Colossians 3:5 - Part 2

Paul begins the list with sexual immorality, the Greek word porneia, often translated as fornication. The word is used of illicit sexual intercourse, and can mean adultery, lewdness, or whoredom.[1] Paul starts this list here and in Gal. 5:19-21 (the works of the flesh), and as F. F. Bruce states that it has a primary meaning of to traffic in harlots, sexual relations in both prohibited and irregularity in general.[2] Since the Graeco-Roman culture accepted so much of this as common-place that many new believers (and churches) did not see this as a difficulty and tolerated it. Paul sought to remind them in warnings to abandon such practices.[3]

He next speaks of impurity, or akatharsia. Which Paul also includes second in his list of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).[4] It carries a wider meaning than the previous word porneia. It includes sexual misconduct, but also is used to speak of various forms of immorality. “Demoshtenes, for example, uses it of one who, pretending to be a man’s friend, commits perjury to do him an injury.”[5] It could be considered to include the thoughts, words, looks, gestures, and jokes that we might tell.[6]

The word we have translated as passion (pathos) is used by the Greeks as both postive and negative. In the New Testament it is used always in a negative connotation.[7] It means here any dishonorable passion, as Paul used it in Romans 1:26, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature.” Just as the word we have translated as desire (epithumia) means a craving or longing, lusting after something.[8] It is a wicked craving and sensualness beyond natural expression. Even if the adjective kakos (evil) was omitted, Paul’s usual use of the word would lead to this understanding.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, enlighten me to the sin that so easily causes me to lose the fullness of what I can have in You. Guide me, direct me, lead me in the right way at all times. And, more importantly, give me the desire and power to walk in it. Amen.

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[1] Perschbacher (1990). Page 340. 

[2] Bruce (1984). Page 143. 

[3] 1 Cor. 6:18 – “Flee fornication.” And 1 Thess. 4:3 – “…abstain from fornication…” 

[4] See in addition, Rom. 1:24; 6:19; Eph. 4:19; 5:2; and 1 Thess. 4:17. 

[5] Ibid. 

[6] McGee (1983). Page 356. 

[7] Vine (1996). Page 16. 

[8] Wigram (1982). Page 315.

Colossians 3:5 - Part 1

Because of the preceding teachings, Paul now begins to stress the way we should live as Christians. As has been said, whenever we see a therefore, we need to seek out what the therefore is there for. It is a hinge connecting what is to come with what has previously been stated. Paul has stressed that we have died, been buried, and have risen again with Christ in our confession and acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. So, he now tells the believers at Colossae that they must nekrosate, or reckon as dead[1] the sin nature living within us. In the Greek he develops a word picture that challenges the believer to put to death any part of the believer that causes him to sin. The word in the Greek, melos[2], that Paul uses generally refers to a limb of the body.[3] These members, which he classes as earthy, are what had caused us to sin in our former life (Rom.6:19), and are those connected with the various kinds of sin that were committed by their use. When Paul wrote in Rom. 7:23, he spoke of the law of sin that lived in his members. He goes on to list some of these sins, but what he appears to have in mind is the whole of the activities and practices that the readers had previously given their strength and body to commit. Since the believers had died with Christ, these old habits and instincts had been broken, much like death to a body. In Rom. 6:11, Paul had told the readers to reckon themselves as dead to sin but alive to righteousness. He will go on in Rom. 8:13b to say, “if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” We can connect the deeds of the body with the list he uses here.

Paul is dealing with the conundrum of reality. The believer has died to the world with Christ (Col. 2:20; 3:3), and yet he is still in the world exposed to all the temptations of the flesh. The believer havinmg put off the old man (Col. 2:11; 3:9) and set free form sin (Rom.6:6-7, 11, 18, 22), is still surrounded by the old habits, enticements, compulsions, and appetites he once had. We see him in the lsit move from the outward manifestation of the sin to the inner cravings that caused the sin.[4]

Prayer: Open my eyes that I might see the sin that is so beguiling and leading me astray. I must put to death that which will hinder my walk and work for the Master. Amen.

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[1] This is the only NT example of the word nekroo being used in this sense. It is an aorist, active, imperative. Paul has used it in Rom. 4:19 and Heb. 11:12 in reference to Abraham’s body in his old age – “as good as dead.” 

[2] Vine (1996). Page 402. 

[3] Consider how this word is used in Matt. 5:29-30; Rom. 6:13, 19; 7:5, 23; 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:12, 14, 18-20, 22, 25-26; James 3:5, 6; 4:1. 

[4] The reader is urged to consider the pattern of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5:21-22; 27-29) as he traces (equates) murder with anger or adultery with the lustful look.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road in Colossians

The teaching that has been given in the preceding sections will now be put into practical use. As usual for Paul, he will start with the theological doctrinal information and then give us a practical application of what he has discussed. He generally marks this change with the word “therefore.” As one of my Seminary Professors would say, “Always ask what the therefore is there for.”

The ethical instruction of Paul was in a form that was widely used in his day among Christians. They model the ethical teaching of Jesus Himself. Paul always continues to display the connection between the theology he is instructing and the practical application, or practice, that should come from this information. He believed that it was not enough to have a firm intellectual grasp, but one must live out what he has learned.[1] In another way of seeing this, we are aware that the ethical/practical instruction of Paul is not left hanging in mid-air. He always grounds it in the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. 

So, at this point, Paul will deliver two general Christian principles:

        1) There are old practices (man) to be abandoned;

        2) There are new ways of life (man) to be implemented.

The idea of taking off and putting on – a figure of speech that we would associate with the concept of changing clothes, he attaches this to the view of what took place at baptism.

