Colossians,
Chapter 3
© Copyright 1997 Darroll Evans-all rights
reserved
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God.
In my mind, the most important words found in
this verse are "risen with."
That comes from a compound Greek word.
The first part of the Greek word is
"sun-sun."
It means "with."
If you were to draw a line, and then draw a
second line exactly on top of the first line so that none could distinguish the
first from the second, the second line would be "with" the first.
In the same manner we are risen
"with" Christ.
If you have been raised with Christ, seek
heavenly things.
Colossians 2:12---"When you were baptized, you were buried
with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with
Christ through your faith in the active power of God, Who raised him from the
dead" (TEV).
Dear Saint, after accepting Christ, you are
different.
You have a new citizenship.
In Christ you are a new creation (2 Corinthians
5:17)!
You are not an old sinner saved by grace.
You are a new creation in Christ---born again
of God!
"With" Christ you are a new
creation with a new destiny.
You are traveling a new road.
Don't return to things of the old life.
There was no life in the old life.
Christ Jesus is your Savior.
God loves you with an unconditional
love.
Here is a glimpse of God's love for you.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
(4) Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;
(5) love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep
a record of wrongs;
(6) love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
(7) Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail.
(8a) Love is eternal...(TEV)
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on
things above, not on things on the earth.
“Affection” indicates the mind, the thinking
process.
Where is your focus?
Our thinking process is to be focused on
things that are above.
Jesus said that we are to store up for
ourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20).
Unfortunately, many Christians are still
focused on storing up monetary funds.
Far too many Christians want to become
millionaires so they can pay for others to go on mission trips, but they are
unwilling to personally evangelize.
They are not led by the Spirit!
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your
life is hid with Christ in God.
We "are dead" in Christ Jesus, and
that death results in life with Christ Jesus.
Dead men don’t make decisions.
If you are dead “in” Christ, and led by the
Spirit, Christ lead and you follow.
If you have not acknowledged Christ, you are
dead in trespasses and sins, and are unable to choose what is good.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our
life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
"Shall appear" indicates His full
revelation.
At that point we shall appear with Him.
That speaks of our resurrection.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your
members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
“Mortify” does not indicate death.
As used here, it speaks of subduing our
carnal desires.
Colossians 3:6 For which things' sake the
wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
“Disobedience” should have been translated
unbelief.
Unbelief is spiritual rebellion!
Let’s look at disobedience compared to
obedience.
Romans
5:19 “For as by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be
made righteous.”
For as by {the} one man's disobedience {the}
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of {the} one shall {the} many be
made righteous.
The placement of the Greek language definite
articles shows that “{the} many” in the same group in both cases.
It represents mankind.
Study it!
Colossians 3:7 In the which ye also walked
some time, when ye lived in them.
“Walked” speaks of our life-style.
God is concerned with the way we live.
Although we are forgiven, we are not to go
back to sin.
Now, we (Christians) are sanctified and
justified in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11).
He has led us out from under the condemnation
of sin.
We are not to return.
Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all
these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
"Put off" is a command to set aside those things that are offensive
to Christ!
Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
"Ye have put off" declares an act
of renunciation.
When we acknowledged Christ, were also to
renounce sin.
Repentance is the renunciation of sin.
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new
man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
"Have put on" declares our new
state.
Far too many people think of Christianity as
a bunch of negative commands.
The new man is all positive.
But, in being positive, he/she comes into
conflict with the negative, sinful lifestyle.
When we live in the liberty of Christ our
lives change!
Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor
free: but Christ is all, and in all.
We all know the difference between Greeks and
Jews.
We understand the difference between
circumcised and uncircumcised.
You may think that some people you have met
are barbarians, but what is a Scythian?
I must admit that when I researched it, I was
surprised at the answer.
A Greek is a person whose ancestry originated
in
An Italian is a person whose ancestry
originated in
It may surprise you to know that a Jew is a
person whose ancestry originated within the Israeli tribes of Judah, Benjamin,
or Levi.
In this use, Circumcision refers to the Jews.
Uncircumcision refers to non-Jews.
Strictly speaking, anyone who did not speak
Greek was considered a barbarian.
In that day, it was not considered a
"put down" and it had nothing to do with social graces.
Now...what is a Scythian?
The spread of Christianity during the
journeys of Paul, Silas, Barnabas and the others that took the Word to the
Gentiles is well documented.
However, some of the history has been
neglected.
We readily admit that the Gospel was taken to
The seven Churches in the book of Revelation
were all located in what is now modern
Nestorian Christians were among the Mongolian
armies of Genghis Khan.
The Apostle Thomas is thought to have taken
the Gospel to
The letter to the Colossians provides a direct
reference to the people of the old
The Scythian people were nomads who lived in
what is modern
I never thought of Christianity's first
century movement being so vast.
It seems that by 63 AD (the time of the writing
of Colossians), Christianity had already spread into upper
A modern day Scythian is just a Ukrainian by
birth.
