1 Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Consider the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth. 3 For you have died, and so your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Therefore, mortify your body, while it is upon the earth. For because of fornication, impurity, lust, evil desires, and avarice, which are a kind of service to idols, 6 the wrath of God has overwhelmed the sons of unbelief. 7 You, too, walked in these things, in times past, when you were living among them. 8 But now you must set aside all these things: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and indecent speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another. Strip yourselves of the old man, with his deeds, 10 and clothe yourself with the new man, who has been renewed by knowledge, in accord with the image of the One who created him, 11 where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, servant nor free. Instead, Christ is everything, in everyone. 12 Therefore, clothe yourselves like the elect of God: holy and beloved, with hearts of mercy, kindness, humility, modesty, and patience. 13 Support one another, and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive one another. For just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also must you do. 14 And above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of Christ lift up your hearts. For in this peace, you have been called, as one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ live in you in abundance, with all wisdom, teaching and correcting one another, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing to God with the grace in your hearts. 17 Let everything whatsoever that you do, whether in word or in deed, be done all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things. For this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children to indignation, lest they lose heart. 22 Servants, obey, in all things, your lords according to the flesh, not serving only when seen, as if to please men, but serving in simplicity of heart, fearing God. 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord, and not for men. 24 For you know that you will receive from the Lord the repayment of an inheritance. Serve Christ the Lord. 25 For whoever causes injury shall be repaid for what he has wrongfully done. And there no favoritism with God.
Colossians · Catholic Public Domain Version
Colossians 3 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Romans 8:6; Matthew 6:33; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Colossians 3:2; Matthew 6:20
- 2 1 John 2:15–17; 1 Chronicles 22:19; Colossians 3:1; Matthew 16:23; Romans 8:4–6
- 3 Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:2; Colossians 2:20; John 5:24; Romans 8:2
- 4 John 11:25; 1 John 3:2; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 1:13; Philippians 3:21
- 5 Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:19–21; Galatians 5:24; 1 Peter 2:11; Romans 6:13
- 6 Ephesians 5:6; Romans 1:18; 1 Peter 1:14; Ezekiel 16:45–46; Revelation 22:15
- 7 Ephesians 2:2; 1 Peter 4:3–4; Romans 6:19–20; Titus 3:3; 1 Corinthians 6:11
- 8 Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 4:22; James 1:20–21; Ephesians 5:4; Colossians 3:5
- 9 Ephesians 4:22; Ephesians 4:25; Leviticus 19:11; Romans 6:6; John 8:44
- 10 Ephesians 4:23–24; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:12; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17
- 11 Galatians 3:28–29; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 10:12; Ephesians 3:6; Ephesians 1:23
- 12 Ephesians 4:32; Ephesians 4:2; 1 John 4:19; 2 Peter 1:5–8; Galatians 5:22–23
- 13 Ephesians 4:32; Mark 11:25; James 2:13; Ephesians 4:2; Matthew 6:14–15
- 14 1 Peter 4:8; Ephesians 5:2; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; Colossians 2:2; John 13:34
- 15 John 14:27; Philippians 4:6–7; Isaiah 26:3; Romans 15:13; Psalm 29:11
- 16 Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 5:19; John 15:7; Romans 10:17; Jeremiah 15:16
- 17 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23; Proverbs 3:6; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- 18 Ephesians 5:22–6:9; Titus 2:4–5; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 3:1–6; Genesis 3:16
- 19 1 Peter 3:7; Genesis 2:23–24; Ephesians 5:25; Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 5:28–29
- 20 Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1–3; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 19:19; Matthew 15:4–6
- 21 Proverbs 4:1–4; Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 103:13; Proverbs 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:11
- 22 Ephesians 6:5–7; Galatians 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:1–2; 1 Peter 2:18–19; Titus 2:9–10
- 23 Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 6:6–7; Romans 14:8; 2 Chronicles 31:21; Ecclesiastes 9:10
- 24 Ephesians 6:8; Acts 20:32; Galatians 1:10; Luke 14:14; 1 Corinthians 7:22
- 25 Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Deuteronomy 10:17; Ephesians 6:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
I know that many are offended by the foregoing discourse, but what can I do? ye heard what the Master enjoined. Am I to blame? what shall I do? See ye not the creditors, when debtors are obstinate, how they wear collars? Heard ye what Paul proclaimed today?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
… of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit; as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Colossians: "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth." And what these are he himself explains: "Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence; and covetousness, which is idolatry." The laying aside of these is what the apostle preaches; and he declares that those …
But so soon as I understood, withal, that man made "after the image of Him that created him" was not so understood by Thy spiritual sons (whom of the Catholic mother Thou hadst begotten again through grace), as though they believed and imagined Thee to be bounded by human form,--although what was the nature of a spiritual substance I had …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
As also in another place he said in clearer words, "Our life is hid with Christ in God." Be then of a good heart about it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
Put off, by confession, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit, that ye may put on the new man, which is renewed according to knowledge of Him that created him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)