Colossians 3
Legacy Standard Bible
Put On the New Man
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 (D)died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, (E)who is our life, is manifested, (F)then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.
5 (G)Therefore, [b]consider (H)the members of your earthly body as dead to (I)sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these things, (J)the wrath of God is coming [c]upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and (K)in them you also once walked, when you were living [d]in them. 8 But now you also, (L)lay them all aside: (M)wrath, anger, malice, slander, and (N)abusive speech from your mouth. 9 [e](O)Do not lie to one another, since you (P)put off the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have (Q)put on the new man who is being [f](R)renewed to a full 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, [g](W)barbarian, Scythian, (X)slave, and freeman, but (Y)Christ is all and in all.
12 So, as the (Z)elect of God, holy and beloved, (AA)put on a (AB)heart of compassion, kindness, (AC)humility, gentleness, and [h](AD)patience; 13 (AE)bearing with one another, and (AF)graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, (AG)just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. 14 Above all these things put on love, which is [i](AH)the perfect bond of (AI)unity. 15 And let (AJ)the peace of Christ [j]rule in your hearts, to which [k]indeed you were called in (AK)one body, and [l]be thankful. 16 Let (AL)the word of [m]Christ dwell in you richly, [n]with all wisdom (AM)teaching and admonishing [o]one another (AN)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (AO)singing [p]with gratefulness in your hearts to God. 17 (AP)And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, (AQ)giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Family and Work
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, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing [q]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 [r]according to the flesh, (AX)not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but with [s]integrity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [t]heartily, (AY)as for the Lord [u]rather than for men, 24 (AZ)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [v]of (BA)the inheritance. [w](BB)Serve the Lord Christ. 25 For (BC)he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and [x](BD)that without partiality.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:2 Or Be intent on
- Colossians 3:5 Or put to death the members which are upon the earth
- Colossians 3:6 Two early mss omit final clause
- Colossians 3:7 Or among these
- Colossians 3:9 Or Stop lying
- Colossians 3:10 Lit renovated
- Colossians 3:11 Those who were not Greeks, either by birth or by culture
- Colossians 3:12 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 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 Or on earth
- Colossians 3:22 Lit simplicity
- Colossians 3:23 Lit from the soul
- Colossians 3:23 Lit and not
- Colossians 3:24 Consisting of
- Colossians 3:24 Or You serve the Lord Christ
- Colossians 3:25 Lit there is no partiality
Colossians 3
New Catholic Bible
Exhortation To Live as Christians
Chapter 3
Seek the Things That Are Above.[a] 1 Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. 2 Fix your thoughts on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
A New Self.[b] 5 And so you should put to death everything in your nature that is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed (which is idolatry).[c] 6 Because of these practices, the wrath of God will fall on those who are disobedient. 7 In the life you formerly lived, you used to do these things. 8 But now you must cast them all aside—anger, rage, malice, slander, and foul language out of your lips.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Now there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and Scythian,[d] slave and free man. Rather, Christ is all and in all.
12 Characteristics of Life in Common.[e] As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another, and forgive one another if anyone has reason to be offended with another. You must forgive just as the Lord has forgiven you.
14 Over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it was for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ[f] with all its richness dwell in you. Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 The Christian Family.[g]Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not treat them harshly. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they lose heart.
22 Slaves and Masters. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only when you are being observed or in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, out of reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as if you were doing it for the Lord and not for others, 24 since you know that you will receive from the Lord an inheritance as your reward for you are serving the Lord Christ. 25 But anyone who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done. There will not be any favoritism shown.
Footnotes
- Colossians 3:1 It is not a question here of having contempt for earthly realities but of a new movement by which Christians must let themselves be grasped. Seemingly, Baptism has changed nothing for them, but in reality they live henceforth united to Christ in an even more mysterious manner. They have entered the world of the Resurrection. It is a certitude that transforms the idea that they have of their existence. At the same time, it is an impatient longing for the return of the Lord, when this change in their lives will be made complete.
- Colossians 3:5 This is a Christian endeavor, something that expresses the reality of life and the transformation of Baptism, and something that enables believers to become each day a bit more what they, in fact, are, i.e., living members of the risen Christ. Morality is then no longer a list of recommended reactions but a thrust that opposes sin and degradation, a growth in an ever more profound affinity with the Lord. United with Christ, Christians are new persons who no longer identify themselves by cultural references or by ethical and religious differences. Union with Christ basically destroys all divisions (see Gal 3:28).
- Colossians 3:5 See Rom 1:29-31 and Gal 5:19-21 for other lists of vices.
- Colossians 3:11 Scythian: the Scythians lived on the steppes of Asia and were regarded as barbarians par excellence.
- Colossians 3:12 The Church is a community of persons bound together by love to give testimony to love. Without ceasing, models must be invented to express this truth. As a community united with the Lord, the Church lives in peace and joy. She lives in faith and mutual pardon, and she puts forth her deepest sentiments in prayer and thanksgiving.
- Colossians 3:16 Word of Christ: principally Christ’s teaching, which was transmitted orally at that time but which also includes the Old Testament and the New. Hymns: these set forth some of the most important doctrines and have been preserved for us only in Paul’s Letters (e.g., Col 1:15-20; Eph 5:14; Phil 2:6-11; 1 Tim 3:16).
- Colossians 3:18 Husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and slaves were accustomed in ancient society to live in accord with links of superiority and submission. Paul does not reverse this social structure. However, neither is he content simply to enumerate the rights of husbands, parents, and masters so as to oppose them with the duties of wives, children, and slaves. He stresses a reciprocity of duties and preaches a Christian attachment—“in the Lord”—an appeal to conscience. He does not call upon slaves to revolt but gives them another way to look upon themselves—the fact that they belong to the Lord takes precedence over their dependence on their human masters. And in a near contradiction of terms, slaves are regarded as heirs of the Lord.
This short list of precepts of family morality was developed at length in the Letter to the Ephesians (5:21—6:9).
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