Put aside (659) (apotithemi from apo = away from, marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation, any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed + tithemi = put, place) means literally to put or take something away from its normal location and put it out of the way. It was used literally of runners who participated in the Olympic games who cast off their clothes and running nearly completely naked in the stadium. Figuratively the idea is to cease doing what one is accustomed to doing. Stop doing it. "Throw" it off. Be done with it. Six of the eight NT uses use apotithemi with the figurative meaning as shown below. Ponder (perhaps even make a list to review ever so often) what it is we are to throw off or cast aside. Notice that each of these figurative uses describes the behavior of a believer. Apotithemi is used 8 times in the NT in the NAS Matthew 14:3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. (Comment: Here apotithemi literally indicates Herod put John the Baptist away or aside which is similar to several of the uses in the Septuagint [cf Lev 24:12, Nu 15:34, 2 Chr 18:26]) Acts 7:58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Romans 13:12 (note) The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Ephesians 4:22 (note) that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside (discard, renounce, strip off) the old self (everything you were without Christ), which is being (progressively, continually) corrupted (ruined, putrefied, marred, spoiled) in accordance with the lusts (strong desires) of deceit (deceit is personified), Ephesians 4:25 (note) Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Colossians 3:8 (note) But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Hebrews 12:1 (note) "Therefore (crucial transition representing an emphatic conclusion to the section beginning in Hebrews 10:19-note), since we have so great a cloud of witnesses (not a reference to spectators in heaven but to the godly examples of the real life faith of the saints in Heb11 which should inspire and encourage every Christian runner - practical application - meditate on Hebrews 11!) surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance (a bulk or mass of something not necessarily bad in itself. Athletes would strip away every piece of unnecessary clothing before competing in a race. So strip off even harmless things that hinder your progress - we might call it "stuff" that diverts our attention, saps our energy or dampens our enthusiasm for godly things!), and the sin which so easily entangles us (wraps itself around us so that we trip and stumble every time we try to read the Word, pray or otherwise move on for the Lord), and let us run with endurance (steady determination to keep going, regardless of the temptation to slow down or give up) the race (Greek agon, English "agony", gives us a clear picture that the faith-filled life is not a picnic but a demanding, grueling, albeit joyful, effort like that of an Olympic athlete) that is set before us fixing our eyes (looking away from every other object and keeping our eyes riveted) on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith..." James 1:21 (note) Therefore putting aside all filthiness (a term used of moral vice as well as dirty garments and sometimes of "ear wax" as if picturing sin that would impede one's spiritual hearing) and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. Comment: James like Paul uses the aorist tense of apotithemi which stresses the importance of a once for all putting off of sin prior to receiving God’s Word. James says our filthy, wicked vices are likened to soiled garments which are to be set aside once for all. Using another analogy, it is as if James saw the human heart as a garden. If left to itself, the soil of our wicked hearts inherited from Adam would produce only weeds. James as a good spiritual horticulturist urges us to “pull out the weeds” and prepare the soil for the “implanted Word of God.” Beloved, how doth thy "garden" grow? 1 Peter 2:1 (note) Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander" Comment: Why put these vices aside? So that we will have our spiritual appetite restored and be "like newborn babes (who) long for the pure (unadulterated, no additives) milk of the word, that by it you may grow (we are not just to grow old as saints but to mature or grow spiritually) in respect to salvation," (see notes 1 Peter 2:2) Apotithemi - 11 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) -Ex 16:33,34; Lev 16:23; 24:12; Nu 15:34; 17:7, 10; 19:9; Jos. 4:8; 2 Chr. 18:26; Joel 1:18. The majority of the uses in the Lxx speak of literal placing or laying of something in a place although several speak of putting or placing someone in jail or prison. None of the Lxx uses are exactly analogous to Paul's use of this word apotithemi in Romans, Ephesians and Colossians. Leviticus 