Atlas Biblica

    Colossians · 25 verses

    Colossians 3

    Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

    The chapter

    What happens here

    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    A Scythian appears in the grand catalogue of identities that are said to vanish in Christ—between barbarian and slave, with no explanation and rather excellent dramatic timing.

    The old self is taken offvv. 1–11

    The movement begins upwards: minds set on things above, life hidden with Christ, and a future appearance in glory. Then comes the remarkably physical business of putting things to death and taking off the old self—sexual immorality, greed, anger, slander, filthy language, and lies. The new self is being renewed in knowledge, and the list of distinctions suddenly becomes very broad indeed: Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and Scythian, slave and free. The Scythian is given no speech, but is granted a place in the vanishing act.

    The new self gets dressedvv. 12–17

    The replacement clothing is a gentler wardrobe: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, with forgiveness required whenever a complaint appears. Love goes over everything as the fastening that holds the whole ensemble together. Peace is to rule in the heart, while the word of Christ dwells richly through teaching, admonishing, singing, and gratitude. The chapter then gathers every word and deed under the name of the Lord Jesus.

    The household is addressed by rowsvv. 18–25

    The passage turns from the inward wardrobe to the household, addressing wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, and earthly masters in succession. Each pair receives its own instruction: submission and love, obedience and restraint, service and sincerity. Work is described as being done with the whole being for the Lord rather than for watching human eyes, and the closing sentence leaves wrongdoing with its repayment and favoritism nowhere to hide.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. Col 3:1Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

    2. Col 3:2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

    3. Col 3:3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

    4. Col 3:4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

    5. Col 3:5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

    6. Col 3:6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

    7. Col 3:7When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways.

    8. Col 3:8But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

    9. Col 3:9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

    10. Col 3:10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

    11. Col 3:11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

    12. Col 3:12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

    13. Col 3:13Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

    14. Col 3:14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.

    15. Col 3:15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.

    16. Col 3:16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

    17. Col 3:17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

    18. Col 3:18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

    19. Col 3:19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

    20. Col 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

    21. Col 3:21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

    22. Col 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.

    23. Col 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

    24. Col 3:24because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

    25. Col 3:25Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 632 passages were voted onto 25 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 23Colossians 3:17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
    • 23Ephesians 6:6–7And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
    • 171 Corinthians 10:31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
    • 21 John 2:15–17Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
    • 1Romans 8:6The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace,
    • 12Ephesians 4:32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
    • 17Colossians 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,
    • 23Romans 14:8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
    • 16Psalms 119:11I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
    • 1Matthew 6:33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
    • 232 Chronicles 31:21He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.
    • 23Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
    • 21 Chronicles 22:19Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”
    • 12 Corinthians 4:18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
    • 2Colossians 3:1Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
    • 17Proverbs 3:6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

    Onward

    Keep reading

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