Jana Duggars bible passage

Living the New Life / 3:1–17

Whereas chapter 2 was mostly a criticism of false teachers, this section affirms the Christian’s new position in Christ. In chapter 2, Paul exposed the wrong reasons for self-denial. In chapter 3, Paul explains true Christian behavior—putting on the new self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead. We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that he can shape us into what we should be.

3:1 The Greek words in the phrase, since you have been raised, express certainty. Once dead in their sins, these believers had been raised from death, just as Christ had been raised from the dead by God’s power. They had received new life from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. They did not need to struggle and work to attain that life, as the false teachers were trying to tell them; they already had new life! What remained was to work out its implications in daily life. Because they had been raised, they had a clear responsibility to Christ, who had raised them.

First, they must set their sights on the realities of heaven. The Greek word for “set” means to seek something out with a desire to possess it. The other religious teachers stressed “heavenly things” also, but Paul was appealing to the highest reality of all, the exalted Christ. The believers must take their focus off the world and turn it to Christ, who sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Christ’s seat at God’s right hand reveals his power, authority, and position as both judge and advocate. The Colossian believers already had experienced this exaltation; they needed to set their sights there so that they would live out their lives on earth as citizens of heaven.

3:2 Letting heaven fill their thoughts meant concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal, letting their thoughts dwell in the realm of Christ. They were to focus on the Lord Jesus. Thoughts can influence actions, so if the believers would place their thoughts above and not only here on earth, their actions would please God. The things on earth refers to the legalistic rituals, the false methods used to achieve holiness, and even to the basic principles of the world described in chapter 2. But how were they to fill their thoughts with heaven? Paul had explained this in another letter: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right … pure and lovely and admirable … excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8; see also Colossians 3:12). They were not to live as ascetics in some mystical, visionary realm; rather, Paul was saying that, by setting their thoughts above, their lives on this earth would be pleasing to God and would help accomplish Christ’s work.

3:3–4 The Greek aorist tense in the phrase, for you died connotes that we died when Christ died. It happened at a point in history. In Christ’s death, all believers died (2:20). Then, like a seed buried in the earth, a believer’s real life is hidden from the world, just as Christ’s glory is hidden, only to be revealed when he returns (3:3–4). The spiritual lives of believers are hidden inner lives that are in union with Christ who has brought them to be with him in God.

One day, when Christ is revealed in his glory, believers will also share in all his glory. The divine life of Christ will be revealed fully and will glorify us (reveal our true potential as children of God). Christians look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and they wait for God’s new order that will free the world of sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, they go with Christ into the world, where they heal people’s bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin. Christ gives us power to live for him now, and he gives us hope for the future—he will return. In the rest of this chapter Paul explains how Christians should act now in order to be prepared for Christ’s return.

3:5 While Paul opposed the false teachers’ asceticism and regulations, he still forbade certain activities that had no part in believers’ lives. If the Colossian believers were to live as examples of Christ, they had to put to death certain aspects of the sinful earthly things lurking within them—the sinful nature, the old self. Again, Paul was describing the “already” and “not yet” of believers’ lives. Although they had died with Christ and had been raised with him, they were still susceptible to temptation and the evils of the sinful nature.

Two sets of sins are listed. The first five refer to sexual sin; the second five to sins of speech. These first five were related to the cultural background of the Colossians and were particularly deadly to the life of the church:

Sexual sin. Any form of illicit sexual relationship. The term serves to spotlight forbidden sexual behavior between people or indirect participation as an audience. We derive our term “pornography” from this Greek word. In contrast to the loose morals of the ancient Greek world, believers ought to show self-discipline and obedience to God in this area.

Impurity. Moral uncleanness. Perhaps no sexual act has taken place, but the person exhibits a crudeness or insensitivity in sexual matters.

Lust. Evil sexual passion that leads to excessive sexual immorality and perversion. (See Romans 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:5.)

Shameful desires. Wanting something that is sinister and vile in order to satisfy one’s desires (see also Galatians 5:16).

Greed for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. Relentless urge to get more for oneself. In this context, Paul may have been focusing on greed for satisfying evil desires and for sexual immorality. The greed is described as idolatry because its focus is on filling desires rather than on God.

3:6 God’s terrible anger refers to God’s judgment on these kinds of behavior. God does not reveal his wrath arbitrarily; his perfect moral nature will not permit sin and wickedness to go unpunished. While wrath occurs at present in the natural consequences of sinful behavior, the final culmination of God’s will comes with future and final punishment of evil. People may try to get around it, but there is punishment for evil for those who have not believed in Christ as Savior.

