Colossians
3:12-17
6. Exhortations for Christian living. 3:5-4:6
ii] Put on new life in Christ
ArgumentAs is typical of Paul's letters, he concludes with a section on practical Christianity, applied ethics. He presents this ethical teaching in the terms of abandoning the evils of the past and of adopting the new life-style of a believer. So far, Paul has made the point that a believer must "put off" the old cloths of their past life of sin, 3:5-11, and now, in the passage before us, he encourage us to "put on" the new garment of a follower of Christ, 3:12-17.
Issues
i] Context: See 3:5-11.
ii] Background: See 1:1-2.
iii] Structure: Putting on new life in Christ:
Put on
compassion,
kindness / humility,
gentleness / patience, v12.
Forbearing and forgiving .... v13.
Add love, v14.
Let peace control your thoughts, v15a.
Be thankful, v15b.
Let Christ's word indwell you
teaching and admonishing
singing, v16.
Do all in the name of the Lord, v17.
As in v5-11, the structure of this passage is dictated by a series of imperative verbs and participles, here as positive ethical instructions. These instructions rest on the standing a believer possesses in Christ - a be what you are formula; "given that you are God's chosen people ..........":
iv] Interpretation:
Of particular interest in the passage before us is the stress Paul places on Christian relationships. Paul will often speak of a believer's personal walk with Jesus, at other times he will speak of outreach to the world, yet his prime focus tends to be on the Christian fellowship, the church - "body-life."
So, in this passage Paul details behavior which builds body-life. In v12b he lists five qualities that enhance personal relationships: "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Then in v13 he encourages us to carry each other's load and, when necessary, to forgive. The "each other" he speaks of here is clearly our brothers and sisters in the Christian fellowship - Paul is into the business of building the church through caring relationships. In v14 he underlines the key to caring relationships, namely, love, and then in v15 he encourages peace. In v17 he concludes with a rule-of-thumb ethic, namely that our actions bring honour to Christ rather than dishonor. All these ethical qualities, when applied in the Christian fellowship, will build up body-life; they are the tools which shape community.
The church at worship, v16. The Christian fellowship doesn't just exist for introverted fellowship; it's not a "back-slap" club, or a mutual niceness association. The development of body-life is not an end in itself. The church comes together to face the living Christ, and the one whom we face has promised to be present when two or three meet in his name. The essential function of the Christian community is worship - to recognize the presence of Christ, to hear him, thank him, praise him, confess him, and pray to him. Fellowship, unity, community, body-life grows out of worship.
So, in v16a Paul tells us to let the word of Christ take root in our lives as we give heed to and apply the teaching ministry of the Christian fellowship. In simple terms, he tells us to hear Christ. There could be no clearer statement of what we should be about when we meet together as a church. Preaching for edification is central to the life of a Christian community.
Then, in v16b, Paul focuses on praise and thanksgiving directed "to God", of which music can be an effective vehicle. Certainly, in the Western tradition, music has become a powerful vehicle for praise and thanksgiving. Mind you, we have lost much of our dynamic in this department, both through the introduction of chorus singing (more sensual than spiritual) and the preservation of "Victorian" hymns (more "sentimental" than praise).
Paul underlines the business end of church as a gathering of God's people to confront the living God present with us in his Word.
Ethics - be what you are: This passage is typical of most of the apostle's teaching on the Christian life. Having established theological principles, Paul generally moves into the practicalities of Christian living. In fact, he bases his ethics on theology. Paul makes a substantial point in v12, namely, that our right-standing in the sight of God prompts right living.
As a gift of God's free grace, appropriated through the instrument of faith, we now stand in the presence of God as "holy and dearly loved" children. We are his chosen ones, and this simply by trusting Jesus. We often don't feel holy, nor do we display holiness in our day to day living, but holy we are, for we stand with Christ the only holy child of God. Since we are his children, it is only natural for us to seek to live in a way which expresses the new person we are in Christ. It is on this basis that Paul encourages his readers in the Christian life. He encourages us to be what we are.
v] Exposition: A simple exposition of the passage can be found in the pew-level sermon notes Christian life in the world.
Text - 3:12
Living as a follower of Christ, v12-17: i] As God's chosen people, enhance personal relationships, v12. In Christ, the Colossians stand before God as his "holy" (perfectly pure) and dearly loved" "chosen" people; they stand by grace through faith. Paul's encouragement to God's chosen people is that they shape and exhibit, in their lives, the holiness they possess in Christ - that they "clothe" themselves with Christ's holiness, qualities such as compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering.
