Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
COLOSSIANS 3
Living as Those Made Alive in Christ
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 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. 17 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.
Instructions for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 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. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Application Notes
3:1-4:1 In Colossians 2, Paul exposed the wrong reasons for selfdenial. In Colossians 3, he explains true Christian behaviour-putting on the new self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead. We change our moral and ethical behaviour by letting Christ live within us so that he can shape us into what he wants us to be.
3:1-2 Paul shifts from the negative (what teachings to avoid) to the positive (what we should seek). Setting our hearts on things above means striving to put heaven's priorities into daily practice. We are to get our directions from Christ, not the culture around us. Setting our minds on things above means concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal. (For more on Christ's rule in our hearts and minds. see Philippians 4:7-8 and Colossians 3:15.)
3:2-3 "For you died" means that we should have as little desire for improper worldly pleasures as a dead person would have. The Christian's real home is where Christ lives (John 14:2-3). Knowing our final destiny provides a different perspective on our earthly lives. To "set your minds on things above" means to look at life from God's perspective and to seek what he desires. This provides the antidote to materialism; we gain the proper perspective on material goods when we take God's view of them. It also provides the antidote to sensuality. By seeking what Christ desires, we have the power to break our obsession with pleasure and sensual experiences. But it also provides the antidote to empty religiosity because following Christ means loving and serving in this world. Regard the world around you as God does; then you will live in harmony with him and see others as he does.
3:3 What does it mean that a believer's life is "hidden with Christ"? Hidden means "concealed and safe." This not only ensures our future hope but also gives us security right now. Our service and good works do not earn our salvation, but they flow out because of our salvation. This confidence helps us to not worry about ourselves and to be free to help others.
3:4 In the rest of this chapter, Paul explains how Christians should act now in order to be prepared for Christ's return. Christ gives us power to live for him today, and he gives us hope for the future, when we will all see him.
3:5 We should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. The Bible does not condemn sex, but it forbids improper expressions of sexual desire. Where is the line between the two?
The Bible everywhere celebrates heterosexual, monogamous marriage as the proper context for sexual fulfilment. Christian men and women should be open to true love--and to sexual intimacy--within the commitment to a lifelong exclusive relationship. This was God's plan from Creation (Genesis 2:21-241, and Jesus emphasised this plan in his teachings (Matthew 19:4-6). God has given us these instructions to enhance and protect family bonds and to ensure lifelong respect and integrity for spouses. Sexual involvement outside of marriage destroys people and families and turns their hearts away from God.
3:6 "The wrath of God" refers to God's final judgment on these kinds of ruinous behaviours. When you are tempted to do these things, remember that you must one day answer to God for your actions.
3:8-10 When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and put on our new nature, we begin the process of being renewed. We desire to follow the example of Jesus, growing to love him and others more and more. But this doesn't happen immediately. At first, it is especially hard to resist the temptation to fall back into the sinful habits we had adopted before conversion. Therefore, we must be very intentional about ridding ourselves of all evil practices and immorality. We cannot be fully committed to what Christ teaches when we are regularly falling back into our sinful ways. Here, Paul is appealing to the commitment the believers had made to live for Christ and is urging them to remain true to their confession of faith. They were to rid themselves of the old life and "put on" the new way of living given by Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. If you have made such a commitment to Christ, are you remaining true to it?
3:9 Lying to each other disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict in a church. So don't exaggerate statistics. pass on rumours and gossip, or say things to build up your own image. Be committed to telling the truth.
3:10 What does it mean to "put on the new self"? It means that our conduct should match our faith. If you are a Christian, you should act like it. Being a Christian means more than just making good resolutions and having good intentions; it means being filled with godly love. which produces godly actions. This straightforward step is like putting on new clothes that demonstrate the new kind of person you have become. You must take off the old clothes of sinful habits and choices and throw them away. Then you will wear only your clothes of righteousness and love for others that Christ has given to you. Have you rid your life of the "old clothes" of your past?
3:10 In our lifelong growing process, Christians have a continuing education program. The more we know of Christ and his work, the more he changes us to be like him. We cannot just drift along; instead, we must seek the rich treasures of growing in him. We need patience, practice, concentration, and an ongoing review to keep in line with his will
3:11 The Christian church should have no barriers of nationality, race, educational level, social standing, wealth, or power. Christ lives in each of us. He breaks down all barriers and accepts all people who come to him. Nothing should keep us from telling anyone about Christ. welcoming others from different backgrounds, or accepting into our fellowship any and all who are interested in knowing about Jesus (Ephesians 2:14-15). Christians should be building bridges, not walls.
3:12-17 Paul offers a strategy to help us live for God day by day: (1) Imitate Christ's compassionate, forgiving attitude (3:12-13); (2) let love guide your me (3:14); (3) let the peace of Christ rule in your heart (3:15); (4) always be thankful (3:15); (5) keep God's Word in you at au times (3:16); and (6) live as Jesus Christ's representative (3:17).