The early Christian church appears to have developed some catechetical elements to aid in the learning and retention of Christian truth. This became even more necessary with the addition of Gentile believers who were not versed in the Old Testament truths. According to F. F. Bruce, these distinctive catchwords were in paragraphs which expanded the sanctions to “’put off’ (Col.3:5-11); ‘put on’ (Col. 3:12-17); ‘be subject’ (Col.3:18-4:1); and ‘watch and pray’ (Col.4:2-6).[2] We will now begin a study of the practical aspects of these teachings of Paul to the Colossian church.

Prayer: Jesus, help me to see that all the head knowledge that I cather is not as important as the application of what You have taught. I may know more than others, but if I am not living it out before others, it is a fruitless and useless acquisition. Amen.

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[1] Consider Jesus’ teaching in John 13:17 – “If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.” 

[2] Bruce (1984) Page 139.

Colossians 3:4

Paul is continuing on in his discussion about our life in Christ. He is recalling the image of a believer’s baptism following their acceptance of Christ. The image of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is so vividly portrayed in the symbolic act of baptism. In verse 3 we see the imagery of death and burial, and now Paul takes us to the resurrected Christ.

Paul is making it clear that we can have in this earliest form of the eschatological hope, an assurance of the future. He does not give a manner or timeframe, but still, he moves from the past to the future. Paul moves from the concept of something being hidden to the design that it will be revealed.

The Christ-filled life is here very succinctly asserted as being a life that is completely focused upon Christ, dying, risen, alive, glorified, and coming.[1] This comes from the same writer who declared, “For to me to live is Christ” in Philippians 1:21 (UASV).[2] Paul wants the readers to understand that Jesus is not only eternal life or the giver of life, He is the very essence of life. We see that Jesus Himself made this assertion in John 14:6.

The Apostle John made a similar assertion in his letter of 1 John 3:2. In this verse, he states, “Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.” The important point in both of these statements is that we will attain the likeness (image) of Christ in the fullness of God’s timing.[3] So, when will this fullness of sanctification to take place? It has started at the moment of a believer’s acceptance of Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that is increasingly reproducing the likeness of Christ in the believer.[4] However, the fullness of this sanctification of the believer will not come until the day of Christ.[5] As we are assured in other passages, the presence of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of that which is reserved for us.[6]

The Greek word translated revealed in this passage is phaneroo, and means more than just appear. A person may appear in a false manner and not be what he truly is, however, to be revealed in the sense of the word translated means that the person’s true character and being shows forth.[7] So, Paul is telling us that this revelation of Christ (and ultimately of ourselves) will take place in the parousia of Christ at the last day. This is totally assured because those whom God foreknew, “he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom.8:29-30 ASV).

The day of glory may be in the future, but its arrival is as sure as if it had already occurred. Paul gives us this understanding by the use of the past tense form of the word “glorified” in his Roman letter. When one has placed their faith and trust upon Jesus, He is already their glory, their hope, and is shown forth in the life they are presently living.

And with these words, the Apostle concludes the more strictly theological teachings of this letter. We now move into the more practical section to conclude this epistle.

Prayer: Precious Holy Spirit, I thank You for the earnest that You have provided, the assurance and great hope of the fulfillment of God's purpose and plan for me. I look forward to being transformed into the very image of my Savior. May His name be praised, Amen.

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[1] Allen (1971) 

[2] See the CPH Commentary on Philippians for further insight. See also, Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 4:10f.; and 1 John 5:12. 

[3] See also Phil. 3:20-21. 

[4] 2 Cor. 3:18 

[5] 1 Thess. 5:23 

[6] Ephesians 1:14, “which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, unto the praise of his glory.” 

[7] Vine, (1996)

Colossians 3:2 - 3

[Verse 2]

 Paul is encouraging the Colossian believers to live the Christian life to the fullest. He first challenged them to impassionedly continue to seek Christ’s interests and desires. He calls in them to now set their minds (Greek phroneo) on not the higher thoughts of the Gnostics, but on the higher thoughts of heaven. The phrase used for “set your mind” is a variant from the phrase in verse 1 – “seeking the things.” It carries a stronger connotation than the previous one.[1] It is an imperative, a command that Paul is giving to the believers at Colossae. Don’t set your ambitions on earthly, temporal things. These are transitory and inferior to what we have in Christ. Judge everything by the standards of our new creation, not from the viewpoint of the old that we have been removed from.

[Verse 3]

For (Greek gar) can be translated as because or in fact. Paul is stressing that because they had died (Greek apothnesko) once and for all to the old order of things, they were now released from the present order of life. They are now “hidden with Christ” (Greek kekruptai sun ho Christo). 

The word used for hidden means to be concealed. This may have been a rebuttal against the Gnostic secret wisdom and knowledge. He is saying that we are secure because we are concealed with Christ. Our well-being depends upon Christ’s well-being. The believer has a life that is indissoluble from Christ. But, to create an even greater emphasis on this, Paul says that it is “in Christ in God.” We can have assurance because our new life is concealed with Christ in God.

The believer’s life is “hidden with Christ” because we died with Him and has been raised with Him. It is “hidden…in God” because has His being in God, thus those who belong to Him also belong to God. 

Prayer: Today, O Lord of Creation, I am setting my thoughts upon You. May I submit to this command to seek out Your interests and plans for me. I want to focus on Heaven, and let the minor things of Earth pass from my mind. I can live in the now while understanding that I live in the Eternal. Amen. 

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[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (2008). A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Volume 3 (Vol. 3). Peabody, Massachusetts, USA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Page 451.