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
Colossians 3
Expanded Bible
Your New Life in Christ
3 [L Therefore] Since you were ·raised from the dead [L raised] with Christ, ·aim at [aspire to; seek after; focus on] ·what is in heaven [L the things above], where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 ·Think only about [Set your minds on; Fix your thoughts on] the things ·in heaven [L above], not the things on earth. 3 [L For] ·Your old sinful self has [L You] died, and your new life is ·kept [hidden] with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, ·comes again [appears; L is revealed], you will ·share in his [L be revealed with him in] glory.
5 So put all ·evil [earthly; worldly] things ·out of your life [L to death]: sexual sinning, ·doing evil [impurity; defilement], ·letting evil thoughts control you [lust; passion], ·wanting things that are evil [selfish desires], and greed, which is ·serving a false god [idolatry]. 6 Because of these things, God’s ·judgment [anger; wrath] is coming.[b] 7 You also used to ·do these things [live/walk this way] when you were ·part of the world [L living among/in them].
8 But now also put these things out of your life: anger, ·bad temper [rage], ·hatred [malice; evil], ·saying things to hurt others [slander; blasphemy], and ·using evil words [abusive/filthy/obscene language] ·when you talk [L from your mouth]. 9 Do not lie to each other. You have ·left [taken/stripped off; or disarmed; 2:15] your old ·sinful life [self; person; man] and ·the things you did before [L its deeds/practices]. 10 You have ·begun to live the new life [L put on the new person/man], in which you are being ·made new [renewed] in ·the true knowledge of God [L knowledge] ·and are becoming like [L according to the image of] the One who created you [Gen. 1:26–27]. 11 In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or ·people who are foreigners [barbarians], or Scythians [C from the northern coast of the Black Sea, considered uncivilized and violent]. There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is ·all that is important and is in all believers [L all and in all].
12 ·God loves you and has chosen you and made you his holy people. So [L As God’s chosen, holy and beloved ones; Ex. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] you should always clothe yourselves with ·mercy [L a heart of compassion], kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 ·Bear with [Make allowances for; Be patient with] each other, and forgive each other. If someone ·does wrong to you [L has a grievance/complaint against someone], forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. 14 ·Even more than all this [Above all], clothe yourself in love, which ·holds you all together in perfect unity [or binds everything together; L is the bond of perfection/completeness]. 15 Let the peace ·that Christ gives [of Christ] ·control [rule; arbitrate] your ·thinking [hearts], because you were all called together in one body [C the church as the body of Christ] to have peace. Always be thankful. 16 Let the ·teaching [message; word] of Christ ·live in [or dwell among] you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and ·instruct [warn; admonish] each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with ·thankfulness [gratitude; grace] in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you do or say should be done ·to obey [or as a representative of; L in the name of] the Lord Jesus. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Your New Life with Other People
18 Wives, ·yield to the authority of [submit to] your husbands, because this is ·the right thing to do [appropriate; fitting] in the Lord [Eph. 5:22–24; 1 Pet. 3:1–6].
19 Husbands, love your wives and ·be gentle with [L don’t be harsh toward/embittered against] them [Eph. 5:25–33; 1 Pet. 3:7].
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, because this pleases the Lord [Eph. 6:1–3].
21 Fathers [or Parents; Heb. 11:23], do not ·nag [aggravate; exasperate; provoke] your children [Eph. 6:4]. If you are too hard to please, they may ·want to stop trying [become discouraged; lose heart].
22 ·Slaves [Bondservants], obey your ·human [earthly] masters in all things [Eph. 6:5–9; 1 Pet. 2:18–25]. Do not obey just ·when they are watching you [L with eye-service], ·to gain their favor [L as people-pleasers], but serve them ·honestly [with a sincere heart], because you ·respect [reverence; fear] the Lord [Prov. 1:7]. 23 In all the work you are doing, ·work the best you can [do it heart and soul; L from the soul]. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. 24 ·Remember [L …knowing] that you will receive from the Lord the reward ·which he promised to his people [L of an inheritance]. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 But remember that anyone who does wrong will be ·punished [repaid] for that wrong, and ·the Lord treats everyone the same [L there is no favoritism/partiality].
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:4 your Some Greek copies read “our.”
- Colossians 3:6 Because… coming Some Greek copies continue, “against the people who do not obey God.”
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