1 If G1487 ye G4891 then G3767 be risen G4891 with Christ, G5547 seek G2212 those things which are above, G507 where G3757 Christ G5547 sitteth G2076 G2521 on G1722 the right hand G1188 of God. G2316
For G1063 to be G5427 carnally G4561 minded G5427 is death; G2288 but G1161 to be G5427 spiritually G4151 minded G5427 is life G2222 and G2532 peace. G1515
But G1161 seek ye G2212 first G4412 the kingdom G932 of God, G2316 and G2532 his G846 righteousness; G1343 and G2532 all G3956 these things G5023 shall be added G4369 unto you. G5213
While G4648 we G2257 look G4648 not G3361 at G4648 the things which are seen, G991 but G235 at the things which are G991 not G3361 seen: G991 for G1063 the things which are seen G991 are temporal; G4340 but G1161 the things which are G991 not G3361 seen G991 are eternal. G166
Sell G4453 that ye G5216 have, G5224 and G2532 give G1325 alms; G1654 provide G4160 yourselves G1438 bags G905 which wax G3822 not G3361 old, G3822 a treasure G2344 in G1722 the heavens G3772 that faileth not, G413 where G3699 no G3756 thief G2812 approacheth, G1448 neither G3761 moth G4597 corrupteth. G1311
For G1063 I G1473 through G1223 the law G3551 am dead G599 to the law, G3551 that G2443 I might live G2198 unto God. G2316 I am crucified G4957 with Christ: G5547 nevertheless G1161 I live; G2198 yet not G3765 I, G1473 but G1161 Christ G5547 liveth G2198 in G1722 me: G1698 and G1161 the life which G3739 I G2198 now G3568 live G2198 in G1722 the flesh G4561 I live G2198 by G1722 the faith G4102 of the Son G5207 of God, G2316 who G3588 loved G25 me, G3165 and G2532 gave G3860 himself G1438 for G5228 me. G1700
Knowing G1492 that G3754 Christ G5547 being raised G1453 from G1537 the dead G3498 dieth G599 no more; G3765 death G2288 hath G2961 no more G3765 dominion over G2961 him. G846 For G3739 G1063 in that he died, G599 he died G599 unto sin G266 once: G2178 but G1161 in that G3739 he liveth, G2198 he liveth G2198 unto God. G2316 Likewise G3779 reckon G3049 ye G5210 also G2532 yourselves G1438 to be G1511 dead G3498 indeed G3303 unto sin, G266 but G1161 alive G2198 unto God G2316 through G1722 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Lord. G2962
Buried with G4916 him G846 in G1722 baptism, G908 wherein G1722 G3739 also G2532 ye are risen with G4891 him through G1223 the faith G4102 of the operation G1753 of God, G2316 who G3588 hath raised G1453 him G846 from G1537 the dead. G3498 And G2532 you, G5209 being G5607 dead G3498 in G1722 your sins G3900 and G2532 the uncircumcision G203 of your G5216 flesh, G4561 hath he quickened together G4806 with G4862 him, G846 having forgiven G5483 you G5213 all G3956 trespasses; G3900
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Thou G4771 hast said: G2036 nevertheless G4133 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Hereafter G737 G575 shall ye see G3700 the Son G5207 of man G444 sitting G2521 on G1537 the right hand G1188 of power, G1411 and G2532 coming G2064 in G1909 the clouds G3507 of heaven. G3772
Even G2532 when we G2248 were G5607 dead G3498 in sins, G3900 hath quickened us together with G4806 Christ, G5547 (by grace G5485 ye are G2075 saved;) G4982 And G2532 hath raised us up together, G4891 and G2532 made us sit together G4776 in G1722 heavenly G2032 places in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus: G2424
So G3303 then G3767 after G3326 the Lord G2962 had spoken G2980 unto them, G846 he was received up G353 into G1519 heaven, G3772 and G2532 sat G2523 on G1537 the right hand G1188 of God. G2316
Looking G872 unto G1519 Jesus G2424 the author G747 and G2532 finisher G5051 of our faith; G4102 who G3739 for G473 the joy G5479 that was set before G4295 him G846 endured G5278 the cross, G4716 despising G2706 the shame, G152 and G5037 is set down G2523 at G1722 the right hand G1188 of the throne G2362 of God. G2316
Now G1161 of G1909 the things which we have spoken G3004 this is the sum: G2774 We have G2192 such G5108 an high priest, G749 who G3739 is set G2523 on G1722 the right hand G1188 of the throne G2362 of the Majesty G3172 in G1722 the heavens; G3772
But G1161 to G4314 which G5101 of the angels G32 said he G2046 at any time, G4218 Sit G2521 on G1537 my G3450 right hand, G1188 until G302 G2193 I make G5087 thine G4675 enemies G2190 thy G4675 footstool? G5286 G4228
Who G3739 being G5607 the brightness G541 of his glory, G1391 and G2532 the express image G5481 of his G846 person, G5287 and G5037 upholding G5342 all things G3956 by the word G4487 of his G846 power, G1411 when he had G4160 G2512 by G1223 himself G1438 purged G4160 G2512 our G2257 sins, G266 sat down G2523 on G1722 the right hand G1188 of the Majesty G3172 on G1722 high; G5308
