Verses 1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Everything in this world either is passing away or will pass away. The only things that are eternal are the things of God. This Heaven and Earth to which mankind is so attached will be burnt up and destroyed, but the spiritual Kingdom of God never ends and can never be destroyed. Therefore, the sensible thing to do while dwelling on this Earth is to invest time and treasure in the things of God instead of the temporal things of this Earth.
Verses 3-4 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.
The believer is like Christ and therefore is dead to the sin and the things of this world. The believer’s life is focused on the LORD Jesus Christ and not on the world. The believer is alive both physically and spiritually by being sustained by Christ Jesus. And the believer that has shed the physical body through physical death is alive in Heaven with Jesus. Those believers who are physically alive and who have not experienced physical death can only imagine what life after death is like. But there is the promise that when Jesus returns, those that are alive and remaining on this Earth will be transformed and be like Him in glory. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Verses 5-7 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Mortify means to make dead or put to death. The Greek word translated as “members” is “melos” and it means a limb or a part or organ of the body. The apostle Paul is saying that the believer needs to die to sins and keep those parts of the body such as the mind, the eyes, the hands and the feet, from participating in sin. The sins listed are sexual sin, lust, vile passions, desires for what is forbidden, and greed which is idolatry as there is a worship of wealth. The wrath or anger of God will be on those who follow after Satan and who are disobedient to the LORD.
Verses 8-10 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not 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:
Besides never again engaging in the type of sins listed in the previous verses, the believer is to also not engage in losing his/her temper, in heated anger, in a desire to hurt or injure, in speech that injures another’s good name or is disrespectful to God, or in obscene speech. The believer is never to lie. All these negative characteristics can be part of the unsaved individual, but the believer who is born again of the Spirit leaves these characterisitcs and the resulting behaviors behind and is therefore a new creation, speaking and acting in a manner pleasing to the LORD.
Verse 11 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Although this verse really belongs with the verses above, it has been separated out to remind the reader that in God’s kingdom and in His thinking there is no hierarchy when it comes to people. All believers are equal as they are all children of God.
Application: There is no chosen race as Jews and non-Jews (Greeks or gentiles), if in Christ, are all equal. There is no difference between those who are physically circumcised or those who are not. This ritual or procedure may be done on boy babies to prevent medical issues later on in life, but it isn’t necessary for life here on Earth and many cultures do not circumcise. But God doesn’t look upon physical circumcision, but upon the heart. It does not matter what nationality a believer is from as the nationality of the believer is that of being a citizen of Heaven and therefore a Christian and not an Italian or an Indian or an Asian, etc.. When the old man is no longer and the new man emerges, the things of this world are not what defines the believer. The things of God is what defines a believer.
Verses 12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 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.
The Greek word translated as “elect” is “eklektos” and it means picked out, chosen, or chosen by God to obtain salvation through Christ. The character of the elect are listed in these verses.
Application: This writer is going to point out over and over again that God’s chosen people are not a race or a religious group calling themselves Jews. God’s chosen people are those who, by faith, accept the governance of the LORD Jesus Christ and then live to serve Him. The Jews, for the most part, have rejected and continue to reject the LORD Jesus Christ as their Messiah and therefore are not the elect or chosen of God. Should a Jew repent, get baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost/Spirit, then he/she becomes the elect of God. This writer is not saying this. Scripture says it.
Verses 14-15 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 the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
The Greek word for “charity” is “agape” and it means Christian love for one another. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Verses 16-17 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 and the Father by him.
The only way to let the “Word of Christ dwell in you richly” is to read and study it. Following this web site is a help or a tool, but it does not and should not replace quiet reading and contemplation of the words written in Scripture. It is in those quiet times of reading and studying that the LORD speaks to a believer’s heart and reveals a deeper understanding of His Word
Verse 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
In this modern day of women’s rights and demands of equality, this verse and others like it raise controversy. The Greek word translated as “submit” is “hupotasso” and it means to put under, be subject to, and to submit to one’s control. It does not mean to obey a husband that is breaking the commandments of the LORD or who is abusive in any way.
Application: Remember that these letters or epistles are written to believers that should have the character of Jesus and behave accordingly. Someone has to be the leader in every social group. Jesus is the leader of the Church and He placed men in the leadership role in the family. It is His will that husbands and wives work together in harmony, but the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of the family is on the shoulders of the husband. If a husband loves his wife, the wife will have no problem being under his leadership as it will be Christ centered and they will be in agreement as a couple most of the time.
Verse 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Before Jesus came to Earth and established a New Covenant, women were not regarded very highly. Basically they were there for sex, procreation, and manual labor. Jesus elevated the status of women and, through His teachings and the teachings of the apostles, women in the homes of believers were treated much better than women in the homes of nonbelievers. In this verse husbands are commanded to love their wives and to be pleased and contented with them. They were not to be angry, indignant, exasperated or irritated with them.
Verse 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Jesus obeyed His Father to the point of going to the cross. He established the example that believers should be following today. Adult believers are to obey the commandments of Jesus. Children are to obey the commandments of their parents. This is how the LORD has established His kingdom.
Verse 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
The Greek word translated as “provoke” is “erethizo” and it means to stir up, excite, or stimulate. Failure to listen to a child when they are trying to express themselves provokes anger. Accusing a child unjustly for wrongs without being sure of the child’s guilt provokes the innocent child to anger. Embarrassing a child in front of others to elicit compliant behavior provokes anger. Pushing a child to succeed beyond their ability provokes anger. Abdicating parental responsibility for child care to older siblings so that they have to care for the younger children in the home provokes anger. Showing partiality to one child over another provokes anger. Refusing to allow a child the freedom necessary to grow up provokes anger. Can you think of more instances?
Verse 22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Servants in the Western world are usually paid in these modern times, and that usually means that the servant has to comply with the wishes of their employer to remain in their service and get a paycheck. But in some countries and in the days of the apostles, servants were most likely to be bondmen or slaves and actually belong to their masters as property. Paul commands the servants to obey their human masters as if they were serving God Himself. Their obedient service was to be genuine, not just when the master was watching them, but when the master was absent also. The believing servant was serving the LORD first, and therefore there service needed to reflect the character of Christ.
The believer is not on the Earth to please men, but to please God. Because the believer is Christlike in all that he/she thinks, does, or says, the believer will automatically please men.
Verses 23-25 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of 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. (Colossians 3)
Respect of persons means partiality. God will not show partiality in His dealings with people. He will reward those who do right and punish those who do wrong.