The opening Greek sentence consists of v12-14 and is controlled by the main imperative verb "put on", v12, two attendant participles in v13, "forbearing" and "forgiving", with the main verb "put on" supplied in v14.
oun "therefore" - so, therefore, so then. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion, Here introducing the conclusion of the argument which Paul outlined in the previous chapters, although here summarized in "as the elect of God." Note the similar usage in 3:1, "so, if you have been raised in Christ .....", and 3:5, "therefore, put to death .....
wJV "as" - as [chosen ones]. The comparative is used to express a characteristic quality, not "like", but "as". In this context it leans toward a causal sense; "insomuch as."
tou qeou (oV) gen. "God's" - of god. The genitive is adjectival, possessive / verbal, subjective.
eklektoi adj. "chosen" - chosen ones, elect. The adjective serves as a substantive. The sense of "elect" is possibly "picked", as Phillips, but is more likely a designation for God's set-apart people, the membership of which is by grace through faith.
hgaphmenoi (agapaw) perf. part. "dearly loved" - [holy and] beloved. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "chosen people"; "who are dearly loved."
endusasqe (enduw) aor. imp. "clothe yourselves with" - put on. Main verb, emphatic by position.
oiktirmou (oV) gen. "compassion" - [bowls] of compassion. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, limiting "bowls". The "bowls" indicates quantity, so "heartfelt compassion, BAGD 561. God is the "Father of mercies" and his children should try to exhibit this quality. "Be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind", Phillips.
crhstothta (hV) "kindness" - God is "kind to the ungrateful and ungenerous" and a disciple should show similar kindness.
tapeinofrosunhn (h) "humility" - humility, lowliness in spirit.
trauthta (hV) "gentleness" - meekness. Jesus is "gentle and lowly in heart".
makroqumian (a) "patience" - long-suffering. God is patient in that he forgives his people and delays the day of judgement. His friends should show similar patience, one toward another, Eph.4:2, 1Thess.5:14.
v13
ii] Forgive, v13. Mutual tolerance and forgiveness are essential qualities in the life of the Christian community. In the same way that God in Christ has forgiven us, so we should strive to forgive one another.
anecomenoi (anecw) pres. part. + gen. "bear with" - forbearing, enduring, being patient with. As with "forgiving", this participle is attendant circumstance expressing action accompanying the main verb "put on / clothe yourselves" and therefore functions as an imperative, expressing a command, so NIV and most translations. Campbell suggests it is adverbial, consecutive, expressing the result of putting on compassion etc. The present tense indicates ongoing action. "Put up with each other", CEV.
allhlwn gen. pro. "one another" - Genitive of direct object after the verb "to forbear."
carizomenoi (carizomai) pres. part. "forgive" - forgiving, showing favor toward. The participle, as above. Note how Paul links the forgiveness of God with our forgiving others. Our forgiveness of others is prompted and empowered by Christ's forgiveness of us. We stand in God's presence forgiven and approved, and it is natural for us to respond in forgiveness, having been washed ourselves by God's mercy. Jesus often reversed this order to teach a different point, namely, that if only a forgiving person can be forgiven by God, then we are in dread need of a savior who can save us from the consequences of our unforgiving heart.
eJautoiV dat. pro. "one another" - Dative of direct object after the verb "to forgive."
ean + subj. "-" - if, as is the case, [anyone against anyone may have a complaint, then also as the lord forgave you, so also you]. Introducing a 3rd class conditional clause where the proposed condition has the possibility of coming true, ie., there is a possibility that disputes will arise in the Christian fellowship. "If, as is sometimes the case, a cause for complaint emerges within the fellowship, then ......."
proV + acc. "against [someone]" - Here expressing opposition, as NIV.
ouJtwV kai ..... ou{twV kai "as" - just as [the lord forgave you], so and = also [should you forgive]. A coordinate comparative construction with an adjunctive kai; "just as ......, in like manner so also you". The construction is unlikely to imply "forgive to be forgiven", but can move toward, "forgive because you are forgiven." None-the-less, comparison is best; "forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you", Phillips.
uJmin dat. pro. "[forgave] you" - Dative of direct object after the verb "to forgive."
