian reflects the real mix of the Roman world: "barbarian" meant a non-Greek speaker, and "Scythian" was the stereotype of the lowest, wildest outsider, so Paul is naming extremes. The household code (3:18-4:1) has parallels in Ephesians 5:22-6:9 and in Greek writing on household management. It speaks to wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, and masters directly, and it says slaves and masters answer to the same Lord; Paul does not here call for ending slavery, and this is an issue in later discussion. The letter to Philemon, sent with Onesimus at the same time, deals with this very situation.

Read Colossians 3 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Calls the Colossians to live what they received.

The believers in Colossae

Raised with Christ, called to put off the old and put on the new.

Jesus

Seated at God's right hand; "Christ is all, and in all."

Wives

Addressed in the household teaching.

Husbands

Called to love their wives and not be bitter.

Children

Told to obey their parents.

Fathers

Told not to provoke their children.

Slaves

Told to work heartily as for the Lord.

Talk it through

  1. Paul says, "you died, and your life is hidden with Christ." How does that change the way you see everyday struggles?
  2. The list of what to put off and put on is paired with a picture of clothing. What is gained by describing character as something to put on?
  3. "Christ is all, and in all." What kinds of divisions does that say are not the last word?
  4. "Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus." What would that mean for ordinary work?

Read Colossians 3

World English Bible

1If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.

5Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7You also once walked in those, when you lived in them; 8but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. 9Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 10and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, 11where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.

12Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

14Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.

20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.

21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

22Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources