3rd Chapter of
Colossians
Colossians 3:1
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
KEEP YOUR
MIND ON THE NEW LIFE!
Because you are dead and you no longer live for yourself,
you are now living a new life, if indeed you have been buried with Jesus in
baptism (Col 2:12). The new life is parallel to the raised life of
Jesus; no longer living for the flesh but for the work of God, in the
Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
We set our hearts on things above by ensuring our minds are
thinking about the Heavenly things, not the Earthly things. What does your mind entertain? That is where
your heart is set!
Colossians 3:3
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
The solution to the false pursuit of holiness and to complete dependence on Christ is to focus on Him, with all your heart (emotions) and mind (thoughts). You need to be convinced that you died and that your life now is a mystery, hidden with Christ, for you to find out. How? By putting your heart on the heavenly things and your mind on things above; on the spiritual, eternal things. That is how you will wean your heart (emotions) from the things in the world that you crave.
Paul uses a circular argument that will do you well to follow if you trace it out in your mind over and over again:
1- You have been raised
2- Seek the things above
3- Stop yourself from seeking the earthly things
4- You died
5- Your new life is hidden with Christ!
Whenever your doubts or fears seem to want to take over and control your emotions, you will do well to capture those thoughts and trap them within this circular reasoning provided to you by the Holy Spirit (2Co 10:5).
Paul begins to emphasize the Person to Person relationship with Christ:
1-
Christ
in us, the hope of glory (
2-
Walk
in Him, Rooted in Him, Built up in Him (
3-
Brought
to perfection in Him (
4-
Died
with Him (
5-
Raised
with Him (
6-
Our
life is hidden with Him (
-- Halley’s Bible
Handbook
Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who is your {4 Some manuscripts <our>} life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
If you are training your mind (by transformation) to be holy by seeking the things above, then you will appear with Him in glory, for you have been successfully transformed into His likeness. If your mind stays trapped by sin and the worldly desires of your flesh, you have no hope in Christ, for you have decided to put your hope in the visible things.
If your life is Christ, no doubt you will be with Him. But if you make your life about the things of the world:
1- Your job
2- Your family
3- Your career
4- Your personal goals
5- Your education
6- Relationships
7- Your treasures
then your life will end when this world ends and your eternity will be hopeless and painful.
Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Even though you have died, you need to actively seek to put
to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature, that is, the nature that was
trying to live before you came to Christ. That old self you crucified with
Christ on the cross (Galatians 2:20). You know that putting to
death involves much pain and suffering, like crucifixion! Suffering and pain is
a mark of death, therefore, when you are suffering and in pain you are done with
the things that affect the earthly nature (1Peter 4:1-4).
Now that's a motivation to put to the death whatever belongs to the earth! Notice how we need to be clear in our minds that we have died, but even then, we have to continually seek to put to death (nekroo: mortify: deaden, subdue) these things in our flesh! They are so fickle and so eager to control us! And the Holy Spirit gives us some specifics here about what He means:
1- Sexual Immorality (porneia): adultery, incest, fornication; to indulge in any lustful act. Can also mean idolatry in the figurative sense. This includes trying to gratify your sexual urges by yourself using toys or masturbation, petting or inappropriate touching with another person, erotic writings or pictures or dancing, etc. Anything that can cause you to have sexual arousal without your wife. Anything that may give a hint of sexual immorality is included, so if anyone perceives it to be so, then the sin has taken place in that person's mind.
2- Impurity (akatharsia): the opposite of catharsis, uncleanness, physically or morally. This can include x-rated material in movies or books, or anything deemed raunchy or obscene by most people. This can include the kind of language you use. Anything that even seems unclean or could be perceived as unclean.
3- Lust (pathos): inordinate affection, a passion; concupiscence, i.e., a pathological liar. Anything that may seem to you or someone else as an obsession falls here.
4- Evil desires (epithumia): a longing for what is forbidden. If you want something bad enough to break the law, you have evil desires.
5- Greed (pleonexia): covetousness, avarice, fraudulency. Putting yourself before others to the point of lying, abusing and cheating on people.
All these things are idolatry (eidololatreia: image worship)! Now if you think about it, it really makes a lot of sense, since if you worship and follow through with your fleshly desires such as these, you are worshipping an image! Not the truth! You are focused on the temporary and pinning your life on that which is already dead, even though it may seem to live.
Colossians 3:6
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. {6 Some early manuscripts <coming on those who are disobedient>}
These are the things that cause God's wrath to come. The whole earth will be consumed by the wrath coming because of these things (2Pe 3:9-14)! You don't want to be living in a way that will bring about the destruction of the whole Universe as we know it!
Colossians 3:7
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
This is how we all walked before, because the world cannot teach you differently, nor any church can teach you differently. Only by training yourself to be godly, an active training and capturing the thoughts and submitting them to Christ can cause your faith to be victorious. You have to fight! That is where the active war is, in your mind. Anything that was your former life, get rid of! Be a person that you wouldn't even know yourself if you found yourself in he streets! You need to be beside yourself, Christ needs to be your life!
Colossians 3:8
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
HOW TO KEEP THE FLESH DEAD
Here's some more stuff to clean out! Here are some more practicals from the Holy Spirit. You must put off (apotithemi: cast off, put away, lay aside) anything that has to do with:
1- Anger (orge): excitement of the mind, violent passion, ire, justifiable abhorrence, indignation, vengeance.
2- Rage (thumos): wrath, passion (as if breathing hard), fierceness.
3- Malice (kakia): depravity, badness, naughtiness, wickedness, troublemaking.
4- Slander (blasphemia): blasphemy, evil speaking, vilification, railing.
5- Filthy Language (aischrologia): shameful, venal, filthy - communication
We can only rid ourselves of these things if we hold to the teachings of Jesus and let them rule our soul and mind. See John 8:37. Ridding ourselves of these things allows us to let the Holy Spirit work in us to be a new creation (Eph 2:10). See 2 Co 5:17-21.
Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
6- Lying (pseudomai): attempt to deceive by falsehood.
All these things were the practices of your old self. If you are dead, why go back to these things?
Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
The new self is where the hope is! Your new self is what is being recreated in God's image by the work of the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:5).
Notice the Spirit is making it clear here that you have two natures: Your flesh which is dead, and your new self which you have if you are being recreated through the washing of rebirth and renewal. Which one do you identify with?
The new self walks by the Spirit (Gal 5:16-26).
Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
THE HEAVENLY MINDSET
This is why we no longer think of ourselves as to our former identity, whatever it was:
Whether you thought of yourself as of a particular race or nationality: Puerto Rican, white, American, black, African, Chinese; or whether you thought yourself as to a particular field of work or employment: lawyer, doctor, minister, teacher, social worker; or whether you thought yourself to be of a particular special calling or special group member: Gold Club, mensa, Cosco, some other elite organization or membership. But Jesus is all and is an all of us. It is within that former identity that all your fleshly mindset and desires live. But now you are Disciples of Jesus, members of His body, having gained a new mindset and a new life, and that is all you should think you are! That is where the hope is!
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Because you are God's, now you walk according to God's standards and need to express and stimulate your new nature.
God's people are:
1-
2- Holy (hagios): awe-ful, set apart, sacred.
3- Dearly Loved (agapao): loved in excess.
Clothe yourself (enduo): sink into a garment, invest in clothing...
1- Compassion (splagchnon oiktirmos): bowels of mercies, inward affection or pity, tender mercies.
2- Kindness (chrestotes): excellence in character or demeanor, goodness.
3- Humility (tapeinophrosune): humbleness of mind, humiliation of mind.
4- Gentleness (praotes): meekness, power under control.
5- Patience (makrothumia): longsuffering, fortitude, forbearance.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
As you are sinking in this new garment and investing in this new clothing from above, you may still be making some mistakes, so you need to be extra patient and forgive each other whatever grievances you may have.
It doesn't matter to Kingdom people who wrongs them with what. There are no offenses as Kingdom people, no outer irritant that should trap you or make your mood change. You are in control and you decide to affect your environment with these new clothes.
If you allow your environment, whether it is people or things, to control you or cause you to loose control, you are no longer operating from the new man, but from the old.
You forgive, because that is what God did for you, no matter what else is at stake. To forgive is the MO (modus operandi: mode of operation) of the new man.
Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Our forgiveness must be motivated properly in order for our new man to increase. And that motivation needs to be LOVE. It is what binds your new clothing and all of us together in perfect unity. Any other motivation for doing these things will result in a forfeited mind. The love of Christ is what needs to compel you (2Co 5:14)!
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Peace must rule (brabeuo: govern, arbitrate) in our heart. The way
you keep yourself in control of those emotions that you cannot understand that
emanate from the heart (Jer 17:9) is by ruling it
with your mind. A mind that is at peace (Rom 8:6) is one controlled by the
Spirit (2Tim 1:7). If you are
controlled by the Spirit, consequently, motivated by love, then you are at
peace and can rule your heart by that mindset.
By this same Spirit we were all made part of One Body, the Church (1Co
12:13). Since we are all in One body, peace must reign not only within ourselves, but
without. You show if peace rules in you by killing all the desires of the flesh
the Holy Spirit mentioned in the previous verses. All this is evident, once
again, by the thankfulness that will reside in you (
It is important to notice that we have been called to be peacemakers in what we do, not to create division or argumentation based on human terms and your own opinions. Gratitude is expressed through peacemaking and peacekeeping.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Notice in this verse and in the previous one that the implication is to let the peace rule you and let the word of God dwell in you. In other words, you have to LET these things influence you, change you and transform your inner man, as well as your heart. You have to be passive to LET something change you, you have to surrender to it. In this case you need to surrender to the peace and to God’s Word in you. The operative word being surrender, die, kill your will, as we’ve seen in the preceding verses. Of course, in order to surrender to peace and to God’s Word you have to make sure you are in their presence. You have to make sure your mind is on things above and that you are constantly in God’s Word. This is where you need to be active, so that these things can have an effect of transformation in you. To let the transformation happen you need to be passive, in other, words, you can’t fight it, or resist it with your mind or emotions. You must be in control in your mind.
The evidence that God’s Word is dwelling in you richly is shown by your admonishment and teaching of this word to others. To admonish (noutheteo) is to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently: admonish, warn. What are you putting in other people’s minds? If the world dwells in you, then that’s the impression you will give others. If it is God’s Word, then you will serve as a vessel of honor to the Lord (2Co 4:1-7). When you see someone in a situation that requires admonishment, what do you do? It is your duty to give it, not ignore it.
Whether it is teaching or admonishing, it must be done with wisdom, in other words, knowing how to apply God’s Word – what to say and how to say it (John 12:49).
Singing is an incredibly important part of letting God’s Word dwell in us also. Not only do we teach or admonish by speaking God’s Word, but also by singing it. You all know how songs stay with you far easier than sentences or paragraphs said in prose. Our hearts are easily swayed by a nice tune, and God made it so we can sing His words to help that word richly dwell in us! Notice how gratitude (thankfulness) must be the reigning attitude again!
It is amazing that so many have allowed the instrumental music controversy to overtake them by using this verse and Ephesians 5:19 to justify one side of the discussion or the other. I just read this to you and talked about it from the line of thinking Paul utilizes when addressing the Colossian church on its issues. Do you think they had issues with music, or did the Ephesian church have them? I tell you none had issues about music and these verses cannot be used to satisfy one end of the argument nor the other! This is why so many have to turn to the old testament to try to find a justification to stand on either side. I know some of you have been caught up in this and you need to learn from this epistle not to get caught up in fine sounding arguments to justify a man-made teaching or opinion. Remember that where there are many words, sin is not absent (Proverbs 10:19)! The point here is simple: We are to sing. The emphasis is the words, not the music. Music appeals to the flesh, and we are to die to the flesh! Since this is Jesus’ church, how dare anyone change the way His church functions? Here’s a simple parable:
If the owner of a house leaves you in charge of his house while he is away, and you try to change his house because you thought: “He didn’t say anything about changing the furniture, or rearranging the house so that I may be more comfortable, so I will do it”. How will the owner react when he comes back to his house?
In the same way, by us adding anything to our assembly (our corporate worship of God) that is not particularly mentioned in the Scriptures to “improve” it or be more comfortable, we turn our worship into sanctimony, especially if you are adding something that appeals to the fleshly nature. Our assemblies are not for entertainment purposes but for edification and encouragement in the spirit. Whatever you do on your own that helps you worship God is your own business, and no person can judge you by it, since you do it sincerely in your heart for the Lord; but if you try to impose your ways on the church, you are a legalist or a mystic, disconnected from the head, who is Christ.
I believe that peace is kept and thankfulness shown by joyfully teaching and admonishing each other by songs. Dwelling and instructing each other with the words of God reminds us we are called to be at peace with one another. This of course needs to be done in all the wisdom of God (Job 28:28; James 3:17, 18). Wisdom is expressed by humility and peace and by doing all things in the name of Christ. This wisdom is expressed by following the biblical pattern of singing and worshipping God with song. See Ephesians 5:19.
Notice how the purpose of our singing is to teach and admonish each other through our songs. Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are not for the purpose of entertainment but encouragement and edification through the words of wisdom from Scriptures and insight into holy living. Musical instruments cannot accomplish this task and solely accompany to entertain rather than to admonish. The only thing that can admonish is words - hence singing, so that the words can dwell rightly in us. Musical instruments cannot make the words of Christ dwell richly in us any more than any other human interjection into our corporate worship of God. In fact they can be more distracting because of their emotional appeal.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Third time thankfulness is mentioned in this chapter! What a mark! You cannot overemphasize this mark in your life! Make sure it is there! You must be thankful, no matter what you do, whether it is in word or in deed, as you do it in Jesus’ name. As a matter of fact, even if you are doing things and you think it is in Jesus’ name you are doing it, if you are not thankful, guess what… you are NOT doing it in Jesus’ name!
This verse also tells us that as we are doing or talking in Jesus’ name, we should be praying, since we are giving thanks to God through Jesus as we serve and talk. Our service must be permeated with thankfulness and prayer. This means that a smile will probably be on your face if you have the right attitude. Not only a smile on your face, but in your heart, for a hypocrite will probably carry the smile but inside he is full of bitterness.
Whatever we do needs to be done in a clear conscience for the Lord and to the Lord. Giving thanks for all things. In order for us to be grateful however, there needs to be an attitude of seeing what the Lord has given us with eyes filled with light. Looking at the purity of things rather than looking upon something God has given us as evil (Matthew 6:21-24).
Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
THE HOUSEHOLD RULED BY HEAVEN
Now comes the practical teachings that stem from having and letting this attitude be working evidently in you. If you are letting peace and God’s Word rule and richly dwell in you, overflowing with thankfulness and prayer, this is then what will obviously happen. If it is not happening and you have to be reminded to surrender (die, kill your desires and flesh) to the peace and God’s Word, then you will be more willing to be corrected with the commands the Holy Spirit utters in the next verses all the way to the end of the letter.
You see, through Paul, the Spirit prepares hardened hearts and minds (as a farmer tills the hard rocky soil to prepare for the planting) with the motivations taught in the previous chapters and verses. Now his directives will be able to sink in if you have let God’s Word richly dwell in you.
The first of many practical directives given are aimed and the pillars of the church: the marriages, the families. Strong families build strong churches, and vice versa. Marriages that are weak weaken and affect those around them. This is why our marriages are all our business, because whatever happens in them impacts us all.
In order for the marriage to be fitting in the church the wife must submit (hupotasso: to subordinate; reflexively, to obey:--be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.) to the husband.
Wives whose attitude show a seeking of the things above will willingly put themselves under their husband’s authority. They should not need to be reminded of the husband's authority, for that is not fitting (appropriate) for Christians. The wife must show in all she does and says that she is willingly seeking her husband's pleasure, just like the church does with Christ. This is more clearly explained in Ephesians 5:25ff.
Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
The right minded (Christian) husband will give himself up (love) for his wife, dearly loving her with the same love Jesus has for the church. He is not preoccupied with being the head of his house, for he shows headship (leadership) by leading in humility and servitude (sacrifice) toward his wife, the same way Jesus showed us the way to greatness.
Marriage is entered into so that both wife and husband may find joy and completeness in life with each other.
-- Richard Bagget,
If a husband is not serving his wife, he may evidence a spirit of rebellion or discord with her. He is to win her by service, not by harshness (pikraino: embittered); in the same way our Lord has won us -- by showing us the depth of our love and not treating us as our sins deserve.
If you find yourself embittered, treating your wife harshly (by yelling, or ignoring her; refusing her favors, even of the sexual kind; or subjecting her to ridicule: mental, emotional or physical abuse) then you are not fulfilling your role as a husband and you do not belong to Christ in that state of mind.
The relationship of the home is subject to God.
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Children also have a directive here, to obey their parents, although this instruction is more for the parents to make sure they instruct their children appropriately, motivating them to do so because, as a household, we all must be pleasing our Lord.
Of course, for this to be properly motivating, the parents must be sure they are in the right mindset as a Christian who is dead in the flesh and alive in Jesus.
Children must obey (hupakouo: to hear under (as a subordinate), i.e. to listen attentively; by implication, to heed or conform to a command or authority:--hearken, be obedient to, obey. ) their parents in all things. There are no exceptions, since the parents who issue this motivation must themselves be under God's subjection and dead to the flesh. There are no exception for our obedience to God, and so therefore, none with our earthly parents (Heb 12:9-10).
Colossians 3:21
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
Here's one for the parent's themselves. Be careful how you discipline and treat your children. The Lord does not want you to embitter (erethizo: provoke to anger, make resentful) your progeny.
The result of embittered treatment, or provocative treatment by parents is in discouraged (athumeo: disheartened, dismayed, spiritless) children. If your children exhibit this spirit in themselves, there may be some adult in their life, including the parents, teachers, or family members, that is provoking them with harsh (overzealous) discipline or treatment. As their caretaker you must intervene and correct the situation.
As a parent, your responsibility is to train your children the right way, not punishing your children in anger, but in love. Your discipline should encourage your children, not discourage them.
-- Richard Bagget,
Colossians 3:22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
THE WORKPLACE RULED BY HEAVEN
In our society nowadays there are no slaves, but there are employers. In other words, our taskmasters, or earthly masters are our bosses, landlords and the like. It refers here to those who supervise our work or anybody we may be accountable to in the flesh.
Don't be a hypocrite in your accountability, to gain favor only, but remember your real Master is watching alongside with your earthly ones. This is how you will show that you are a true disciple, by sincerely respecting and obeying your boss.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
Whoever you work for or whatever you do must be done in the
mindset and in the spirit of doing it for our Lord Jesus. He is the real Master
behind any other earthly master. You are not working for people. Only the
carnal, earthly mind sees itself as working for people, whereas the spiritual
person, focused on the Kingdom, understands and sees himself
working in and for the
Obedience and efficiency is to characterize the servant (employee).
--Richard Bagget,
Colossians 3:24
since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Sinful minds work only because they may get some earthly benefit, and therefore are only interested in gaining favor by hypocritical work -- they only want more benefits, more money.
We, the elect, have a different paradigm. We know we are serving our God, who is the one who sustains us as well. Therefore we don't complain about our wages (Luke 3:14), knowing we have an all surpassing reward in Heaven.
Those who complain about their jobs and their money are not serving Jesus, but are showing their carnal focus and lack of discipleship.
Colossians 3:25
Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
Keep in mind that God knows if you are trying to trick people or play the part (hypocrisy). God will not play favorites. He is just. If you wrong or trick someone you will get what you deserve, whether or not you consider yourself a Christian. Make sure you keep sin out of the camp! See Joshua 7:1-20.
Colossians 4:1
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
The boss, owner, supervisor, manager or president of a company that has a godly mindset will remember who his Master is and treat others accordingly, being just and fair with all the employees because that is how God is with you.
Justice and equity is to characterize the master (employer).
--Richard Bagget,