Let’s look at the last few words of this
verse, "but Christ is all, and in all."
That is really a very good translation of the
Greek text.
How would you explain those words?
Do you believe them?
Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering;
As the elect, the chosen of God, we are to
put on the godly things of life.
The Greek word translated "elect"
may also be translated "chosen."
Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
“Forbearing” speaks of tolerance.
We are to act with tolerance toward other
Christians.
We are to forgive their sins toward us, but
we are also to point out sins---in kindness.
Colossians 3:14 And above all these things
put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Above all means what it says.
We might say, first and foremost.
Something must lead the way, or come first,
and love is it.
In today's use, the English word
"charity" means love.
Godly love is a deep abiding concern that
brings unity and maturity to the body of Christ.
The KJV translators added the words "put
on."
In my opinion, a better translation would
have been, "And above all these things love, which is the bonding agent of
maturity."
Love is Christ's standard.
“Perfectness” does not indicate
flawlessness.
It simply means maturity.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.
Let the God's peace rule your heart.
God's peace is a serenity the goes beyond
anything language can describe.
Peace must be experienced.
Christ offers you a divine peace.
In the eye of a hurricane, There is only
minimal wind, and the sun may be shining.
All around the eye there is turmoil.
Christ offers us the ability to live at peace
in the midst of turmoil.
Be thankful that God has called you to be
part of the body.
In the Greek, "Called" (Gr.
ekleetheete-eklhqhte) indicates that we are called aloud to come into the
presence of God.
When we are called, we are really called!
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord.
The word of Christ is to live in us
"richly," or abundantly---in wisdom.
Paul gives the formula for abundant living,
and it does not indicate that we should move to Wall Street.
We should be "teaching and admonishing,
or exhorting one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Why would Paul say we are to do those things
in our hearts?
Proverbs 23:7a---“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
God looks on the heart!
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the
Father by him.
“Ye do” denotes the things we say, do, make,
and/or acquire.
The concept here is easily understood.
Everything should be done and said with
thanks to God.
Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
“Submit” is a Greek military term.
It indicates subordination or "falling
in line" militarily.
In this case it means voluntary
cooperation.
Please read this the way it is written.
There is no verse in the Bible that says husbands are supposed to abuse their wives
or make their wives submit.
The voluntary submission by a wife is done
because of her love for her husband.
Husbands who force their wives to submit are
not fit to be called husbands.
This verse has nothing to do
with the family decision-making.
Decision-making is a family matter based on
the best interest of the family as a whole, and not the whims of one
Neanderthal.
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives,
and be not bitter against them.
As a husband, it is my duty to uphold my wife
in prayer each and every day.
That is not an option to the Christian
husband, it is his duty.
It is proper before the Lord that Christian husbands
are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, not being angry toward
them.
Husbands are to cherish their wives.
Spousal abuse is satanic and should never
take place in the Christian home.
Failing to care for your wife can result in
God not giving heed to the husband's prayers (1 Peter 3:7).
Men, it is a dangerous thing to fail in your
relationship with your wife.
No Christian husband takes his marriage
lightly.
Pretenders do as they please...or as Satan
pleases.
Christ is the example we have.
He loves the Church and gave himself for the
Church.
Christian husbands should do no less for
their wives.
“Bitter” speaks of indignation.
Husbands are not to cause conflict to arise
within the family.
Husbands are to use tact in their dealings.
Unfortunately women are generally better at
using tact than men.
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your
parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Being a family requires cooperation!
Due to acquired spiritual and experiential
maturity it is best that the parents be in charge—It’s just that simple.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your
children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Christian children are to obey their parents
because it pleases the Lord.
Teenage hormones not withstanding, Christian
children are to always respect their parents.
I look around at today's successful comedians
poking fun at their parents and thank God that my parents loved me.
In my heart parental love has never been in
question.
According to their dialogue, most comedians
have a deep seeded hatred for their parents.
God smiled on me.
I can truthfully say that I have never
talked back to my parents, nor have I argued with them.
Christian parents are told not to provoke their
children (Ephesians 6:4).
It may cause them to become discouraged.
It is a fact, if you tell a child that he or
she is bad, odds are that child will fulfill your words.
As Parents, we should be our children's
biggest cheerleaders.
There are instances when that approach will
not work, but tough love is a last resort.
Prayer is the most important aspect of
parenting.
Mothers have done most of that. It is also a
father's job.
Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all
things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
“Servants” means slave!
Paul lived in a time when slavery was
accepted.
So, the Greek is foreign to our societal
understanding.
Worldwide, slavery is still condoned and
practiced in some antiquated Muslim societies.
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do
it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
We are to do things heartily, or "out of
the soul."
Christ did not perform a "half-way"
measure when he took our sins.
We who represent Christ should not be
satisfied with "half-way" efforts.
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord
ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
We are to serve the Lord, because it is in
Him that we have our inheritance.
Colossians 3:25 But he that doeth wrong
shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of
persons.
God does not show partiality.
Christ died for all!