Colossians 3:12-17 NIV

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:14

And above all these things - Επι πασι δε τουτοις· Upon all, over all; as the outer garment envelopes all the clothing, so let charity or love invest and encompass all the rest. Even bowels of mercy are to be set in motion by love; from love they derive all their feeling, and all their power and promptitude to action. Let this, therefore, be as the upper garment; the surtout that invests the whole man. Which is the bond of perfectness - Love to God and man is not only to cover all, but... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God - Instead of Θεου , God, Χριστου , Christ, is the reading of ABC*D*FG, several others, both the Syriac, the Arabic of Erpen, Coptic, Ethopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Itala, with several of the fathers; on this evidence Griesbach has inserted it in the text. Rule in your hearts - Βραβευετω· Let the peace of Christ judge, decide, and govern in your hearts, as the brabeus , or judge, does in the Olympic contests. No heart is right with God where the peace of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly - I believe the apostle means that the Colossians should be well instructed in the doctrine of Christ; that it should be their constant study; that it should be frequently preached, explained, and enforced among them; and that all the wisdom comprised in it should be well understood. Thus the doctrine of God would dwell richly, that is, abundantly, among them. But there appears to be here an allusion to the Shechinah, or symbol of the Divine... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:17

Whatsoever ye do in word or deed - Let your words be right, and your actions upright. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus - Begin with him, and end with him; invoke his name, and pray for his direction and support, in all that ye do; and thus every work will be crowned with all requisite success. Doing every thing in the name of God, and referring every thing to his glory, is as rational as it is pious. Could it be ever supposed that any person would begin a bad work in God's name?... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:12

Verse 12 13.Put on therefore. As he has enumerated some parts of the old man, so he now also enumerates some parts of the new. “Then, ” says he, “will it appear that ye are renewed by Christ, when ye are merciful and kind. For these are the effects and evidences of renovation.” Hence the exhortation depends on the second clause, and, accordingly, he keeps up the metaphor in the word rendered put on He mentions, first, bowels of mercy, by which expression he means an earnest affection, with... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:14

Verse 14 14.On account of all these things. The rendering that has been given by others, “super omnia haec,” (above all these things,) instead of insuper , (over and above,) is, in my opinion, meagre. It would be more suitable to render it, Before all these things. I have chosen, however, the more ordinary signification of the word ἐπί. For as all the things that he has hitherto enumerated flow from love, he now on good grounds exhorts the Colossians to cherish love among themselves, for the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:15

Verse 15 15.And the peace of God. He gives the name of the peace of God to that which God has established among us, as will appear from what follows. He would have it reign in our hearts. (445) He employs, however, a very appropriate metaphor; for as among wrestlers, (446) he who has vanquished all the others carries off the palm, so he would have the peace of God be superior to all carnal affections, which often hurry us on to contentions, disagreements, quarrels, secret grudges. He... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:16

Verse 16 16.Let the word of Christ dwell. He would have the doctrine of the gospel be familiarly known by them. Hence we may infer by what spirit those are actuated in the present day, who cruelly (449) interdict the Christian people from making use of it, and furiously vociferate, that no pestilence is more to be dreaded, than that the reading of the Scriptures should be thrown open to the common people. For, unquestionably, Paul here addresses men and women of all ranks; nor would he simply... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:17

Verse 17 17. And whatsoever ye do. We have already explained these things, and what goes before, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, where the same things are said almost word for word. As he had already begun to discourse in reference to different parts of the Christian life, and had simply touched upon a few precepts, it would have been too tedious a thing to follow out the rest one by one, he therefore concludes in a summary way, that life must be regulated in such a manner, that whatever we... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 3:1-17

SECTION VII . THE TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE . The apostle, having delivered his attack on the system of error inculcated at Colossae, now passes from the controversial to the more practical purport of his letter. There is no break, however, in the current of his thought; for throughout this chapter he urges the pursuit of a practical Christian life in a sense and in a manner silently opposed to the tendencies of Gnosticizing error. How much more congenial was the task to which he now... read more

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:12

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:15

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:16

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:17

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 3:1-17

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