Bible Study Notes On Colossians Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bible Text

Notes and Thoughts

1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
5 ¶ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience,
7 in which ye also once walked, when ye lived in them.
8 ¶ But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor un circumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
12 ¶ Therefore, holy and beloved, as the elect of God, put on hearts of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering,
13 forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against another: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.
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.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.
18 ¶ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men,
24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done, and there is no respect of persons.

3:5 - 4:6 The Old life and New life.
Paul now moves into the practical application of the doctrines he has been teaching, it is a waste if we know the truth but do not use it. Titus 1:16 It does not give glory to God either.
v1-4 Looking to heaven.
v1-2 Look up to heaven not at the things of the world, they offer nothing, we should look at our life from God’s point of view.
v3 We died with Christ, we are hidden in Him, no longer in the world. Rom 8:31-39. Christ broke the power of sin, the Holy Spirit gives us the power over the old nature Rom 6:2.
v4 Christ is in us, our life, we already have eternal life in Him, Already on way to glory. 1 John 5:12; Phil 1:21.
This does not mean we should avoid our worldly responsibilities, but our desires should be to please Him in all we do.
v5-9 Kill things of World.
Paul lists the acts, behaviour which we must kill, destroy from our life, we have died with Christ, we have the spiritual power to destroy all these. Rom 6:11. All sin comes from the heart Mark 7:21-23 and because of this God’s wrath (anger) is to come, v6.
v5 Note Paul lists"covetousness," the sin of ‘always wanting more,’ never satisfied, envious of what others have. The most common sin which even Christians suffer from, it takes God’s place in our hearts.
v8-9 Paul now warns against the social sins, we so often hear these we ignore them. We must put on the new man, these do not belong to children of Christ, we have a new life. Rom 6:4; Eph 4:24-28.
v10-11 Growing in Christ.
We become like Christ, " all in all one" Gal 3:28; We once and for all put on a new life in Christ and this life is daily being renewed. Rom 8:29-31 How? By knowledge in Him. 2 Cor 3:18; Rom 12:2. How? Study the Word John 8:31-32.
v12-14 Relationships to each other.
v12 Elected of God: By His grace we are chosen before the foundations of the world Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 2:19.
v13 We are forgiven by God, so also we should forgive others. Col 2:13.
v14 we should be full of love(charity) 1 Cor 13:1ff); Phil 2:1ff and humility v12. Love is the first fruits of the Spirit, the rest will follow.
v15-17 Relationship to God.
v15-16 Let God’s peace rule, when we fail Him, we lose that inner peace. With God’s peace we have peace with others. Without this peace we will have a problem with sincere praising Him. Make sure God’s Word is hid in your heart. Paul directed these instructions to the whole church, not individuals. Is God’s Word taught fully in your church? When you sing is it to God’s glory?
v17 Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, with thanks for the result, what ever it is. If we do anything which cannot be done in His Name it must be wrong.
Christ is all and in all v11.
3:18- 4:1 The family.
v18-19 Husbands & Wives.
The position of the wife was changed in the times of the Roman world with the coming of the Gospel, however Paul is not indicating "slavery," for things to work correctly we need an order of rank, soldiers can be private or colonel, not necessarily better than the other. A Man is not necessarily better than a Woman in headship or leadership. Husbands and wives must submit to the Lord and to each other. Eph 5:21; No male or female Gal 3:28.
True spiritual submission is the secret of growth in the Lord, when woman is subject to her husband and the Lord and the husband loves her and submits also to the Lord they should have a perfect relationship.
The word translated "love" is "agape," a love which does not expect response as God’s love for Man, or that He sent His son to die for us. Love of husband and wife is a sacrificial love.
Paul does give a warning to the husband as well, v19 "be not bitter against them" He should not hold anything against her because of what she did or did not do. consider 1 Cor 13:4-5.
We should live to please God first, others second self last.
v20-21 Parents and children.
Having children is part of God’s plan Gen 1:28.
v20 Children should obey so as to be pleasing to the Lord. Parent must make it easy for children to obey by the way they live, only parents who are submitted to the Will of the Lord are likely to make this possible.
Discouraged children will be open to the attacks of Satan.
3:22 - 4:1 Masters and servants.
Slaves were part of the world in Paul’s day, at least half of the people were slaves in some form. Some slaves were well educated and used to teach the children or had great responsibility in the running of the home.
People may ask why the church did not fight slavery. The aim of the early church was to spread the Gospel, they would have appeared as anti government if they had opposed slavery and been stopped in their task of spreading of the Gospel.
v22 A Christian servant owed complete obedience to his master, as his ministry to the Lord. If his master was also a Christian he should not take advantage, they should do all to please the Lord. v23,24.
Even if their master was not a Christian they should do all for the Lord not for men. Unfortunately this way of working can make problems at work, non Christians may not be so willing to work and get jealous or cause problems. Remember v24, it’s the Lord’s reward we should work for.
4:1 Paul also reminds the master to be fair as they will be judged by their Master in heaven.

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The Letter to the Colossians