Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Colossians
Chapter 3: Risen with Christ
Colossians 3 turns the great doctrine of chapter 2 into daily life. Because believers are 'risen with Christ,' they are to 'seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God,' for 'your life is hid with Christ in God.' Paul calls them to 'mortify' the sins of the earthly nature, 'fornication, uncleanness... and covetousness, which is idolatry,' and to 'put off the old man with his deeds' and 'put on the new man, which is renewed... after the image of him that created him,' where 'Christ is all, and in all.' They are to clothe themselves in mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and 'above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness,' letting 'the peace of God rule' and 'the word of Christ dwell in you richly,' so that 'whatsoever ye do in word or deed,' they 'do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.' The chapter closes by ordering the Christian home, wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, all serving 'the Lord Christ.' This chapter shows us the risen life lived out.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Colossians chapter 3. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul calls those risen with Christ to seek things above, to put off the old man and put on the new, to be clothed in love and ruled by peace, and to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Seek Things Above
Risen with Christ, set your mind on things above.
Put Off, Put On
Mortify the old man; put on the new.
Put On Charity
Clothed in mercy and love, ruled by peace.
In the Name of the Lord
Do all in Jesus' name; serve the Lord Christ.
Seek Those Things Which Are Above (Colossians 3:1-11)
Those risen with Christ set their minds on things above, put to death the earthly nature, and put on the new man where Christ is all.
Christ Is All, and in All
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."
Word Study
"mortify," Greek nekroo (νεκρόω). The word means to put to death, to make dead, to deaden; it is built on nekros, a corpse. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." Paul does not tell believers merely to restrain or manage the sins of the flesh, but to put them to death, to treat them as an executioner treats a condemned man. The tense points to decisive action: deal a death-blow to fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, and covetousness. And notice the ground on which this command rests: he has just said "ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Because we have already died with Christ, we are now to put to death whatever of the old life still stirs in us. This is not earning life by killing sin; it is living out the death we already died. The Christian is not passive toward sin, waiting for it to fade, nor does he negotiate with it; he takes it to the cross and executes it. And he can, because the power is not his own striving but the risen life of Christ within. So nekroo your earthly members: put sin to death, daily and decisively, because you are alive in Christ.
Explanation
New position demands new direction: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Because "your life is hid with Christ in God," the mind is to be set upward. Then the practical outworking: "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth" — put sin to death — "put off the old man" with his deeds and "put on the new man," renewed in knowledge. In this new humanity every worldly division dissolves — "there is neither Greek nor Jew... but Christ is all, and in all." Heavenly-mindedness is intensely practical: it kills sin and clothes the new self.
Gospel Focus
Paul builds directly on chapter 2. There he said believers are "risen with him"; now he draws the conclusion: "if ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." The risen life reorders our desires: "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Why? "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Our true life is now bound up with Christ, safe and unseen, and "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Our destiny is tied to His appearing. From this heavenly-mindedness flows holiness. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth", put to death the sins of the old life: "fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Paul names greed as idolatry, for it sets the heart's worship on things instead of God. These are the very sins that bring "the wrath of God" and that once marked their old walk. But "now" everything is different: "put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication," and "lie not one to another." The reason is the great change already accomplished: "seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." The picture is of changing clothes: the filthy garment of the old self is stripped off, and the clean garment of the new self is put on, a self being remade into the image of its Creator, into the likeness of Christ. And in this new humanity the old divisions collapse: "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Race, rank, and religious background no longer define God's people; Christ Himself fills and unites them all. "Christ is all, and in all", He is everything, and He is in every believer. So we live from above, put sin to death, and let the risen Christ, who is our life and our all, be seen in us.
Do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:12-25)
Clothed in love and ruled by the peace of Christ, believers do everything in Jesus' name and order the whole household to serve the Lord Christ.
Whatsoever Ye Do, Do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."
Word Study
"rule," Greek brabeuo (βραβεύω). The word means to act as umpire or referee, to decide and award the prize; a brabeus was the judge at the games who settled disputes and declared the winner. "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." The picture is vivid: the peace of God is to be the umpire in the heart, the deciding voice when conflicting desires and anxieties contend within us, and the arbiter of our relationships in the body of Christ. When a decision presses, when tempers rise, when the way forward is unclear, the peace of Christ is to make the call, to settle the matter and keep the soul in order. And Paul adds the setting: this peace is one "to the which also ye are called in one body", it is not merely private calm but the umpire of unity among believers, ruling out strife and ruling in harmony. So the Christian does not let anxiety, anger, or rivalry preside in the heart; he lets the peace of God take the umpire's place and govern all, and he does so "thankful," for a grateful heart is a peaceful one. Let Christ's peace referee your inner life and your fellowship, and follow its calls.
