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I. The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world (Col 3:1-4). II. He exhorts to the mortification of sin, in the various instances of it (Col 3:5-11). III. He earnestly presses to mutual love and compassion (Col 3:12-17). And concludes with exhortations to relative duties, of wives and husbands, parents and children, masters and servants (Col 3:18-25).

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 3 This chapter contains exhortations to several duties, some more general, which relate to all Christians, and others more particular, which belong to saints in such and such a state of life. The apostle begins with an exhortation to seek things heavenly, and not earthly, and to set the affections on the one, and not on the other: the arguments used to enforce it are taken from the saints being risen with Christ; from Christ being in heaven at the Father's right hand; from their being dead to sin, the law, and the world; from their having life in Christ safe and secure; yea, from Christ being their life, and their appearance with him in glory, Col 3:1. And next he proceeds to an exhortation to the mortification of sin, and the deeds of it, which he urges from the wrath of God coming upon men for these things, and from the consideration of their former state and condition, expressed by walking and living in them, Col 3:5, and by a metaphor taken from the putting off and on of garments, he exhorts to the putting off of the old man, with his deeds, several of which are mentioned, Col 3:8, and to the putting on of the new man, and to the exercise of various graces, as mercy, meekness, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, and peace, Col 3:10. And then he proceeds to exhort to such duties as relate to the word and worship of God; as that the word of Christ should have an abiding place in them, and that they should teach and instruct one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and do all they did in a religious way, in the name of Christ, with thankfulness to God by him, Col 3:16. And closes the chapter with the duties of wives to their husbands, and of husbands to their wives, and of children to their parents, and of parents to their children, and of servants to their masters, Col 3:18.

Servants, obey in all things your masters,.... That is, in all things relating to the body, and bodily service; not to the conscience, and religious worship; in things worldly, and not spiritual; in all things that are within a master's power, and it is lawful for him to command; and in all things that are fitting and proper that a servant should do; and even in such things as may be difficult, troublesome, and disagreeable to the flesh unto them; see Luk 17:7 who those servants are that are to obey, and who their masters, said to be according to the flesh, to whom they are to be subject; see Gill on Eph 6:5. not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in singleness of heart; See Gill on Eph 6:5, Eph 6:6. fearing God; who sees and knows all things, what servants do when their masters are absent from them, and to whom they are accountable; and a servant that fears God will make conscience of discharging his service faithfully, will not misspend his master's time, nor embezzle his goods, or waste his substance; but from a principle of reverential affection for God, and fear of him, with a concern for his name, and a view to his glory, will with all diligence, uprightness, faithfulness, and sincerity, do his duty, seek his master's good and interest, and cheerfully obey all his lawful commands. The Alexandrian copy reads, "fearing the Lord"; and so the Syriac version, "in the fear of the Lord".

And ye bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear.

And see how always he sets down the names, "wives, children, servants," being at once a just claim upon their obedience. But that none might be pained, he added, "to your masters according to the flesh." Thy better part, the soul, is free, he saith; thy service is for a season. It therefore do thou subject, that thy service be no more of constraint. "Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers." Make, he saith, thy service which is by the law, to be from the fear of Christ. For if when thy master seeth thee not, thou doest thy duty and what is for his honor, it is manifest that thou doest it because of the sleepless Eye. "Not with eye-service," he saith, "as men-pleasers"; thus implying, "it is you who will have to sustain the damage." For hear the prophet saying, "God hath scattered the bones of the men-pleasers." (Ps. liii. 6, Sept.) See then how he spares them, and brings them to order. "But in singleness of heart," he saith, "fearing God." For that is not singleness, but hypocrisy, to hold one thing, and act another; to appear one when the master is present, another when he is absent. Therefore he said not simply, "in singleness of heart," but, "fearing God." For this is to fear God, when, though none be seeing, we do not aught that is evil; but if we do, we fear not God, but men. Seest thou how he bringeth them to order?

Paul implies that God has created all persons to be freeborn and says this to keep masters from arrogance. Slavery is itself a sign of iniquity in the world, of the curse of Cain. In fact, the wise person is always free, though a slave outwardly, while it is foolish sinners who are the true slaves. .

But as to servants, what can we say more than that the slave bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although he be impious and wicked, but yet not to yield any compliance as to his worship? And let the master love his servant, although he be his superior. Let him consider wherein they are equal, even as he is a man. And let him that has a believing master love him both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father, but still with the preservation of his authority as his master: "not as an eye-servant, but as a lover of his master; as knowing that God will recompense to him for his subjection." In like manner, let a master who has a believing servant love him as a son or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith, but still preserving the difference of a servant.

Differently to be admonished are servants and masters. Servants, to wit, that they ever keep in view the humility of their condition; but masters, that they lose not recollection of their nature, in which they are constituted on an equality with servants. Servants are to be admonished that they despise not their masters, lest they offend God, if by behaving themselves proudly they gainsay His ordinance: masters, too, are to be admonished, that they are proud against God with respect to His gift, if they acknowledge not those whom they hold in subjection by reason of their condition to be their equals by reason of their community of nature. The former are to be admonished to know themselves to be servants of masters; the latter are to be admonished to acknowledge themselves to be fellow-servants of servants. For to those it is said, Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh; and again, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour; but to these it is said, And ye, masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that both their and your Master is in heaven.

