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3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in
God.
3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory.
3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry:
3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience:
3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth.
3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with
his deeds;
3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him:
3:11 Where there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in
all.
3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
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.
3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness.
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.
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.
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.
3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the
Lord.
3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing
unto the Lord.
3:21 Fathers,
provoke not your children to anger, lest they be
discouraged.
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;
3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto
men;
3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath
done: and there is no
respect of persons.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Colossians
Book: Colossians
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The
Colossians exhorted to be heavenly-minded;
(1-4) to
mortify all corrupt affections;
(5-11) to live in mutual
Love,
forbearance, and forgiveness;
(12-17) and to practise the duties
of wives and husbands, children, parents, and servants.
(18-25)
1-4 As Christians are freed from the ceremonial
Law, they must
walk the more closely with
God in
Gospel obedience. As
Heaven
and
Earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed
together; and
Affection to the one will weaken and abate
Affection to the other. Those that are born again are dead to
Sin, because its dominion is broken, its power gradually subdued
By the operation of
Grace, and it shall at length be
extinguished
By the
Perfection of
Glory. To be dead, then, means
this, that those who have the Holy
Spirit, mortifying within
them the lusts of the
Flesh, are able to despise earthly things,
and to desire those that are heavenly.
Christ is, at present,
one whom we have not seen; but our comfort is, that our
Life is
safe with him. The streams of this living water flow into the
soul
By the influences of the Holy
Spirit, through
Faith.
Christ
lives in the believer
By his
Spirit, and the believer lives to
him in all he does. At the second
Coming of Christ, there will
be a general assembling of all the redeemed; and those whose
Life is now hid with
Christ, shall then appear with him in his
Glory. Do we look for such happiness, and should we not set our
affections upon that world, and live above this?
5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the
things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as
weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them.
Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and
No provision made for
Carnal indulgences. Occasions of
Sin must
be avoided: the lusts of the
Flesh, and the
Love of the world;
and
Covetousness, which is
Idolatry;
Love of present good, and
of outward enjoyments. It is necessary to mortify sins, because
if we do not kill them, they will kill us. The
Gospel changes
the higher as
Well as the lower powers of the soul, and supports
the rule of right reason and
Conscience, over appetite and
Passion. There is now
No difference from country, or conditions
and circumstances of
Life. It is the duty of every one to be
holy, because
Christ is a
Christian's All, his only
Lord and
Saviour, and all his
Hope and happiness.
12-17 We must not only do
No hurt to any, but do what good we
can to all. Those who are the elect of
God, holy and beloved,
ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this
world, where there is
So much corruption in our hearts, quarrels
will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another,
imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the
peace of
God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all
who are his. Thanksgiving to
God,
Helps to make us agreeable to
all men. The
Gospel is the
Word of
Christ. Many have the
Word,
but it dwells in them poorly; it has
No power over them. The
soul prospers, when we are full of the Scriptures and of the
Grace of
Christ. But when we sing
Psalms, we must be affected
with what we sing. Whatever we are employed about, let us do
every thing in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and in believing
dependence
On him. Those who do all in
Christ's name, will never
want matter of thanksgiving to
God, even the
Father.
18-25 The
Epistles most taken up in displaying the
Glory of the
Divine
Grace, and magnifying the
Lord Jesus, are the most
particular in pressing the duties of the
Christian Life. We must
never separate the privileges and duties of the
Gospel.
Submission is the duty of wives. But it is submission, not to a
severe
Lord or stern tyrant, but to her own
Husband, who is
engaged to affectionate duty. And husbands must
Love their wives
with tender and
Faithful Affection. Dutiful children are the
most likely to prosper. And parents must be tender, as
Well as
children obedient. Servants are to do their duty, and obey their
masters' commands, in all things consistent with duty to
God
their heavenly Master. They must be both just and diligent;
without selfish designs, or hypocrisy and disguise. Those who
fear
God, will be just and
Faithful when from under their
master's
Eye, because they know they are under the
Eye of
God.
And do all with diligence, not idly and slothfully; cheerfully,
not discontented at the
Providence of
God which
Put them in that
relation. And for servants' encouragement, let them know, that
in serving their masters according to the command of
Christ,
they serve
Christ, and he will give them a glorious reward at
last. But,
On the other
Hand, he who doeth wrong, shall receive
for the wrong which he hath done.
God will punish the unjust, as
Well as reward the
Faithful servant; and the same if masters
wrong their servants. For the righteous
Judge of the
Earth will
Deal justly between master and servant. Both will stand upon a
level at his tribunal. How happy would true religion make the
world, if it every where prevailed, influenced every state of
things, and every relation of
Life! But the profession of those
persons who are regardless of duties, and give just cause for
complaint to those they are connected with, deceives themselves,
as
Well as brings reproach
On the
Gospel.