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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]. Because of these things, God’s ·judgment [anger; wrath] is coming.[a] You also used to ·do these things [live/walk this way] when you were ·part of the world [L living among/in them].

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]. 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].

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:6 Because… coming Some Greek copies continue, “against the people who do not obey God.”

So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God]. Because of these [sinful] things the [divine] wrath of God is coming [a]on the sons of disobedience [those who fail to listen and who routinely and obstinately disregard God’s precepts], and in these [sinful things] you also once walked, when you were habitually living in them [without the knowledge of Christ]. But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self—(A) 11 a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] [b]barbarian or [c]Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:6 Two early mss do not contain this phrase.
  2. Colossians 3:11 A derogatory term used to describe uneducated, uncultured people who were not fluent in the Greek language.
  3. Colossians 3:11 The Scythians were savage equestrian herdsmen who were skilled archers and often worked as mercenaries and/or slave traders. The Scythian women were known to dress as warriors and fight alongside the men.