Colossians 3
Christian Standard Bible
The Life of the New Man
3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.(B) 3 For you died,(C) and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears,(D) then you also will appear with him in glory.(E)
5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity,(F) lust,(G) evil desire, and greed,(H) which is idolatry.(I) 6 Because of these, God’s wrath(J) is coming upon the disobedient,[b] 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living(K) in them. 8 But now, put away(L) all the following: anger,(M) wrath,(N) malice,(O) slander,(P) and filthy language from your mouth.(Q) 9 Do not lie(R) to one another, since you have put off(S) the old self(T) with its practices 10 and have put on(U) the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your[c] Creator.(V) 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.(W)
The Christian Life
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved,(X) put on compassion, kindness,(Y) humility,(Z) gentleness,(AA) and patience,(AB) 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.(AC) 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called(AD) in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,[d] singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name(AE) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Christ in Your Home
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.(AF) 19 Husbands,(AG) love your wives(AH) and don’t be bitter(AI) toward them. 20 Children,(AJ) obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers,(AK) do not exasperate(AL) your children, so that they won’t become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your human(AM) masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.(AN) 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,(AO) 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer(AP) will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.
Colossians 3
New American Standard Bible 1995
Put On the New Self
3 Therefore if you have been (A)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, (B)seated at the right hand of God. 2 [a](C)Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have (D)died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, (E)who is our life, is revealed, (F)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 (G)Therefore [b]consider (H)the members of your earthly body as dead to [c](I)immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [d]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that (J)the wrath of God will come [e]upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and (K)in them you also once walked, when you were living [f]in them. 8 But now you also, (L)put them all aside: (M)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and (N)abusive speech from your mouth. 9 [g](O)Do not lie to one another, since you (P)laid aside the old [h]self with its evil practices, 10 and have (Q)put on the new self who is being [i](R)renewed to a true knowledge (S)according to the image of the One who (T)created him— 11 a renewal in which (U)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, (V)circumcised and uncircumcised, [j](W)barbarian, Scythian, (X)slave and freeman, but (Y)Christ is all, and in all.
12 So, as those who have been (Z)chosen of God, holy and beloved, (AA)put on a (AB)heart of compassion, kindness, (AC)humility, gentleness and [k](AD)patience; 13 (AE)bearing with one another, and (AF)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; (AG)just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is [l](AH)the perfect bond of (AI)unity. 15 Let (AJ)the peace of Christ [m]rule in your hearts, to which [n]indeed you were called in (AK)one body; and [o]be thankful. 16 Let (AL)the word of [p]Christ richly dwell within you, [q]with all wisdom (AM)teaching and admonishing [r]one another (AN)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (AO)singing [s]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 (AP)Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, (AQ)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Family Relations
18 (AR)Wives, (AS)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 (AT)Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 (AU)Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing [t]to the Lord. 21 (AV)Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
22 (AW)Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters [u]on earth, (AX)not with [v]external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [w]heartily, (AY)as for the Lord [x]rather than for men, 24 (AZ)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [y]of (BA)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you (BB)serve. 25 For (BC)he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and [z](BD)that without partiality.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:2 Or Be intent on
- Colossians 3:5 Lit put to death the members which are upon the earth
- Colossians 3:5 Lit fornication
- Colossians 3:5 Lit is
- Colossians 3:6 Two early mss do not contain upon the sons of disobedience
- Colossians 3:7 Or among these
- Colossians 3:9 Or Stop lying
- Colossians 3:9 Gr anthropos
- Colossians 3:10 Lit renovated
- Colossians 3:11 I.e. those who were not Greeks, either by birth or by culture
- Colossians 3:12 I.e. forbearance toward others
- Colossians 3:14 Lit the uniting bond of perfection
- Colossians 3:15 Or act as arbiter
- Colossians 3:15 Lit also
- Colossians 3:15 Or show yourselves thankful
- Colossians 3:16 One early ms reads the Lord
- Colossians 3:16 Or in
- Colossians 3:16 Or one another, singing with psalms...
- Colossians 3:16 Or by; lit in His grace
- Colossians 3:20 Lit in
- Colossians 3:22 Lit according to the flesh
- Colossians 3:22 Lit eyeservice
- Colossians 3:23 Lit from the soul
- Colossians 3:23 Lit and not
- Colossians 3:24 I.e. consisting of
- Colossians 3:25 Lit there is no partiality
Colossians 3
Lexham English Bible
Seek the Things Above
3 Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put Off the Old Behavior
5 Therefore put to death what is earthly in you[a]: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry, 6 because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which also you once lived, when you used to live in them.[b] 8 But now you also lay aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, because you[c] have taken off the old man together with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.
Appeal for New Behavior
12 Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, 13 putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you do the same. 14 And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, 17 and everything whatever[d] you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.
Mutual Responsibilities in Christian Relationships
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they will not become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your human[e] masters in everything, not while being watched[f], as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, accomplish it from the soul, as to the Lord, and not to people, 24 because you[g] know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve[h] the Lord Christ. 25 For the one who does wrong will receive back whatever wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:5 Literally “the members on the earth”
- Colossians 3:7 Or “among them” (the pronoun may refer either to people or to sins)
- Colossians 3:9 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have taken off”) which is understood as causal
- Colossians 3:17 Literally “if anything that”
- Colossians 3:22 Literally “according to the flesh”
- Colossians 3:22 Literally “with eye-service”
- Colossians 3:24 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
- Colossians 3:24 Or “You serve”; the same Greek verb form can be understood as either imperative (“serve”) or indicative (“you serve”), so that commentators and Bible translations differ
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