v14
iii] Love, v14. The greatest of all qualities we are to "put on" (as one puts on a piece of clothing) is that of love. "God is love" and so love is a natural fruit for those who have found their new standing before God, by grace through faith, Gal.5:6, 22. Love has the power to unite God's people.
de "and" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the argument.
epi + dat. "over" - above, over, on, to [all these things add love]. Spacial. In this context, the third option seems best, so O'Brien:
•*"above all you must be loving", Moffatt;
•*"over all" in the sense of "on top of all the previous virtues mentioned", as NIV;
•*"to", in the sense of "in added to", "and to all these qualities add love", TEV.
oJ estin "which" - which is [a bond]. Possibly explanatory, "that is", but more likely referring to the antecedent, namely, the putting on of love; "by loving one another, you bind yourself together as though you are one and this is just as it should be", TH.
thV teleisthtoV (hV htoV) gen. "in perfect [unity]" - of perfection. The genitive is adjectival, attributive / idiomatic, limiting the noun "bond"; "a bond which expresses itself in perfection". O'Brien suggests idiomatic / producer; "the bond that produces perfection." "You must clothe yourselves in love, which holds all the other qualities together and completes them", Barclay.
v15
iv] Let there be peace, v15. Through Christ, the believer has peace with God - we are no longer rebels before him, but rather friends. This reality should be exhibited in the Christian community. Paul adds to this, "be thankful." Let us recognize the one who is the source of all our blessings, both spiritual and physical.
This Greek sentence, v15, is controlled by the imperative verb "let rule" and its subject "the peace of Christ".
brabeuetw (brabeuw) pres. imp. "let [the peace of Christ] rule" - let arbitrate / administer, control, rule. The imperfective aspect implies a general command. Lightfoot suggests the idea of "arbitrate", so, "let the peace that Christ can give keep on acting as umpire in your hearts", Williams. Most commentators opt for "rule". "Let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts", CEV.
hJ eirhnh (h) "the peace" - Nominative subject of the verb "to arbitrate." Note Barclay's interesting paraphrase of "peace" in the terms of Christ's "unifying power"; "Only Christ can enable people to live in a right relationship with each other. It is this unifying power of his which must dictate your every decision", Barclay.
tou Cristou (oV) gen. "of Christ" - The genitive is possibly adjectival, attributive, a Christ-like peacefulness, but it may be ablative, source / origin, identifying "the peace that comes from Christ", CEV.
en taiV kardiaiV (a) "in [your] hearts" - in the hearts [of you]. Local, expressing space, metaphorical. The heart being the center of rational thought, so "in your decisions", REB.
eiV + acc. "to peace" - to, into, for [which peace you were also called]. Probably expressing purpose / aim / goal; "toward / for which peace you were also called."
en + dat. "as members [of one]" - in, with, by, to [one]. Possibly local, expressing space, "called together in one body", RJB, but more likely expressing an attendant circumstance, as NIV; "the peace to which you were called as members of a single body", REB.
swmati (a atoV) dat. "body" - body [and be thankful]. The presence of "one" probably indicates that Paul has in mind the universal church, even now gathered in the presence of Christ, consisting of believers, past, present and future. Yet, the local congregation is a valid representation of the eternal congregation, such that both are rightly the "one body" of Christ. "For you were meant to be one body", Barclay.
v16
v] Grow in knowledge, v16. In this verse, Paul encourages the Colossian believers to focus on the oJ logoV tou Cristou, "the word of Christ", to focus on gospel truth, and to do this by "teaching and admonishing (instructing)", and "singing". The first admonition may apply to the personal study of God's word, although it seems more likely that Paul has in mind Christian teaching at congregational worship. Such teaching must be based on the "word of Christ", ie. it must be based on the teachings of Jesus, on gospel truth. The congregation is to let that word "dwell in you richly"; they are to hear it, give heed to it, accept its authority and apply it in their daily life. As for singing, the link with teaching may be that their worship-songs should teach scriptural truth.
