24 Knowing G1492 that G3754 of G575 the Lord G2962 ye shall receive G618 the reward G469 of the inheritance: G2817 for G1063 ye serve G1398 the Lord G2962 Christ. G5547
Knowing G1492 that G3754 whatsoever G3739 G1437 G5100 good thing G18 any man G1538 doeth, G4160 the same G5124 shall he receive G2865 of G3844 the Lord, G2962 whether G1535 he be bond G1401 or G1535 free. G1658
For G1063 he that is called G2564 in G1722 the Lord, G2962 being a servant, G1401 is G2076 the Lord's G2962 freeman: G558 likewise G3668 also G2532 he that is called, G2564 being free, G1658 is G2076 Christ's G5547 servant. G1401
And G2532 now, G3569 brethren, G80 I commend G3908 you G5209 to God, G2316 and G2532 to the word G3056 of his G846 grace, G5485 which G3588 is able G1410 to build you up, G2026 and G2532 to give G1325 you G5213 an inheritance G2817 among G1722 all G3956 them which are sanctified. G37
Now G1161 to him that worketh G2038 is G3049 the reward G3408 not G3756 reckoned G3049 of G2596 grace, G5485 but G235 of G2596 debt. G3783 But G1161 to him that worketh G2038 not, G3361 but G1161 believeth G4100 on G1909 him that justifieth G1344 the ungodly, G765 his G846 faith G4102 is counted G3049 for G1519 righteousness. G1343
Jude, G2455 the servant G1401 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 and G1161 brother G80 of James, G2385 to them that are sanctified G37 by G1722 God G2316 the Father, G3962 and G2532 preserved G5083 in Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 and called: G2822
Simon G4826 Peter, G4074 a servant G1401 and G2532 an apostle G652 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 to them that have obtained G2975 like precious G2472 faith G4102 with us G2254 through G1722 the righteousness G1343 of God G2316 and G2532 our G2257 Saviour G4990 Jesus G2424 Christ: G5547
But G1161 without G5565 faith G4102 it is impossible G102 to please G2100 him: for G1063 he that cometh G4334 to God G2316 must G1163 believe G4100 that G3754 he is, G2076 and G2532 that he is G1096 a rewarder G3406 of them that diligently seek G1567 him. G846
Cast G577 not G3361 away G577 therefore G3767 your G5216 confidence, G3954 which G3748 hath G2192 great G3173 recompence of reward. G3405
And G2532 for this G5124 cause G1223 he is G2076 the mediator G3316 of the new G2537 testament, G1242 that G3704 by means G1096 of death, G2288 for G1519 the redemption G629 of the transgressions G3847 that were under G1909 the first G4413 testament, G1242 they which are called G2564 might receive G2983 the promise G1860 of eternal G166 inheritance. G2817
Let G2603 no man G3367 beguile G2603 you G5209 of your reward G2603 in G1722 a voluntary G2309 humility G5012 and G2532 worshipping G2356 of angels, G32 intruding into G1687 those things which G3739 he hath G3708 not G3361 seen, G3708 vainly G1500 puffed up G5448 by G5259 his G846 fleshly G4561 mind, G3563
For G1063 if G1487 I do G4238 this thing G5124 willingly, G1635 I have G2192 a reward: G3408 but G1161 if G1487 against my will, G210 a dispensation G3622 of the gospel is committed unto me. G4100 What G5101 is G2076 my G3427 reward G3408 then? G3767 Verily that, G2443 when I preach the gospel, G2097 I may make G5087 the gospel G2098 of Christ G5547 without charge, G77 that G1519 I abuse G2710 not G3361 my G3450 power G1849 in G1722 the gospel. G2098
After H310 these things H1697 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto Abram H87 in a vision, H4236 saying, H559 Fear H3372 not, Abram: H87 I am thy shield, H4043 and thy exceeding H3966 great H7235 reward. H7939
If G1437 any man G5100 serve G1247 me, G1698 let him follow G190 me; G1698 and G2532 where G3699 I G1473 am, G1510 there G1563 shall G2071 also G2532 my G1699 servant G1249 be: G2071 G2532 if G1437 any man G5100 serve G1247 me, G1698 him G846 will G5091 my Father G3962 honour. G5091
And G2532 thou shalt be G2071 blessed; G3107 for G3754 they cannot G3756 G2192 recompense G467 thee: G4671 for G1063 thou G4671 shalt be recompensed G467 at G1722 the resurrection G386 of the just. G1342
But G4133 love ye G25 your G5216 enemies, G2190 and G2532 do good, G15 and G2532 lend, G1155 hoping G560 for nothing G3367 again; G560 and G2532 your G5216 reward G3408 shall be G2071 great, G4183 and G2532 ye shall be G2071 the children G5207 of the Highest: G5310 for G3754 he G846 is G2076 kind G5543 unto G1909 the unthankful G884 and G2532 to the evil. G4190
He that receiveth G1209 a prophet G4396 in G1519 the name G3686 of a prophet G4396 shall receive G2983 a prophet's G4396 reward; G3408 and G2532 he that receiveth G2983 a righteous man G1342 in G1519 the name G3686 of a righteous man G1342 shall receive G1209 a righteous man's G1342 reward. G3408
Moreover G1161 when G3752 ye fast, G3522 be G1096 not, G3361 as G5618 the hypocrites, G5273 of a sad countenance: G4659 for G1063 they disfigure G853 their G846 faces, G4383 that G3704 they may appear G5316 unto men G444 to fast. G3522 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 They have G568 their G846 reward. G3408
And G2532 when G3752 thou prayest, G4336 thou shalt G2071 not G3756 be G2071 as G5618 the hypocrites G5273 are: for G3754 they love G5368 to pray G4336 standing G2476 in G1722 the synagogues G4864 and G2532 in G1722 the corners G1137 of the streets, G4113 that G3704 they may G302 be seen G5316 of men. G444 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 They have G568 their G846 reward. G3408
Take heed G4337 that ye do G4160 not G3361 your G5216 alms G1654 before G1715 men, G444 to be seen G4314 G2300 of them: G846 otherwise G1490 ye have G2192 no G3756 reward G3408 of G3844 your G5216 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven. G3772 Therefore G3767 when G3752 thou doest G4160 thine alms, G1654 do G4537 not G3361 sound a trumpet G4537 before G1715 thee, G4675 as G5618 the hypocrites G5273 do G4160 in G1722 the synagogues G4864 and G2532 in G1722 the streets, G4505 that G3704 they may have glory G1392 of G5259 men. G444 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 They have G568 their G846 reward. G3408
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!