3:13 Forgiving others starts by remembering how much God has forgiven us. Is it difficult for you to forgive someone who has wronged you a little when God has forgiven you so much? Realising God's infinite love and forgiveness for you can help you love and forgive others. Let God worry about the wrongs you've suffered. Don't squander your life in bitter feuding; be renewed in love and joy.
3:14-15 Christians should live in peace. This does not mean that suddenly all differences of opinion are eliminated, but it does require that loving Christians work together despite their differences. Such love is not a feeling but a decision to meet the needs of others (see 1 Corinthians 13). To "put on" (live in) love leads to peace between individuals and among the members of the body of believers. Do problems in your relationships with other Christians cause open conflicts or uncomfortable silence? Consider what you can do to heal those relationships with love.
3:14 All the virtues that Paul encourages us to develop are perfectly woven together by love. As we clothe ourselves with these virtues, the ultimate garment we are to put on is love. which holds all the others in place. To practice any list of virtues without practising love will lead to pride, false piety, and stagnation (1 Corinthians 13:3).
3:15 The word translated "rule" comes from the language of athletics: Paul tells us to let Christ's peace be an umpire or referee in our hearts. Our hearts are the centre of conflict because there our feelings and desires clash--our tears and hopes, distrust and trust, jealousy and love. How can we deal with these types of conflicts and live as God wants? Paul explains that we must resolve conflicting issues by using the rule of peace. Which choice will promote peace in our souls and in our churches? (for more on the peace of Christ. see Philippians 4:7.)
3:16 Although the early Christians had access to the Old Testament and freely used it, they did not yet have the New Testament in its present form or other Christian books to study. Their stories and teachings about Christ were memorised and passed on from person to person. Sometimes the teachings were set to music, and so music became an important part of Christian worship and education.
3:16 Thankful people can worship wholeheartedly. Gratitude opens our hearts to God's peace and enables us to put on love. Discontent people constantly evaluate what's wrong with their lot in life and compare themselves negatively with others.
To increase your thankfulness, take an inventory of all you have (including your relationships, memories, abilities, and family, as well as material possessions). Use this inventory to pray with gratitude. Try declaring Sunday as your day of gratitude. Before worship, quit rushing around; instead, find time to reflect on reasons to be thankful. Celebrate God's goodness to you, and pray for guidance and peace for all your needs in the week ahead.
3:17 Doing "all in the name of the lord Jesus" means bringing honour to Christ in every aspect and activity of daily living. As a Christian, you represent Christ at all times-wherever you go and whatever you say. What impression do people have of Christ when they see or talk with you? What changes could you make in your life in order to honour Christ?
3:18-4:1 Paul showed how the Colossians could represent the lord Jesus in their homes in contrast with the prevailing Greco-Roman culture. He gave rules for three sets of household relationships: (1) husbands and wives. (2) parents and children. and (3) masters and slaves. In each case, he stressed mutual responsibility to submit and love, to obey and encourage, to work hard and be fair. Examine your family and work relationships. Do you relate to others as God intends? (For additional similar instructions, see Ephesians 5:21-6:9.)
3:18-19 Why does Paul talk about submission of wives to husbands as "fitting in the Lord"? This advice would have been helpful for Christian women who were working through many aspects of their new faith, especially what it meant to have freedom in Christ. Paul told them that they should honour their husbands' leadership in Christ. But Paul had words for husbands as well: "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." It may also have been true that Christian men, used to the Roman custom of the head of the family having unlimited power, were not used to treating their wives with respect and love. Real spiritual leadership involves service. Just as Christ served the disciples, even to the point of washing their feet, a husband should serve his wife. This means putting aside his own interests in order to care for her. A wise and Christ-honouring husband will not abuse his leadership role. At the same time, a wise and Christ-honouring wife will not try to undermine her husband's leadership. If either spouse neglects this teaching, disunity and friction will occur in their relationship. In Christian homes today, these same principles apply. (For more on submission, see the notes on Ephesians 5:21-33.)
3:20-21 Children need to be handled with care. This includes administering discipline with love. Parents should not aggravate (embitter) them by nagging, deriding, or destroying their self-respect so that they quit trying.
The opposite problem occurs, however, when parents are afraid to correct a child for fear of stifling some aspect of the child's personality or losing his or her love. Single parents or parents who cannot spend much time with a child may be prone to indulgence. But such children need the security of guidance and structure. Boundaries and guidelines will not embitter a child. Instead, they will set the child free to live securely within them.
3:22-4:1 Paul neither condemns nor condones slavery but explains that Christ transcends all divisions between people. Slaves are told to work hard as though their master were Christ himself (3:23), and masters are responsible for always being just and fair (4:1). Perhaps Paul was thinking specifically of Onesimus and Philemon, the slave and master whose conflict lay behind his letter to Philemon. Philemon was a slave owner in the Colossian church, and Onesimus had been his slave (see the book of Philemon; Colossians 4:9).
3:23 Since Creation, God has given people work to do. If we could regard our work as an act of worship or service to God, such an attitude would take some of the drudgery and boredom out of it. We could work without complaining or resentment if we would treat the challenges related to our jobs as part of the cost and privilege of being Jesus' disciples.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)