Colossians 3
3
Raised with Christ
1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your* life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him* in glory.
New Life in Christ
5 Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you:* sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these* things, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience,* 7 in these you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now, you must also put away all these things: anger, wrath, malice,* slander, filthy speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with its* practices, 10 and have put on the new one that is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of the One who created it.* 11 Here there is not* Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved: compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other. If anyone has a complaint against another, just as the Lord* forgave you, so also you must do.* 14 And over all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.* 15 And let the peace of Christ,* to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ* dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing each other in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing with gratitude in your hearts to God.* 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,* giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Christian Relationships
18 Wives, be subject to your* husbands, as is proper in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not hold bitterness against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things,* for this is acceptable to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they may not be disheartened. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters* in everything*—not with eye-service,* as men-pleasers,* but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.* 23 Whatever you do, work at it from your heart,* as for the Lord,* and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Keep serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the one who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done wrong, and there is no favouritism.*
Notes
4 Some ancient manuscripts read our
4 Two ancient Greek manuscripts omit with Him
5 Greek the members which are upon the earth
6 Greek which. So also v. 7
6 Some ancient manuscripts omit on the sons of disobedience
8 Or wickedness
9 Or his
10 Or him
11 Some ancient manuscripts insert male and female , likely to achieve a scribal consonance with Gal. 3:28
13 Some ancient authorities divergently replace Lord with Christ , God , or even God in Christ
13 The imperative statement must do is contextually supplied to the text for the purpose of clarification
14 Or which binds everything together in perfect unity
15 Some ancient manuscripts replace Christ with God
16 Some ancient manuscripts divergently replace Christ with Lord ; or with God
16 Some ancient manuscripts replace God with Lord
17 Some ancient manuscripts variously replace Lord Jesus with Jesus Christ , Lord Jesus Christ , or simply Lord
18 Greek the . Here, the Greek definite article functions pronominally, corresponding contextually to the English possessive your . So also vv. 19,20
22 Greek masters according to the flesh
22 Some ancient manuscripts omit all things
22 Greek eye-services
22 Or people-pleasers, as the term is generically understood
22 Some ancient manuscripts replace Lord with God
23 Greek from the soul/heart
23 Two ancient Greek manuscripts read rendering service, as to the Lord , likely due to scribal harmonisation with Eph. 6:7
25 Some ancient manuscripts insert the phrase with God , in order to form a scribal parallel with Eph. 6:9
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
