Colossians 3: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

25 verses · 5 video commentaries from 5 courses · Berean Standard Bible

¹Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

⁷When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways.

⁸But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

¹²Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

¹³Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.

²³Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

²⁴because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

²⁵Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

Colossians 3 Section and Chapter Commentary

Col 3:18-25

Colossians' view of salvation and household relations vs. Paul

Colossians presents salvation as already achieved and cosmic powers disarmed, contrasting with Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 15, where the final defeat of powers is yet to come. Additionally, Colossians advocates for conventional Greco-Roman household management, advising wives to obey husbands and children their parents, which differs from Paul's counsel for sexual asceticism in 1 Corinthians 7 due to apocalyptic urgency.

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Colossians 3 Verse Notes

Col 3:11

Paul's view on circumcision for Christians

The Apostle Paul distinguished between the covenant of circumcision for Jewish men and the requirements for Christians. He argued that circumcision, while part of the covenant with Abraham and the Jewish people, was not a prerequisite for Christians, who instead practiced baptism.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Could You Tell a Pagan from a Jew or Christian in Antiquity? · watch the clip

Col 3:18-19

Household Codes in Deutero-Pauline Epistles

The household codes in Ephesians and Colossians provide guidelines for behavior within Greco-Roman households, addressing husbands, wives, children, and enslaved people. While emphasizing wives' submission to husbands, these letters also instruct husbands to love and treat their wives well, which could align with Paul's emphasis on mutual responsibilities in 1 Corinthians, though some scholars see a more rigid hierarchy here.

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Ephesians shows literary dependence on Colossians

Ephesians, also attributed to Paul, exhibits strong literary links and dependence on Colossians, with many parallel passages appearing as elaborations or conflations of ideas found in Colossians. This dependence, along with the fact that both letters claim to be delivered by Tychicus, suggests that Ephesians was written by someone who knew and built upon Colossians, a text whose Pauline authorship is already questioned.

Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 22: In Paul’s Name | The Disputed Letters · watch the clip

Col 3:18

Violence against women justified by biblical passages

Violence against women, often private, has been justified by biblical interpretations that emphasize women's obedience and submission to their husbands. This has led to cases where women are advised against leaving abusive relationships, reinforcing a cycle of violence under religious pretense.

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