Colossians 3:16

The third imperative is "let dwell." The "word of Christ," used only here in the New Testament, is Christ’s teachings, not only during His earthly ministry but also in all of Scripture. His Word should permeate our whole being so that we make all decisions and plans in its light.

". . . as the rabbis later pointed out, he who dwells in a house is the master of the house, not just a passing guest . . ." [Note: Dunn, p. 236.]

"Thus we are to submit to the demands of the Christian message and let it become so deeply implanted within us as to control all our thinking." [Note: Vaughan, p. 216.]

"Many saved people cannot honestly say that God’s Word dwells in their hearts richly because they do not take time to read, study, and memorize it." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:140.]

Teaching is the imparting of truth, and admonition is warning against error. We should perform these activities joyfully and with song. "Psalms" probably refers to the inspired Old Testament psalms. The word "psalms" implies that the believers sang them with musical accompaniment. Hymns are songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. Spiritual songs probably refer to expressions of Christian experience set to music. Thankfulness to God is to mark our singing too (cf. Colossians 3:15). [Note: See David F. Detwiler, "Church Music and Colossians 3:16," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:631 (July-September 2001):347-69.]

"Whether with instrument or with voice or with both it is all for naught if the adoration is not in the heart." [Note: Robertson, 4:505.]

"One of the first descriptions of a Church service which we possess is that of Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, who sent a report of the activities of the Christians to Trajan the Roman Emperor. In that report he said, ’They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God.’ The gratitude of the Church has always gone up to God in Christian praise and Christian song." [Note: Barclay, p. 191.]

"It has often been noticed that the Colossian passage is parallel with Ephesians 5:18-20. In the latter passage the hymns and songs are the outgrowth of the filling of the Spirit, while in Colossians they are the result of the deep assimilation of the Word of God. In other words, the Word-filled Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian, and the examination of the two passages would save us from a great deal of error on this subject. Undisciplined emphasis on the Holy Spirit is accompanied too frequently by shallow grounding in the Word of God." [Note: Johnson, 481:32.]