The Life of the New Man

So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.(B) For you have died,(C) and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your[a] life, is revealed,(D) then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.(E)

Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature:[b] sexual immorality, impurity,(F) lust,(G) evil desire, and greed,(H) which is idolatry.(I) Because of these, God’s wrath(J) comes on the disobedient,[c] and you once walked in these things when you were living(K) in them. But now you must also put away(L) all the following: anger,(M) wrath,(N) malice,(O) slander,(P) and filthy language from your mouth.(Q) Do not lie(R) to one another, since you have put off(S) the old self[d](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[e] Creator.(V) 11 In Christ[f] there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,[g] slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.(W)

The Christian Life

12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved,(X) put on heartfelt compassion, kindness,(Y) humility,(Z) gentleness,(AA) and patience,(AB) 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.(AC) 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called(AD) in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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, be submissive 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 they won’t become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your human(AM) masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.(AN)
23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,[h] as something done for the Lord and not for men,(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.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:4 Other mss read our
  2. Colossians 3:5 Lit death the members on the earth
  3. Colossians 3:6 Other mss omit on the disobedient
  4. Colossians 3:9 Lit man; = a person before conversion
  5. Colossians 3:10 Lit his
  6. Colossians 3:11 Lit Where
  7. Colossians 3:11 A term for a savage
  8. Colossians 3:23 Lit do it from the soul

If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated,

the things above mind ye, not the things upon the earth,

for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in God;

when the Christ -- our life -- may be manifested, then also we with him shall be manifested in glory.

Put to death, then, your members that [are] upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry --

because of which things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience,

in which also ye -- ye did walk once, when ye lived in them;

but now put off, even ye, the whole -- anger, wrath, malice, evil-speaking, filthy talking -- out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his practices,

10 and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him;

11 where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, servant, freeman -- but the all and in all -- Christ.

12 Put on, therefore, as choice ones of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble-mindedness, meekness, long-suffering,

13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you -- so also ye;

14 and above all these things, [have] love, which is a bond of the perfection,

15 and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye were called in one body, and become thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord;

17 and all, whatever ye may do in word or in work, [do] all things in the name of the Lord Jesus -- giving thanks to the God and Father, through him.

18 The wives! be subject to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord;

19 the husbands! love your wives, and be not bitter with them;

20 the children! obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord;

21 the fathers! vex not your children, lest they be discouraged.

22 The servants! obey in all things those who are masters according to the flesh, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God;

23 and all, whatever ye may do -- out of soul work -- as to the Lord, and not to men,

24 having known that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance -- for the Lord Christ ye serve;

25 and he who is doing unrighteously shall receive what he did unrighteously, and there is no acceptance of persons.