The final Greek sentence, v16-17, which stands in parallel to v15, is controlled by the imperative verb "let dwell" which is modified by the three adverbial participles "teaching", "admonishing" and "singing", related to the substantive phrase "the word of Christ", further qualified by the supplied imperative verb "do", v17, "whatever you are doing ..... do all in the name of the Lord."
tou Cristou gen. "of Christ" - [let dwell the word, message] of christ. The genitive may be any of the following: verbal, objective, "the message about Christ", CEV; adjectival, attributive / idiomatic, "the message that centers on Christ", O'Brien; subjective, "the message that Christ proclaims", Lightfoot; possessive, "Christ's message"; ablative, source / origin, "the message from Christ", Campbell.
plousiwV adv. "richly" - richly. "Abundantly", Lohse.
didaskonteV kai nouqetounteV "as you teach and admonish" - teaching and admonishing [one another]. The participles are probably adverbial, temporal, "as / while you teach and admonish", possibly attendant circumstance, so imperatival, "teach and train one another", Moffatt, or modal, expressing manner, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another", ESV, even instrumental, expressing means, "by teaching and admonishing.".
en + dat. "with" - in, with, by, to [all wisdom]. Probably here adverbial, modal, manner / attendant circumstance, "with", as NIV, although Lightfoot links the phrase with the preceding clause, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom", AV.
adonteV (adw) pres. part. "and as you sing" - singing [grace in the hearts of you to god]. The participle is adverbial, modal, expressing manner, or temporal.
yalmoiV uJmnoiV wJdaiV pneumatikaiV dat. "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs / through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit" - in psalms, hymns, songs spiritual. The datives may be locative, "in", but are most likely instrumental, "by means of", O'Brien. We know Wesley and others used Christian hymns to teach doctrine and this may be what Paul is getting at here. Singing can have an edifying quality. We know that in AD 112 Pliny reported to the emperor Trajan that the Christians "recited an antiphonal hymn to Christ as God". Eighty years later, Tertullian described a Christian service and said that "each is invited to sing to God in the presence of others from what he knows of the holy scriptures, or from his heart." Both these references sit well with Paul's statement. First, the believers are to sing to God with gratitude in their hearts. The songs are directed to God and are expressions of praise and thanksgiving. Second, they are edifying in that they state scriptural truths. As for the three types of songs. The "psalms" may well be the Old Testament Psalter. The "hymns" are possibly Christian canticles like those recorded in Luke's gospel. Both these forms would most likely be sung antiphonally - the cantor sings the first half of the verse with the congregation singing the second half. The "spiritual songs" may be free compositions. None-the-less, we should not draw clear defining lines between the three song types.
en + dat. "with [gratitude]" - in, with, by, [grace]. Here probably adverbial, modal, expressing manner; "singing gratefully / thankfully", O'Brien.
en + dat. "in" - in [the hearts of you]. Here possibly locative, as NIV, "a worship rooted in the depth of our personal experience", Dunn, although an instrumental sense is also possible. Given that the heart is the center of one's rational being, worship should employ the whole of our mental faculties (including the aesthetic?).
tw/ qew (oV) dat. "to God" - Dative of indirect object / interest.
vi] Honor Christ, v17. It is unclear whether Paul's words provide a summary piece of ethical advice (so the homiletical suggestion), or whether they refer particularly to Christian worship; "whatever you are doing in Christian worship, whether in words or actions, ...." The Greek seems to imply the latter.
pan o{ ti ean "whatever" - [and] all which certain if = whatever [you may do]. We have here a nominative pendens construction, where an independent substantive in the nominative case, here the adjective pan, "all, every", is linked to the rest of the sentence by a pronoun which takes its case independently of the nominative subject, here the nominative relative pronoun o{, "which". The indefinite particle ean + subj. then serves to form an indefinite clause; "whatever you are doing", Harris.
en + dat. "in" - in, with, by, for [word or] in [work]. Possibly here reference / respect, "whatever you do with respect to your words or actions", or attendant circumstance, "whether it is a matter of words or actions", Moule IB. Word and deed constitutes the indefinite "all" and encapsulates the totality of our behavior, although, given the context, it is quite possible that the action in mind is that of worship.
en onomati (a atoV) "in the name" - [do all things] in the name [of the lord jesus]. Local, expressing sphere; the phrase is usually taken to mean "in / under / within the authority of the Lord Jesus."
eucaristounteV (erucaristw) pres. part. "giving thanks" - The participle is again possibly attendant circumstance, so imperatival, "give thanks to God", NAB, although it more likely either modal, expressing manner, or temporal, "while at the same time you give thanks." The "giving thanks" would then further explain the nature of the "whatever you do [in worship]."
tw/ qew/ (oV) dat. "to God" - to god [the father]. Dative of direct object after the participle "giving thanks."
di + gen. "through" - through, by means of [him]. Instrumental, expressing means; Christ is the mediator of our worship.
v17
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