3Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put Off the Old Behavior

⁵Therefore put to death what is earthly in you^a: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry, ⁶because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷in which also you once lived, when you used to live in them.^b ⁸But now you also lay aside all these things: anger, rage, wickedness, slander, abusive language from your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, because you^* have taken off the old man together with his deeds, ¹⁰and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, ¹¹where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

Appeal for New Behavior

¹²Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved, put on affection, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, ¹³putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you do the same. ¹⁴And to all these things add love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, ¹⁷and everything whatever^c you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.

Mutual Responsibilities in Christian Relationships

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. ²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. ²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they will not become discouraged. ²²Slaves, obey your human^d masters in everything, not while being watched^e, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³Whatever you do, accomplish it from the soul, as to the Lord, and not to people, ²⁴because you^* know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve^f the Lord Christ. ²⁵For the one who does wrong will receive back whatever wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

4Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.

Further Advice for the Christian Life

²Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving, ³praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am a prisoner^a, ⁴so that I may reveal^b it, as it is necessary for me to speak. ⁵Live with wisdom toward those outside, making the most of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

Exhortations Regarding Fellow Workers

⁷Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all my circumstances^c, ⁸whom I have sent to you for this very reason, in order that you may know our circumstances^d and he may encourage your hearts, ⁹together with Onesimus, my faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the circumstances^e here.

¹⁰Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions—if he should come to you, welcome him), ¹¹and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only ones who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God from the circumcision, who have been a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ^f always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured^g in all the will of God. ¹³For I testify to him that he is working hard^h on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. ¹⁴Luke the physician, our dear friend, greets you, as does Demas. ¹⁵Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in herⁱ house. ¹⁶And whenever this letter is read among you, see to it^j that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And tell Archippus, “Direct your attention to the ministry that you received in the Lord, in order that you may complete it.”

Final Greeting and Benediction

¹⁸The greeting is by my hand, Paul’s. Remember my imprisonment^k. Grace be with you.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

aLiterally “the members on the earth”
bOr “among them” (the pronoun may refer either to people or to sins)
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have taken off”) which is understood as causal
cLiterally “if anything that”
dLiterally “according to the flesh”
eLiterally “with eye-service”
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
fOr “You serve”; the same Greek verb form can be understood as either imperative (“serve”) or indicative (“you serve”), so that commentators and Bible translations differ
aLiterally “I have been bound”
bOr “may make it clear”
cLiterally “the things according to me”
dLiterally “the things concerning us”
eLiterally “the things”
fSome manuscripts have “of Christ Jesus”
gOr “and filled”
hLiterally “he has much labor”
iSome manuscripts, including the majority of Byzantine minuscules, read the masculine form of the pronoun here (“his”), understanding the form of the name “Nympha” earlier in the verse to be masculine
jLiterally “cause”
kLiterally “bonds”