He immediately brings forward the legal basis of obedience, namely the name of slave. But, so as not to grieve them, he adds: "your masters according to the flesh." For your better part, he says, the soul, is free; slavery is only temporary. Therefore it is better to submit your soul as well, so that the slavery may be voluntary. Make it, he says, so that slavery by the requirement of the law becomes slavery out of fear of Christ. For when you faithfully fulfill your duties without the oversight of your master, it is clear that you fulfill them before the eyes of God. But if you fulfill them only in the presence of your master, then you are a people-pleaser. And being such, you will harm yourself: "for God shall scatter the bones of those who please men" (Ps. 52:6). To fear God means to do nothing evil even when no one sees us. Simplicity of heart consists precisely in not looking to people. Consequently, the people-pleaser does not act in simplicity of heart.

Next, he considers the third relationship. First, he instructs the slaves; secondly, he gives the reason for what he says (v. 24); and thirdly, he clears up a question (v. 25). As to the first, he does two things: first, he tells them to obey; and secondly, how to obey. He says, slaves, according to your state in this world, obey in everything, that is, in everything that is not against God, those who are your earthly masters: "Not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing" (1 Pet 2:18); "Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor" (1 Tim 6:1). Then when he says, not with eyeservice, he teaches them how they are to obey. He shows them two ways to obey: first, with simplicity and without trickery; secondly, willingly. So Paul says, not with eyeservice, that is, not merely to the extent that they can be seen by their master. This same idea is found in Ephesians (6:6). He says, not as men-pleasers, for such persons serve merely to please men. As Galatians says (1:10): "If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ." And therefore he adds, but in singleness of heart, that is, without trickery, fearing the Lord, as in Job (1:1): "That man was simple and upright, and feared God"; "The simplicity of the upright guides them" (Prov 11:3).

The apostle exhorts the Colossians to heavenly-mindedness after the example of Christ, that they may be prepared to appear with him in glory, Col 3:1-4. Exhorts them also to mortify their members, and calls to their remembrance their former state, Col 3:5-7. Shows how completely they were changed from that state, and gives them various directions relative to truth, compassion, meekness, long-suffering, forgiveness, charity, Col 3:8-14. Shows that they are called to unity and holiness; and commands them to have the doctrine of Christ dwelling richly in them; and how they should teach and admonish each other, and do every thing, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Col 3:15-17. The relative duties of wives, Col 3:18. Of husbands, Col 3:19. Of children, Col 3:20. Of fathers, Col 3:21. Of servants, Col 3:22. He concludes by showing that he that does wrong shall be treated accordingly, for God is no respecter of persons, Col 3:23-25.

Servants, obey - See on Eph 6:5-8 (note).

EXHORTATIONS TO HEAVENLY AIMS, AS OPPOSED TO EARTHLY, ON THE GROUND OF UNION TO THE RISEN SAVIOUR; TO MORTIFY AND PUT OFF THE OLD MAN, AND TO PUT ON THE NEW; IN CHARITY, HUMILITY, WORDS OF EDIFICATION, THANKFULNESS; RELATIVE DUTIES. (Col. 3:1-25) If . . . then--The connection with Col 2:18, Col 2:23, is, he had condemned the "fleshly mind" and the "satiating to the full the flesh"; in contrast to this he now says, "If then ye have been once for all raised up (Greek, aorist tense) together with Christ" (namely, at your conversion and baptism, Rom 6:4). seek those things . . . above-- (Mat 6:33; Phi 3:20). sitteth--rather, as Greek, "Where Christ is, sitting on the right of God" (Eph 1:20). The Head being quickened, the members are also quickened with Him. Where the Head is, there the members must be. The contrast is between the believer's former state, alive to the world but dead to God, and his present state, dead to the world but alive to God; and between the earthly abode of the unbeliever and the heavenly abode of the believer (Co1 15:47-48). We are already seated there in Him as our Head; and hereafter shall be seated by Him, as the Bestower of our bliss. As Elisha (Kg2 2:2) said to Elijah when about to ascend, "As the Lord liveth . . . I will not leave thee"; so we must follow the ascended Saviour with the wings of our meditations and the chariots of our affections. We should trample upon and subdue our lusts that our conversation may correspond to our Saviour's condition; that where the eyes of apostles were forced to leave Him, thither our thoughts may follow Him (Mat 6:21; Joh 12:32) [PEARSON]. Of ourselves we can no more ascend than a bar of iron lift itself up' from the earth. But the love of Christ is a powerful magnet to draw us up (Eph 2:5-6). The design of the Gospel is not merely to give rules, but mainly to supply motives to holiness.

(Eph 6:5-6.) This is to fear God, when, though none sees us, we do no evil: but if we do evil, it is not God, but men, whom we fear. singleness--"simplicity of heart." fearing God--The oldest manuscripts read, "the Lord."