16:23 Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave (Lxx = apotithemi) them there. (Comment: This is part of the regulations on the great day of atonement, "yom kippur".) Apotithemi in Colossians 3:8 has to do with discarding, stripping off, casting away, and the like. It is the word Luke used of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who "began stoning (Stephen), and the witnesses laid aside (apotithemi) their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. " (Acts 7:58). They laid aside their outer garments so they could more freely do their wicked work. The Christian lays aside the following attitudes, so he can be free to do the righteous work of the Lord. Remember the old Scottish preacher's wise saying Sin will keep you from the Bible or The Bible will keep you from sin Our new life in Christ will stagnate unless sins are recognized, renounced (confessed) and repented. When this purging takes place, then we will manifest an insatiable craving and delight for the pure spiritual milk of God's Word, which has life, gives life and nourishes life. No intake of God's word will yield no spiritual growth. How is your appetite? In Romans Paul exhorts his readers to put off "deeds of darkness" writing... "The night (of man’s depravity and Satan’s dominion) is almost gone, and the day (of Christ’s return and reign) is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the (in light of Christ’s imminent return, believers are to repent and forsake the) deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light (protection that obedience to the Word and the resultant practical righteousness provides)." (Ro13:12 notes) Put aside is in the aorist imperative which calls for a decisive choice to effectively accomplish an action and can even convey the idea of doing so with some degree of urgency. The idea is "Do this now"! Put these habits of the old life away. Lay them aside like you would filthy, smelly, dirty clothes. You have the power of the Spirit of Christ to put to death the deeds of the flesh. Paul writes in the great chapter of Romans 8 that you must die but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Ro 8:13-note) Practically speaking, you will encounter many situations in which you have the choice to "put aside" the "dirty clothes" or to choose not to do so. Every time you make the choice to put the filthy rags off, you are growing in conformity to Jesus. This is what Paul is saying in Romans 6 exhorting believers to "present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." (Ro 6:19-note). Paul says "walk away from these things". You may be in the situation where you feel you've repeated a sin so often that you feel you cannot get free from it. Not only can you get free of it, but you had better slam the door on that situation or it will ruin your usefulness for the Lord and affect your reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. When you put all these things aside, you put away not only the activity of them, but the things that contribute to those things (cp Ro 13:14-note). Put them away! You're a "living dead" man and now you've got the power in Christ (see note Colossians 3:4) to do carry out these otherwise impossible commands. Miles Stanford writes that "The new man was put on when we were re-created in the Lord Jesus. This new nature is the very life of the One who is the express image of God. Therefore, our growth in the knowledge of Him results in the manifestation of His life. For years we try to handle the problem of sin and self directly. On the negative side, we seek to suppress self, or crucify the old nature. On the positive side, we plead with God to change us for the better, and we try to be more Christ-like. But in it all, we never seem to emerge from Romans Seven—total defeat. Finally, we learn to meet the problem indirectly, by reckoning. We see in the Word that the old man has been effectively “put off” at the cross; and we also see that the new man has been “put on” through our resurrection in Christ. Instead of being taken up with the problem, we now set our mind and heart on God’s answer: the crucifying cross and the risen Christ." (Stanford, Miles: The Reckoning that Counts) As a person takes off his dirty clothes at the end of the day, so should believers discard the filthy, tattered rags of their old life. The Colossians are exhorted by the apostle to lay aside as an old and useless garment the old life’s vices. ANGER: orgen: (If you struggle with this sin consider meditating on the Scriptures in Torrey's Topic "Anger") (Ps 37:8; Pr 17:14; 19:19; 29:22; Mt 5:22-note; Ro 13:13 -note; 1Co 3:3; 2 Co 12:20; Gal 5:15; Gal 5:20-note; Ga 5:26-note; Ep 4:26-note; Ep 4:31-note; Ep 4:32-note; 2Ti 2:23-note; 2Ti 2:24-note; Jas 1:20 -note; Jas 3:14, 15, 16) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/colossians_36-11.htm#Put%20aside%20(659)%20apotithemi