and having put on the new, renewed into full knowledge according to [the] image of him that has created him;
Paul has just told the Colossians to stop lying to one another. He backs that command with something already true of them: they have taken off the old man and put on the new. Verse 10 describes that new man — renewed along the line of knowledge, after the pattern of the One who created him.
Commentators read the putting on of the new man as something already done at conversion. That is why the commands around it carry weight.
Truth, however, is required of us because we have put off the old man and have put on the new. This is what we have done in our conversion, and the calls to put off and put on in verses 8 and 12 rest upon it. Conversion means we have learned to judge, condemn and refuse the old order of man and his character. It means we have put on the new man, who is God's creation and shares His character. We do not say that we understood or realised this at the moment of our conversion. But in the light of this Scripture, this is what our conversion really involved, and it is high time we understand and realise it.
"The new man" is not a name for any one person. It describes a whole class of people.
These expressions do not refer to particular people. They describe different orders of men, each having certain characteristics... Also, "new man" does not mean simply a fresh man, the way we speak of a new man appointed to fill some position. It implies an order of man that is new in the sense of being entirely different from the old man.
Greek has more than one word for "new," and the one chosen here matters.
The Greek word for "new" does not mean repaired, or even renovated, the way you might renew an item that has fallen into disrepair. It means what is absolutely and radically new, something that had not existed before. It is the same word we find in Colossians 3:10, the "new man."
Everyday English uses "new" in two ways, and one writer applies both to Colossians and Ephesians 4.
We use the word 'new' in two senses in English. We speak of a 'new fashion,' and of a 'new coat.' "Renewed in knowledge" in Colossians 3:10 is a completely new thing, like a new fashion. "Renewed in the spirit of your mind," in Ephesians 4:23, is like a new coat, constantly renewed by the grace and Spirit of God.
This renewal runs through knowledge, and knowledge is more than the absence of wrongdoing.
The first man was innocent; he was not righteous but innocent... To be righteous and holy you must have the knowledge of good and evil... Colossians uses another expression of great importance — "renewed in knowledge according to the image of him that created him." There is a positive knowledge of God. It is not just that sin is absent. I have a positive knowledge of God Himself, and what God is gives the new man his character and essence.
The phrase can also be read "renewed into full knowledge," and one writer draws a conclusion for the mind.
Our renewing is according to the image of Christ. No lower standard is put before us. He Himself is the image of God. Notice again how this renewing is connected with the mind. The reading should be "renewed into full knowledge." How important it is, then, that our thinking should be in the direction God has indicated.
Older translations read "him that created him" where the ESV has "its creator." One writer names that Creator plainly.
The Creator is Christ; in Colossians all creation owes its existence to Him. The new man is formed after the pattern of Christ.
The verse says "image," not "likeness," and one writer explains the difference.
Likeness is in distinct qualities; "image" is the complete presentation of the person. So in Colossians 3:10 they were renewed in knowledge according to the image — the complete presentation of what He was, and of all that He was. That is a wonderful position and calling.
"Renewed" describes something ongoing, not finished.
This new man is "renewed", a word that implies it is daily gaining new strength. This fresh strength is found in the knowledge of the One who has created the new man. As we grow in the knowledge of Christ, we become like Christ. He is the perfect expression of the new order of man.
- New, not mended. The word means something that never existed before — not the old man repaired, but an entirely different order of man.
- New already. You put him on at conversion; every command in the chapter rests on a change already made, not one you are trying to earn.
- New by knowing. Renewal runs through knowledge — real knowledge of God Himself, which the first man's innocence never had.
- New after a Pattern. The measure is the image of the Creator — the full presentation of who He is, seen in Christ. There is no lower standard.
- New in practice. Grow in the knowledge of Christ and likeness to Him follows; that is how the new man shows day by day.
wherein there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ [is] everything, and in all.
Paul has just told the Colossians they have put off the old man and put on the new. This verse describes the world that new man lives in. It is a sphere where the labels people go by carry no weight. If race, religion, culture and class no longer define anyone there, what does?
The "where" of the verse is not a place but an order of humanity. One writer names the distinctions the verse rules out, then explains both halves of the closing phrase. Where he writes "everything," the ESV reads "all":
In this new order of man there are no national distinctions, such as Greek and Jew. There are no religious distinctions, such as circumcision and uncircumcision. And there are no social distinctions between ignorant and learned, or slaves and free. The old man may indeed include many kinds of men, such as Jews and Gentiles. But all of them are marked by certain evil features. The new man is an order of man in which "Christ is everything, and in all". Christ is everything as the perfect pattern and object; and Christ is in all to form the character of the new man.
Commentators read "all" here as "everything," and see the two halves pointing in two directions at once:
So in this region or circle — that of the new man — all that is of the flesh has disappeared. Only Christ, and what is of Christ, remains. Christ is everything, for that is the force of the expression, and He is also in all. It is Christ as the object before us and Christ within us, and there is nothing besides.
