17 And G2532 whatsoever G3748 G3956 ye do G302 G4160 in G1722 word G3056 or G2228 G1722 deed, G2041 do all G3956 in G1722 the name G3686 of the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 giving thanks G2168 to God G2316 and G2532 the Father G3962 by G1223 him. G846
Whether G1535 therefore G3767 ye eat, G2068 or G1535 drink, G4095 or G1535 whatsoever G5100 ye do, G4160 do G4160 all G3956 to G1519 the glory G1391 of God. G2316
Giving thanks G2168 always G3842 for G5228 all things G3956 unto God G2316 and G2532 the Father G3962 in G1722 the name G3686 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ; G5547
If any man G1536 speak, G2980 let him speak as G5613 the oracles G3051 of God; G2316 if any man G1536 minister, G1247 let him do it as G5613 of G1537 the ability G2479 which G3739 God G2316 giveth: G5524 that G2443 God G2316 in G1722 all things G3956 may be glorified G1392 through G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 to whom G3739 be G2076 praise G1391 and G2532 dominion G2904 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 Amen. G281
My G3450 little children, G5040 let us G25 not G3361 love G25 in word, G3056 neither G3366 in tongue; G1100 but G235 in deed G2041 and G2532 in truth. G225
For all people H5971 will walk H3212 every one H376 in the name H8034 of his god, H430 and we will walk H3212 in the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 our God H430 for ever H5769 and ever. H5703
And thus did H6213 Hezekiah H3169 throughout all Judah, H3063 and wrought H6213 that which was good H2896 and right H3477 and truth H571 before H6440 the LORD H3068 his God. H430 And in every work H4639 that he began H2490 in the service H5656 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and in the law, H8451 and in the commandments, H4687 to seek H1875 his God, H430 he did H6213 it with all his heart, H3824 and prospered. H6743
But G1161 ye G5210 are a chosen G1588 generation, G1085 a royal G934 priesthood, G2406 an holy G40 nation, G1484 a peculiar G1519 G4047 people; G2992 that G3704 ye should shew forth G1804 the praises G703 of him who hath called G2564 you G5209 out of G1537 darkness G4655 into G1519 his G846 marvellous G2298 light: G5457
In G1722 every thing G3956 give thanks: G2168 for G1063 this G5124 is the will G2307 of God G2316 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus G2424 concerning G1519 you. G5209
He that regardeth G5426 the day, G2250 regardeth G5426 it unto the Lord; G2962 and G2532 he that regardeth G5426 not G3361 the day, G2250 to the Lord G2962 he doth G5426 not G3756 regard G5426 it. He that eateth, G2068 eateth G2068 to the Lord, G2962 for G1063 he giveth God G2316 thanks; G2168 and G2532 he that eateth G2068 not, G3361 to the Lord G2962 he eateth G2068 not, G3756 and G2532 giveth God G2316 thanks. G2168 For G1063 none G3762 of us G2257 liveth G2198 to himself, G1438 and G2532 no man G3762 dieth G599 to himself. G1438 For G1063 whether G1437 G5037 we live, G2198 we live G2198 unto the Lord; G2962 and whether G1437 G5037 we die, G599 we die G599 unto the Lord: G2962 whether G1437 G5037 we live G2198 therefore, G3767 or G1437 G5037 die, G599 we are G2070 the Lord's. G2962
And G1161 this G5124 was G1096 known G1110 to all G3956 the Jews G2453 and G5037 Greeks G1672 also G2532 dwelling G2730 at Ephesus; G2181 and G2532 fear G5401 fell G1968 on G1909 them G846 all, G3956 and G2532 the name G3686 of the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 was magnified. G3170
Go ye G4198 therefore, G3767 and teach G3100 all G3956 nations, G1484 baptizing G907 them G846 in G1519 the name G3686 of the Father, G3962 and G2532 of the Son, G5207 and G2532 of the Holy G40 Ghost: G4151
Rooted G4492 and G2532 built up G2026 in G1722 him, G846 and G2532 stablished G950 in G1722 the faith, G4102 as G2531 ye have been taught, G1321 abounding G4052 therein G1722 G846 with G1722 thanksgiving. G2169
Furthermore G3063 then G3767 we beseech G2065 you, G5209 brethren, G80 and G2532 exhort G3870 you by G1722 the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 that as G2531 ye have received G3880 of G3844 us G2257 how G4459 ye G5209 ought G1163 to walk G4043 and G2532 to please G700 God, G2316 so G2443 ye would abound G4052 more and more. G3123 For G1063 ye know G1492 what G5101 commandments G3852 we gave G1325 you G5213 by G1223 the Lord G2962 Jesus. G2424
Whosoever G3956 denieth G720 the Son, G5207 the same hath G2192 not G3761 the Father: G3962 (but) he that acknowledgeth G3670 the Son G5207 hath G2192 the Father G3962 also. G2532
And G2532 that every G3956 tongue G1100 should confess G1843 that G3754 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 is Lord, G2962 to G1519 the glory G1391 of God G2316 the Father. G3962
For G1063 unto which G5101 of the angels G32 said he G2036 at any time, G4218 Thou G4771 art G1488 my G3450 Son, G5207 this day G4594 have G1080 I G1473 begotten G1080 thee? G4571 And G2532 again, G3825 I G1473 will be G2071 to G1519 him G846 a Father, G3962 and G2532 he G846 shall be G2071 to G1519 me G3427 a Son? G5207
Comfort G3870 your G5216 hearts, G2588 and G2532 stablish G4741 you G5209 in G1722 every G3956 good G18 word G3056 and G2532 work. G2041
Paul, G3972 and G2532 Silvanus, G4610 and G2532 Timotheus, G5095 unto the church G1577 of the Thessalonians G2331 which is in G1722 God G2316 the Father G3962 and G2532 in the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ: G5547 Grace G5485 be unto you, G5213 and G2532 peace, G1515 from G575 God G2316 our G2257 Father, G3962 and G2532 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547
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!