3:7–8 The Colossian believers used to do the actions described above. They had been dead in their sins (2:13), but that all changed when they came to know Christ. Because of their new life in Christ, the believers were to get rid of those things listed above and others listed below. “Get rid of” means to put off or disrobe. The old, filthy clothes must be taken off before the new clothes can be put on. The believer “removes” the old life of sin and “puts on” the new life of Christ. The Colossian believers had experienced this; Paul asked that they act it out in their lives.

Not only did they need to deal with sexual immorality in all its variations, they also needed to deal with misused anger that often spilled over into evil speech.

Anger. A continuous attitude of hatred that remains bottled up within. This could refer to what is under the surface, while “rage” (below) refers to what bursts out. Anger would destroy the harmony and unity Paul called for among the believers.

Rage. Outbursts of anger or quick temper for selfish reasons. This could mean continual and uncontrolled behavior.

Malicious behavior. Doing evil despite the good that has been received. This word is a general term referring to an evil force that destroys relationships. It can mean anything from trouble to wickedness. It is a deliberate attempt to harm another person.

Slander. Destroying another person’s good reputation by lies, gossip, spreading rumors, etc. Malice often manifests itself through slander.

Dirty language. Crude talk, abrasive language, expletives. Paul admonished the believers that such language must be caught and stopped before it escapes their mouths.

These behaviors have no place in any Christian or in any church. These are part of the “old life” before knowing Christ. Christians must resolutely “put off” these repulsive sins of anger and speech so that they can “put on” Christ’s attitudes and actions.

3:9–10 Because Jesus Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6), believers ought to practice truth in all areas of life. They should not lie to each other. Lying to others disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict in a church. Lying can take place in words said as well as words left unsaid. Believers should not exaggerate statistics, pass on rumors or gossip, or say things to build up their own image at others’ expense. Instead, because they have stripped off the old evil nature and all its wicked deeds, they should be committed to telling the truth.

The “old nature” was each person before he or she came to know Christ. The person was enslaved to sin, bound to the earth, without hope. But believers have clothed themselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed. The “new nature” from Christ frees us from sin, sets our hearts on “things above” (3:1), and gives us the hope of eternity. Paul was appealing to the commitment the believers had made, urging them to remain true to their confession of faith. Every Christian is in a continuing education program. Renewal is constantly needed in the believer’s battle against sin and the old nature. What we learn is personal knowledge of Christ who created this new nature within us. The goal of the learning is Christlikeness. The more believers know of Christ and his work, the more they are being changed to be like him. Because this process is lifelong, we must never stop learning and obeying.

3:11 There should be no barriers of nationality, race, education level, social standing, wealth, gender, religion, or power (see also Galatians 3:26–28; 6:15). Paul pointed out four groupings that were of particular importance in the Greek culture:

1. Racial or national distinctions, such as between Jew and Gentile. The spread of the Greek culture and civilization meant that a Greek person (regardless of his or her country of origin) could feel pride in a privileged position and would look down on the Jews and their persistent clinging to an ancient culture. The Jews, meanwhile, would look down on Greeks as heathen, immoral, and outside of God’s grace for the chosen nation.

2. Religious distinctions, such as between those who have been circumcised (Jews) and those who are uncircumcised (Gentiles). Circumcision, the physical mark of the male Jew, was prized as part of the covenant of God with his chosen people. If practiced at all by Gentiles, it was as part of a heathen cult; most often, the Gentiles were uncircumcised, and they mocked the seriousness of the rite for the Jews.

3. Cultural distinctions, such as between barbaric or uncivilized peoples (contemptuous names used for people unfamiliar with Greek language and culture) and cultured peoples.

4. Economic or social distinctions, such as between a slave and a free person. Slavery was common in the ancient world. Paul would have special words for the relationships between masters and slaves (3:22–4:1).

How could these barriers possibly be removed? Paul’s answer: because Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. The Colossian church was probably made up of all kinds of people. No believer should allow prejudices from pre-Christian days to be carried into the church. Christ broke down all barriers; he accepts all who come to him. Believers, as Christ’s body, must do the same. Nothing should divide believers; nothing should keep them from experiencing unity. Each believer is responsible to get rid of the sinful practices of whatever life he or she led and become a new person in Christ. Then, as part of God’s body of believers on earth, each person should work as part of the whole to advance God’s Kingdom.

3:12 In the Bible, God’s holy people are chosen by God for a specific purpose or destiny. No one can claim to be chosen by God because of his or her heritage or good works. God freely chooses to save whomever he wills. The doctrine of election teaches that it is God’s sovereign choice to save us by his goodness and mercy and not by our own merit. To have received such incredible grace from God ought to cause all believers to gladly lay aside their sinful desires in order to clothe themselves with a nature that pleases God. In contrast to the vices listed above, Paul offered a list of virtues to be adopted as believers’ strategy to live for God day by day in the social activities of life. These include:

Tenderhearted mercy. Genuine sensitivity and heartfelt sympathy for the needs of others. This is an attribute of God, who is described as compassionate and who acted so on our behalf.