Explanation
Paul describes the believer's new wardrobe: "put on... bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another... even as Christ forgave you." Over all these is thrown "charity, which is the bond of perfectness," and the "peace of God" is to rule as umpire in the heart, while "the word of Christ" dwells "richly." Then a sweeping rule for all of life: "whatsoever ye do... do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." From that flows the household order — wives, husbands, children, servants — all conducted "as to the Lord," for "ye serve the Lord Christ."
Gospel Focus
Having stripped off the old, Paul now clothes the believer in the new. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." These are the garments of the new man, the very character of Christ: tenderhearted compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. To these he adds "forbearing one another, and forgiving one another," and gives the measure: "even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Our forgiveness of others is to match the forgiveness we received. "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Love is the outer garment that holds all the others together, binding the whole into completeness. Then three things are to govern the believing community. First, "let the peace of God rule in your hearts", let Christ's peace umpire the heart and the fellowship, "in one body," with thankfulness. Second, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly", let Scripture live abundantly among them, overflowing in "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Peace rules, the word dwells, and worship rises. Third, and gathering it all up: "whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Every word and every deed is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, under His authority, as His representative, for His glory. This is the Apostolic pattern of life, all in that saving name. Then Paul brings this down into the home. Wives are to "submit... as it is fit in the Lord"; husbands to "love your wives, and be not bitter against them"; children to "obey your parents in all things"; fathers not to "provoke your children to anger"; servants to "obey... in singleness of heart, fearing God," working "heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." And over the whole household stands one Master and one motive: "ye serve the Lord Christ," who rewards the faithful and judges the wrongdoer, "and there is no respect of persons." So the risen life fills every relationship: clothed in love, ruled by peace, saturated with the word, and lived from first to last in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Chapter 3 in Review
Colossians 3 turns doctrine into daily life. Because believers are "risen with Christ," they "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God," for "your life is hid with Christ in God." They "mortify" the earthly sins, "put off the old man" and "put on the new man... after the image of him that created him," where "Christ is all, and in all." They clothe themselves in "bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering," and "above all... charity, which is the bond of perfectness," letting "the peace of God rule" and "the word of Christ dwell in you richly," so that "whatsoever ye do in word or deed," they "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." The chapter then orders the Christian home, wives, husbands, children, fathers, and servants, all serving "the Lord Christ."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter shows how the fullness of Christ, declared in chapter 2, reshapes a whole life. The risen life is not passive: we put sin to death and put on the character of Christ, deliberately, daily, as one changes clothes. Its center is the name of the Lord Jesus, "whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus", the Apostolic mark of a life lived under His lordship and in His authority. And its scope is total: peace ruling the heart, the word dwelling richly, worship rising in song, and every relationship in the home reordered before the one Master, "the Lord Christ." So we set our minds above, put off the old and put on the new, wear love over all, let Christ's peace umpire our hearts, fill ourselves with His word, and do everything, at home and abroad, in word and deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Risen with Christ, "seek those things which are above" (3:1-2).
- "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth" (3:5).
- Put off the old man and put on the new; "Christ is all, and in all" (3:9-11).
- "Above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness" (3:14).
- "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts" and "the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (3:15-16).
- "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (3:17).
Questions for Reflection
- Where are your affections set, on things above, or on things on the earth?
- What sin of the "old man" do you need to put to death today?
- Is "charity" the garment worn over all your other virtues?
- Can you truly say you do all, in word and deed, "in the name of the Lord Jesus"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Risen with Christ, seeking things above: Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 6:4-11; Ephesians 2:6. Mortifying sin; putting off the old and on the new: Colossians 3:5-11; Romans 8:13; Ephesians 4:22-24; Galatians 3:28. Clothed in love; peace ruling; the word dwelling: Colossians 3:12-16; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Philippians 4:7. Doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus; the household: Colossians 3:17-25; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 5:22-6:9; Acts 4:12. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Risen with Christ; seek things above: Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 6:4-11.
- Mortify sin; put off the old man, put on the new: Colossians 3:5-11; Ephesians 4:22-24.
- Clothed in charity; peace ruling; the word dwelling: Colossians 3:12-16; Philippians 4:7.
- Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus; the household: Colossians 3:17-25; 1 Corinthians 10:31.