The second half moves the verse into daily behaviour. If Christ is in every Christian, conduct flows from Him and not from law:
Do we desire to know, not merely what Christ will be by and by, but what Christ is now? Then, according to the mind of God, He is not only "all," but "in all," that is, in all Christians. He Himself is the whole spring and character of Christian conduct. He is our life... It is not merely a question of right and wrong, of what we ought to do or be. This was law. But now it is a question of being consistent with Christ who is all and in all. And what then is the standard of our consistency? Christ, and Christ as He is in the presence of God.
One writer contrasts what the old man could hold on to with what fills the new:
While awaiting the glory when God will be all in all, Christ dwells already in His saints. He has formed in them the new man, in whom also He is all and in all. The old man can have ordinances and philosophy, but to the new man Christ is all.
Writers often confuse "God all in all" with the close of this verse. The two belong to different times:
The words "that God may be all in all" in 1 Corinthians 15:28 are often confused with the close of Colossians 3:11. Colossians applies now, the other not until the end of the millennium... Even now Christ is all and in all. His death and resurrection have blotted out, before God and to the eye of faith, all that is merely human and earthly in those who are one with Him.
The end of this same letter shows it among real people:
There may be different nationalities in an assembly, but they are all one "in Christ"... The closing chapter shows this beautifully. Paul writes of Onesimus, the former runaway slave, as "one of you," that is, "a faithful and beloved brother" in the assembly. We then get Luke, "the beloved physician." What a contrast socially between the slave and the doctor!
It also tests what we value in other believers:
As Christ is all and in all, so we have to seek to act on this always, only prizing in one another what is of Him... The Christian is in constant danger of sinking into thoughts of natural qualities — the things that make men attractive. The point of faith is to rise above all this.
The verse does not erase every difference in daily life:
When individual conduct is in question, some of these distinctions are not only recognised but clearly provided for. But when believers are looked at simply as members of the body of Christ, all differences merge. They "are one in Christ Jesus," and Christ becomes "all and in all."
- Where — the verse speaks of one sphere: the new man. Outside it the old labels still function; inside it they have no standing at all.
- Wiped — national, religious and social distinctions all go together. The old man could be Jew or Gentile; the new order has no such categories.
- Whole — "all" carries the force of "everything." Christ is the perfect pattern and object, and nothing of the flesh is left beside Him.
- Within — "in all" means in every Christian. He is the life and spring of conduct, so the standard is not a rule but Christ Himself, as He is in the presence of God.
- Working — in practice, prize in other believers only what is of Christ. At the same time, keep the everyday relationships Scripture itself provides for.
Put on therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
The verse turns from what the believer strips off to what he puts on: five qualities to wear like clothing. But it opens with three names — chosen, holy, beloved — so do these clothes earn those names, or grow out of them?
The word "therefore" ties the instruction to everything said before it. Commentators are clear that the order runs one way only.
Our walk and practice could never secure this place of privilege before God. Our standing in blessing is wholly the result of the grace of God that has reached us through Christ. The walk cannot secure that position of privilege. But the position is meant to govern the walk.
The same point is put in terms of the gospel: these qualities are the crop, not the seed.
The Gospel does not expect to find ready-made saints: it makes them. It is preached to sinners, not to saints, and the first thing is to receive it as a sinner... All such things are fruits of the Gospel. So the Gospel must be received first, and the fruits follow.
Each of the three words says something different.
As "the elect", God chose us "before the foundation of the world" for heavenly blessing, according to His purpose. As "holy", He sets us apart for Himself, out of this present world. As "beloved", He cares for us every step of our journey through it.
These titles were not invented for us. Writers point out that Scripture uses them of the Lord Jesus.
In Colossians 3:12 the apostle uses of Christians the same terms as are used elsewhere of Christ... Compare Isaiah 42:1, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights." ... Matthew 3:17 says, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." God in His grace speaks of us as He speaks of His own Son. So let us "walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:6). Those who are beautiful before God should also be beautiful before men. Our practical state should correspond to our standing.
The word "beloved" is not decoration. It is the engine of the whole list.
If a person loves me, that draws out love in return. So knowing God's love and God's delight creates bonds of affection that do not exist without it. Being accepted does not only mean my sins are gone, so that I could stand before Him. I am the object of His delight... So the Christian should walk through the world knowing he is loved by God. With that, we do not want the world. Without it, we have to turn to something that puts self at the centre.
The list is not five words for one idea. Each has a distinct field of action.
Mercy is grace to those who depend on us in some way, and who are in special need. Kindness does not always mean meeting a real need... It serves the happiness and comfort of others who may have no special need. Lowliness looks at self; meekness looks at others. Lowliness thinks low thoughts, or no thoughts, of self; meekness gives way to others.
Every one of them was already on display in the life of Jesus.
We see tender mercy in Him when He was "moved with compassion" (Matt. 9:36). We see kindness in His gentle dealings with Judas, right to the end... Meekness (not standing up for His rights) shows all through His life. It showed even when Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) hated Him, persecuted Him, and were determined to crucify Him. He opened not His mouth (Isa. 53:7). Patience (bearing up under constant suffering) marked His entire life.
"Put on" is a clothing word, and clothing has two sides.