Kindness. Acting charitably, benevolently toward others, as God has done toward us. God’s kindness is a continual theme in the Psalms and Prophets. Kindness takes the initiative in responding generously to others’ needs. Because believers have received kindness, we ought to act that way toward others. This does not come naturally; it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

Humility. An attitude of self-esteem that is neither puffed up with pride, nor self-depreciating. It is a true understanding of one’s position with God. As Christ humbled himself (Philippians 2:6–11), so believers ought to humble themselves in service to the Lord and Savior.

Gentleness. Humble, considerate of others, submissive to God and his Word. Gentleness is not to be confused with weakness; instead, it means consideration for others and a willingness to give up one’s rights for the sake of another. Again, Christ is our example.

Patience. Long-suffering, or putting up with people who irritate. The person might have the right to retaliate, but chooses patience instead. The Holy Spirit’s work in us increases our endurance.

3:13 Clothing ourselves with the new nature affects how we treat others. Paul called the believers to make allowance for each other’s faults. To forgive implies continual, mutual forgiveness of the problems, irritations, and grievances that occur in the congregation. The church had enough enemies and troubles dealing with the outside world; they didn’t need infighting or energy wasted on grievances or grudges (either held over from pre-Christian days or arising in the church) that could be worked out with forbearing and forgiving. The key to forgiving others was for the believers to (1) remember how much the Lord forgave them, and (2) realize the presumption in refusing to forgive someone God had already forgiven. Remembering God’s infinite love and forgiveness should help the Colossian believers love and forgive one another.

3:14 All the virtues that Paul encouraged the believers in Colosse to develop were perfectly bound together by love. As they clothed themselves with these virtues, the last garment to put on was love, which, like a belt, binds all of the others in place. Love pulls together the other graces in perfect, unified action. To practice any list of virtues without practicing love will lead to distortion, fragmentation, and stagnation. In any congregation, love must be used to unify the people and build them up. Those who would desire to be mature in Christ must make love a top priority.

3:15 Putting on all the virtues, with love binding them together (3:14), would lead to peace between individuals and among the members of the body of believers. The Colossian Christians should let the peace that comes from Christ rule in their hearts. To live in peace would not mean that suddenly all differences of opinion would be eliminated, but it would require that they work together despite their differences. This kind of tranquility and cooperation can’t come from mere human effort. It requires God’s help to arbitrate and enable people to get along.

The word rule comes from the language of athletics: Paul wanted the believers to let Christ’s peace be umpire or referee in their hearts. Peace would arbitrate, decide any argument, and thereby restrain any of the passions of the old nature that might threaten. Peace would settle any friction and strife so the believers could remain strong and unified.

When believers have an overriding attitude of thankfulness and when they have constant gratitude in their hearts for all that God has done for them in giving salvation and making them part of Christ’s body, then other virtues to which Paul called them would be much easier to live out. Being thankful would also make other relationships easier, as Paul explained in the following verses (3:18–4:6).

3:16 The words of Christ referred to the message proclaimed by Christ (the gospel). For us, this means the Bible. This teaching should live (reside permanently) in believers’ hearts by their study and knowledge of God’s word, making them wise. To teach and counsel refers to the whole congregation and their responsibility to teach the Word—including the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ—as a means to warn and correct one another.

The psalms, hymns and spiritual songs were a vital part of this teaching and admonition. Although the early Christians had access to the Old Testament and freely used it (thus, Paul’s reference to “psalms”), they did not yet have the New Testament or any other Christian books to study. Their stories and teachings about Christ were sometimes set to music to make them easier to memorize and pass on from person to person. Grounded in God’s word and correct doctrine, music can be an important part of Christian worship and education.

While music can teach, its primary function may be to praise God. As believers sing, they ought to do so with thankful hearts (see 4:2). Again, the word “heart” refers to a person’s entire being. Gratitude to God overflows in praise.

3:17 Earlier Paul listed a few vices and virtues to give the Colossian believers an idea of what was expected of them in their attitudes toward one another, but he did not want to regulate every area of life with a list of rules. So Paul gave this general command to cover every area of life.

Everything the believers said and everything they did should be done as a representative of the Lord Jesus, realizing his constant presence and bringing honor and glory to him in every aspect and activity of daily living (see also 1 Corinthians 10:31). To act in someone’s name is to act on his authority; believers act as Christ’s representatives.

Paul echoed the need for giving thanks, as he had in 3:15 and 3:16. All we do for Christ should be done with the spirit of thankfulness for all he has done for us. Believers are not enslaved to rules about every word they speak or deed they do; instead, they freely put themselves under the Lord’s guidance because they love him, have accepted his salvation, and live to glorify him.¹

1 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (pp. 881–885). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.