Set your affection G5426 on things above, G507 not G3361 on things on G1909 the earth. G1093
For G1063 our G2257 conversation G4175 is G5225 in G1722 heaven; G3772 from G1537 whence G3739 also G2532 we look for G553 the Saviour, G4990 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ: G5547 Who G3739 shall change G3345 our G2257 vile G5014 body, G4983 that G1519 it G846 may be G1096 fashioned like unto G4832 his G846 glorious G1391 body, G4983 according to G2596 the working G1753 whereby he G846 is able G1410 even G2532 to subdue G5293 all things G3956 unto himself. G1438
And G2532 what G5101 is the exceeding G5235 greatness G3174 of his G846 power G1411 to G1519 us-ward G2248 who G3588 believe, G4100 according to G2596 the working G1753 of his G846 mighty G2479 power, G2904 Which G3739 he wrought G1754 in G1722 Christ, G5547 when he raised G1453 him G846 from G1537 the dead, G3498 and G2532 set G2523 him at G1722 his own G846 right hand G1188 in G1722 the heavenly G2032 places,
[[A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 The LORD H3068 said H5002 unto my Lord, H113 Sit H3427 thou at my right hand, H3225 until I make H7896 thine enemies H341 thy footstool. H1916 H7272
Therefore G3767 we are buried with G4916 him G846 by G1223 baptism G908 into G1519 death: G2288 that G2443 like as G5618 Christ G5547 was raised up G1453 from G1537 the dead G3498 by G1223 the glory G1391 of the Father, G3962 even so G3779 we G2249 also G2532 should walk G4043 in G1722 newness G2538 of life. G2222 For G1063 if G1487 we have been G1096 planted together G4854 in the likeness G3667 of his G846 death, G2288 we shall be G2071 also G235 G2532 in the likeness of his resurrection: G386
These G3778 all G3956 died G599 in G2596 faith, G4102 not G3361 having received G2983 the promises, G1860 but G235 having seen G1492 them G846 afar off, G4207 and G2532 were persuaded of G3982 them, and G2532 embraced G782 them, and G2532 confessed G3670 that G3754 they were G1526 strangers G3581 and G2532 pilgrims G3927 on G1909 the earth. G1093 For G1063 they that say G3004 such things G5108 declare plainly G1718 that G3754 they seek G1934 a country. G3968 And G2532 truly, G3303 if G1487 they had been mindful G3421 of that G1565 country from G575 whence G3739 they came out, G1831 they might G302 have had G2192 opportunity G2540 to have returned. G344 But G1161 now G3570 they desire G3713 a better G2909 country, that is, G5123 an heavenly: G2032 wherefore G1352 God G2316 is G1870 not G3756 ashamed G1870 G846 to be called G1941 their G846 God: G2316 for G1063 he hath prepared G2090 for them G846 a city. G4172
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Colossians 3
Commentary on Colossians 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Col 3:1-4
The apostle, having described our privileges by Christ in the former part of the epistle, and our discharge from the yoke of the ceremonial law, comes here to press upon us our duty as inferred thence. Though we are made free from the obligation of the ceremonial law, it does not therefore follow that we may live as we list. We must walk the more closely with God in all the instances of evangelical obedience. He begins with exhorting them to set their hearts on heaven, and take them off from this world: If you then have risen with Christ. It is our privilege that we have risen with Christ; that is, have benefit by the resurrection of Christ, and by virtue of our union and communion with him are justified and sanctified, and shall be glorified. Hence he infers that we must seek those things which are above. We must mind the concerns of another world more than the concerns of this. We must make heaven our scope and aim, seek the favour of God above, keep up our communion with the upper world by faith, and hope, and holy love, and make it our constant care and business to secure our title to and qualifications for the heavenly bliss. And the reason is because Christ sits at the right hand of God. He who is our best friend and our head is advanced to the highest dignity and honour in heaven, and has gone before to secure to us the heavenly happiness; and therefore we should seek and secure what he has purchased at so vast an expense, and is taking so much care about. We must live such a life as Christ lived here on earth and lives now in heaven, according to our capacities.
