Colossians Chapter 3 – Commentary and Explanation (Verse by Verse Bible Study)
I remember the first time Colossians 3 really hit me. I wasn’t in a church pew or a Bible class. I was sitting on my bed, phone buzzing, mind loud, heart tired. I read it fast at first, like we sometimes do. But then I slowed down. And man… this chapter doesn’t whisper. It gently but firmly grabs your shoulders and says, “Look up. Then look inside. Now live like it matters.”
So let’s walk through Colossians chapter 3 together, verse by verse. Not fancy. Just honest. A little messy, like real faith usually is.
Verses 1–2: “Set your hearts on things above”
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above… Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Paul starts with since, not if. That matters. He assumes something already happened. You’ve been raised with Christ. Past tense. Done deal.
Sometimes I forget that. I act like I’m still crawling out of the grave, still trying to earn resurrection. But Paul says, no, you’re already raised. So now live like someone who has been pulled out of the dirt and given fresh air.
“Set your hearts.” Not just your habits. Not just your Sunday mornings. Your hearts. What you long for when nobody’s watching. What you scroll for. What you daydream about while washing dishes.
And then he repeats it, but stronger: set your minds. Faith isn’t just feelings floating around. It’s intentional thinking. Choosing, again and again, to look upward when everything around you pulls downward.
Not easy. Some days my mind feels glued to earthly stuff. Bills. Status. Fear. Comparison. But Paul isn’t shaming here. He’s inviting.
Verses 3–4: “Your life is hidden with Christ”
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
This verse always feels warm to me. Hidden. Safe. Covered.
You died. That sounds harsh, but it’s freeing. The old you, the version chasing approval, drowning in guilt, trying to prove something… that one doesn’t get the final word.
Your real life is hidden with Christ. Not exposed. Not fragile. Hidden. Like a treasure tucked away where nothing can steal it.
And when Christ appears, Paul says, you’ll appear with Him in glory. That’s wild. Not just Christ shining, but you with Him. It’s hope for days when you feel invisible or small.
Verses 5–7: “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature”
Here’s where things get uncomfortable.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…
Paul doesn’t say manage it or negotiate with it. He says kill it. Strong language. Because sin doesn’t politely stay in its lane. It grows.
He lists stuff we don’t like talking about much: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed. Greed especially hits hard because it sneaks around pretending to be ambition.
Paul reminds them, you used to walk in these ways. Past tense again. He’s not labeling them by their sin. He’s reminding them where they came from, not where they live now.
And yeah, killing sin is painful. It’s like ripping out weeds with deep roots. But leaving them there chokes everything else.
Verses 8–9: “Rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice…”
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these…
I notice Paul shifts from internal desires to relational sins. Anger. Rage. Slander. Filthy language.
These are the sins that leak out when we’re tired, stressed, or hurt. The sharp words. The sarcasm that cuts. The quiet bitterness we justify.
“Do not lie to each other,” he says. Why? Because lying fractures trust. And Christ is building something whole.
We’ve taken off the old self, Paul says. Like dirty clothes after a long day. Why would we put them back on?
Verses 10–11: “The new self, being renewed”
This part feels hopeful again.
You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Being renewed. Not instantly perfected. Renewed. Ongoing. Process.
Some days I forget that growth is allowed to be slow. That renewal can be messy. Paul gives space for that. You’re becoming, not pretending.
And then he drops something radical for the time: no Greek or Jew, slave or free. All those labels that divide? Christ is all, and in all.
In other words, identity in Christ flattens the room. Nobody stands taller.
Verses 12–14: “Clothe yourselves with compassion”
Now Paul tells us what to put on.
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
I love that image. Clothing. Something you choose each day. Some mornings I wake up already irritated. Compassion doesn’t magically appear. I have to put it on.
“Bear with each other,” he says. Because people are annoying sometimes. Even church people. Especially church people.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. That’s the measuring stick. And it’s humbling.
Above all, put on love. Love is the belt holding everything together. Without it, all the good traits just fall apart.
Verse 15: “Let the peace of Christ rule”
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…
That word rule means referee. Decision-maker.
So when anxiety and peace are both yelling, which one gets the whistle? Paul says, let peace decide.
And be thankful. Gratitude shifts the atmosphere of the heart. Even when circumstances don’t change, thankfulness does something inside.
Verses 16–17: “Let the word of Christ dwell richly”
This might be one of my favorite parts.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…
Not visit occasionally. Dwell. Make a home. Sit at the table. Spill into conversation.
Teaching, admonishing, singing psalms and hymns. Faith isn’t silent. It sings. Sometimes badly, off-key, but sincerely.
And whatever you do, Paul says, do it in the name of Jesus. Even the ordinary stuff. Work emails. Laundry. Conversations.
Suddenly nothing feels meaningless.
Verses 18–21: “Household instructions”
This section often gets misunderstood, so I read it slowly.
Wives, husbands, children, fathers. Paul isn’t laying down control. He’s calling for mutual care. Love. Gentleness. Responsibility.
Husbands are told to love, not dominate. Fathers are warned not to embitter their kids. That says a lot.
Authority in God’s kingdom always comes with accountability.
Verses 22–25: “Work as unto the Lord”
Paul speaks to slaves here, but the heart applies to work today.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…
This reframes everything. Even unseen labor matters. Even when no one thanks you.
God sees. God rewards. And injustice doesn’t get the last word.
Closing Thoughts
Colossians 3 doesn’t ask for perfection. It asks for direction.
Look up. Take off the old. Put on the new. Let peace rule. Let the word dwell. Love people. Live like Christ actually changed something.
Some days I read this chapter and feel inspired. Other days, exposed. Both are okay.
Because grace is patient. Renewal is ongoing. And Christ is still at work, even when we feel unfinished.
And honestly, that’s comforting.
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