Chapter Text
Set Your Minds on Things Above
Put Off the Old, Put On the New
Rules for Christian Households
Summary
Paul exhorts believers who have been raised with Christ to set their minds on things above, not on earthly things. They are to put to death the sins of the old nature — immorality, anger, lying — and put on the virtues of the new nature: compassion, kindness, humility, and above all, love. Christ is all and in all. Paul also addresses relationships within the household.
Meaning
The imperative to seek things above flows directly from the indicative of union with Christ. Because believers have died and risen with Him, their lives are now hidden with Christ in God. This positional truth must translate into practical holiness, putting off what belongs to the old life and putting on what characterizes the new.
The declaration that Christ is all and in all erases every human distinction as a basis for spiritual standing. In this new creation, cultural, ethnic, and social categories are transcended by the all-sufficient presence of Christ.
Background
The household codes in this chapter follow a pattern common in ancient moral instruction, but Paul radically transforms them by placing all relationships under the lordship of Christ. The command for slaves to serve heartily as unto the Lord must be understood within the social context of the Roman Empire, where slavery was a pervasive institution.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-4Risen with Christ, Set on Things Above
- vv. 5-9Putting Off the Old Man
- vv. 10-11The New Man and Christian Unity
- vv. 12-14Putting On the Virtues of the Elect
- vv. 15-17Peace, the Word, and Thankful Worship
- vv. 18-21Household Order: Wives, Husbands, Children, Fathers
- vv. 22-25Servants and the Reward of Faithful Labor
Key Verses
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”— 3:1
The hinge of the epistle, turning from doctrine to ethics. Union with the risen Christ becomes the foundation for the heavenward orientation that defines Christian living.
“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”— 3:11
A landmark declaration of the church's unity across ethnic, cultural, and social divisions. Parallel to Galatians 3:28, it grounds Christian equality in the all-sufficiency of Christ.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”— 3:16
A foundational text for Christian worship and discipleship, linking Scripture, mutual instruction, and sung praise. It has shaped the theology of congregational singing across traditions.
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”— 3:17
A comprehensive principle for Christian conduct, dissolving the sacred-secular divide. Every word and action becomes an act of worship offered through Christ.
People & Places
People
- Christ — The risen Lord, seated at God's right hand, in whom believers' lives are hidden and who is 'all, and in all.'
- God the Father — The one to whom thanks is given through Christ and whose wrath comes upon disobedience.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Verse 4 carries a forward-looking eschatological promise: 'When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' This anticipates Christ's second coming and the glorification of believers, echoing themes from 1 John 3:2 and Romans 8:17-19. Paul frames present holiness as the rehearsal for a future, public unveiling of the believer's true identity in Christ.
Devotional
Paul's vision of the Christian life is breathtakingly practical. Because we have been raised with Christ, our daily choices — what we say, how we forgive, the way we treat a spouse, child, or coworker — become the visible shape of an invisible reality.
Notice how the chapter moves from cosmic theology to the kitchen and the workshop. Putting on kindness and patience is not sentimental; it is spiritual warfare against the old self. And whatever you do today, in word or deed, you can do it heartily, as unto the Lord. That single shift transforms drudgery into worship.
Literary Style
Pauline epistle combining paraenesis (moral exhortation) with a household code (Haustafel) in verses 18-25. Features vivid clothing metaphors ('put off,' 'put on'), vice and virtue lists characteristic of Greco-Roman ethical writing, and a creedal unity formula in verse 11.