Colossians 3:12-19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit yourselves - Having done with general directions, the apostle comes to particular duties, which are commonly called relative; because they only belong to persons in certain situations; and are not incumbent on all. No woman has the duty of a wife to perform but she who is one, and no man has the duty of a husband to perform but he who is married. The directions here to wives, husbands, children, parents, servants, and masters, are so exactly the same in substance with those... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:19

Be not bitter against them - Wherever bitterness is, there love is wanting. And where love is wanting in the married life, there is hell upon earth. 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

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 3:18

Verse 18 18Wives, be subject. Now follow particular duties, as they are called, (456) which depend on the calling of individuals. In handling these it were superfluous to take up many words, inasmuch as I have already stated in the Epistle to the Ephesians (457) almost everything that was necessary. Here I shall only add briefly such things as are more particularly suited to an exposition of the passage before us. He commands wives to be subject. This is clear, but what follows is of doubtful... 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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 3:1-17

The true Christian life. From above only can we be raised. There is no salvation in mere antipathy. Disgust at the vanities of life, repulsion from earthly things, will of itself never lift us beyond them; it needs the superior influence of heavenly things to do that. This the Colossian errorists did not rightly understand; or they could not have made ceremonial purifications and bodily austerities the way of holiness, the means of reaching spiritual perfection. "Touch not, taste not" ( ... read more

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