These graces have to be put on. They are meant to be seen on the outside, but they come from the life within... The fragrant oil of the sanctuary was poured on the head of Aaron, the high priest, and it ran all the way down to the hem of his robes. Christ is the Head of the body. All that delights God rests on Him in perfection. But the whole body must carry the grace of the Head.
That display is not for special settings only.
It is the Christian's privilege to show the character of Christ in a world where people are not like Christ at all. And to do so not only in one circle, or on one special occasion, but in every circle the Christian is called to move in.
- Chosen first. Nothing you wear buys the name you are given. Grace gives the standing. The standing then governs the walk.
- Christ's own names. Elect, holy, beloved belong first to the Son. God speaks them over believers in grace, so the walk should match the words.
- Loved into loving. Knowing you are God's delight draws out love that grows no other way. It also cures the pull of the world.
- Clothed deliberately. Compassion meets need. Kindness adds comfort. Humility forgets self, meekness yields, patience endures. Five garments, all worn perfectly by Jesus.
- Seen everywhere. The graces show on the outside. The life within feeds them. They are worn in every circle the Christian enters, not just the religious one.
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any should have a complaint against any; even as the Christ has forgiven you, so also [do] *ye*.
Paul has just told the Colossians to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. This verse turns those qualities toward the people who irritate and wound us, and it sets one standard for both bearing and forgiving: the Lord's own forgiveness of us.
The verse names two things, not one. Commentators tell them apart by what provokes each.
Long-suffering has more to do with trying circumstances. Bearing with one another has to do with trying people. We rightly speak of a person showing great forbearance when provoked. This provocation may be general — something that calls for the forbearance of all. There may also be personal wrongs, which would give the one wronged just cause for complaint. Such personal wrongs call for forgiveness. The measure of the forgiveness is to be even as Christ forgave us.
The phrase points both ways, and that changes who we picture in the sentence.
To bear with the other does not only mean carrying the burdens of others. It also means bearing with their weaknesses. This is exactly what the Lord Jesus did with His disciples. They had a lot of flaws, but He was ready to bear with them. It may even be that we must bear with the brother himself if he has become a burden to others. And we should not forget that Paul says: "bearing with one another." This is not a one-way street. Today, I may be the one who must do this; tomorrow, others may have to bear with me.
The clause "as the Lord has forgiven you" is not decoration. It supplies the pattern, and that pattern has a clear shape.
This may be the most difficult of these instructions. It assumes that my brother (or my sister) has sinned against me. How did our Lord react when they nailed Him to that shameful and cruel cross? He prayed for His enemies: "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34). He sets the example. So our standard is: "as Christ has forgiven us"! And how has He forgiven us? First, He did it completely. Second, He did it at once. Third, He did it willingly — from the depths of His heart… To forgive means to grant the grace to take something away. So the one who forgives shows grace, and the one forgiven receives it.
The wording "if one has a complaint against another" is also read broadly, beyond one person and one grudge.
There is to be forgiveness should there be occasion to blame another. The wording "any … against any" perhaps covers not only individual complaints but difficulties that may arise between families and so on.
The command looks impossible until we remember our own debt.
I do not say this lightly. When believers live and walk together there are sometimes difficulties. Something a brother or a sister does may hurt us deeply, and we say, "I cannot forgive this." On our own we cannot forgive. But we can when we realise how much God has forgiven us in Christ… Does this not sometimes happen among believers? We have been forgiven such a great debt in Christ, and yet we are sometimes unable to forgive our brother or sister.
One writer separates the forgiveness we carry inside from the moment we say it out loud.
We must always keep a spirit of forgiveness. Whenever we have a complaint against anyone, we must hold him in our hearts as already forgiven. And we learn when to speak that forgiveness out loud: when the person we blame confesses the sin.
One writer starts from how far His forgiveness reaches, then names what refusing to forgive costs.
Think of the measure of His forgiveness. He has not only pardoned all our sin and hostility against Himself. He has made us members of His body… He can have nothing against us for ever, since we are members of His body. How could the head of a body keep up a quarrel with any member of it, or hold hard feelings against it?… But we are also members of one another. To be unforgiving, impatient and hard toward one another denies in practice the whole truth of the body of Christ. To be unforgiving upsets everything. It blocks all joy and progress, grieves the Holy Spirit, dishonours the Lord and delights the devil.
One more quality is added to the list, and it is the spring of everything else.
We are to add love to the mercy, the kindness, and all the other qualities. All these blessed activities of the new man are to spring from love. If we show mercy, or kindness, or forbearance, or forgiveness, it should be because we love our brother.
- Forgiven first — we cannot forgive on our own. The power comes from seeing how great a debt God has already cancelled for us in Christ.
- Two garments — bearing with one another covers trying people and their weaknesses. Forgiving covers personal wrongs.
- Christ's measure — He forgave completely, at once, and willingly. Nothing lower is the pattern for us.
- Heart ready — hold the offender as forgiven in your heart at once. Say the words when the wrong is confessed.
- Love binds — mercy, kindness, patience and forgiveness are only real when they spring from love.