Colossians 3:5-17
Expanded Bible
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.[a] 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Colossians 3:6 Because… coming Some Greek copies continue, “against the people who do not obey God.”
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