Col 3:5-7
The apostle exhorts the Colossians to the mortification of sin, the great hindrance to seeking the things which are above. Since it is our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things, it is our duty to mortify our members which are upon the earth, and which naturally incline us to the things of the world: "Mortify them, that is, subdue the vicious habits of mind which prevailed in your Gentile state. Kill them, suppress them, as you do weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them, or as you kill an enemy who fights against you and wounds you.'-Your members which are upon the earth; either the members of the body, which are the earthly part of us, and were curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth (Ps. 139:15), or the corrupt affections of the mind, which lead us to earthly things, the members of the body of death, Rom. 7:24. He specifies,
Col 3:8-11
As we are to mortify inordinate appetites, so we are to mortify inordinate passions (v. 8): But now you also put off all these, anger wrath, malice; for these are contrary to the design of the gospel, as well as grosser impurities; and, though they are more spiritual wickedness, have not less malignity in them. The gospel religion introduces a change of the higher as well as the lower powers of the soul, and supports the dominion of right reason and conscience over appetite and passion. Anger and wrath are bad, but malice is worse, because it is more rooted and deliberate; it is anger heightened and settled. And, as the corrupt principles in the heart must be cut off, so the product of them in the tongue; as blasphemy, which seems there to mean, not so much speaking ill of God as speaking ill of men, giving ill language to them, or raising ill reports of them, and injuring their good name by any evil arts,-filthy communication, that is, all lewd and wanton discourse, which comes from a polluted mind in the speaker and propagates the same defilements in the hearers,-and lying: Lie not one to another (v. 9), for it is contrary both to the law of truth and the law of love, it is both unjust and unkind, and naturally tends to destroy all faith and friendship among mankind. Lying makes us like the devil (who is the father of lies), and is a prime part of the devil's image upon our souls; and therefore we are cautioned against this sin by this general reason: Seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, v. 10. The consideration that we have by profession put away sin and espoused the cause and interest of Christ, that we have renounced all sin and stand engaged to Christ, should fortify us against this sin of lying. Those who have put off the old man have put it off with its deeds; and those who have put on the new man must put on all its deeds-not only espouse good principles but act them in a good conversation. The new man is said to be renewed in knowledge, because an ignorant soul cannot be a good soul. Without knowledge the heart cannot be good, Prov. 19:2. The grace of God works upon the will and affections by renewing the understanding. Light is the first thing in the new creation, as it was in the first: after the image of him who created him. It was the honour of man in innocence that he was made after the image of God; but that image was defaced and lost by sin, and is renewed by sanctifying grace: so that a renewed soul is something like what Adam was in the day he was created. In the privilege and duty of sanctification there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, v. 11. There is now no difference arising from different country or different condition and circumstance of life: it is as much the duty of the one as of the other to be holy, and as much the privilege of the one as of the other to receive from God the grace to be so. Christ came to take down all partition-walls, that all might stand on the same level before God, both in duty and privilege. And for this reason, because Christ is all in all. Christ is a Christian's all, his only Lord and Saviour, and all his hope and happiness. And to those who are sanctified, one as well as another and whatever they are in other respects, he is all in all, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: he is all in all things to them.
Col 3:12-17
The apostle proceeds to exhort to mutual love and compassion: Put on therefore bowels of mercy, v. 12. We must not only put off anger and wrath (as v. 8), but we must put on compassion and kindness; not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well; not only not do hurt to any, but do what good we can to all.
Col 3:18-25
The apostle concludes the chapter with exhortations to relative duties, as before in the epistle to the Ephesians. The epistles which are most taken up in displaying the glory of divine grace, and magnifying the Lord Jesus, are the most particular and distinct in pressing the duties of the several relations. We must never separate the privileges and duties of the gospel religion.
It is probable that the apostle has a particular respect, in all these instances of duty, to the case mentioned 1 Co. 7 of relations of a different religion, as a Christian and heathen, a Jewish convert and an uncircumcised Gentile, where there was room to doubt whether they were bound to fulfil the proper duties of their several relations to such persons. And, if it hold in such cases, it is much stronger upon Christians one towards another, and where both are of the same religion. And how happy would the gospel religion make the world, if it every where prevailed; and how much would it influence every state of things and every relation of life!