โคโลสี 3:8 วิจารณ์

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).

As we are to mortify inordinate appetites, so we are to mortify inordinate passions (Col 3:8): But now you also put off all these, anger wrath, malice; for these are contrary to the design of the gospel, as well as grosser impurities; and, though they are more spiritual wickedness, have not less malignity in them. The gospel religion introduces a change of the higher as well as the lower powers of the soul, and supports the dominion of right reason and conscience over appetite and passion. Anger and wrath are bad, but malice is worse, because it is more rooted and deliberate; it is anger heightened and settled. And, as the corrupt principles in the heart must be cut off, so the product of them in the tongue; as blasphemy, which seems there to mean, not so much speaking ill of God as speaking ill of men, giving ill language to them, or raising ill reports of them, and injuring their good name by any evil arts, - filthy communication, that is, all lewd and wanton discourse, which comes from a polluted mind in the speaker and propagates the same defilements in the hearers, - and lying: Lie not one to another (Col 3:9), for it is contrary both to the law of truth and the law of love, it is both unjust and unkind, and naturally tends to destroy all faith and friendship among mankind. Lying makes us like the devil (who is the father of lies), and is a prime part of the devil's image upon our souls; and therefore we are cautioned against this sin by this general reason: Seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, Col 3:10. The consideration that we have by profession put away sin and espoused the cause and interest of Christ, that we have renounced all sin and stand engaged to Christ, should fortify us against this sin of lying. Those who have put off the old man have put it off with its deeds; and those who have put on the new man must put on all its deeds - not only espouse good principles but act them in a good conversation. The new man is said to be renewed in knowledge, because an ignorant soul cannot be a good soul. Without knowledge the heart cannot be good, Pro 19:2. The grace of God works upon the will and affections by renewing the understanding. Light is the first thing in the new creation, as it was in the first: after the image of him who created him. It was the honour of man in innocence that he was made after the image of God; but that image was defaced and lost by sin, and is renewed by sanctifying grace: so that a renewed soul is something like what Adam was in the day he was created. In the privilege and duty of sanctification there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, Col 3:11. There is now no difference arising from different country or different condition and circumstance of life: it is as much the duty of the one as of the other to be holy, and as much the privilege of the one as of the other to receive from God the grace to be so. Christ came to take down all partition-walls, that all might stand on the same level before God, both in duty and privilege. And for this reason, because Christ is all in all. Christ is a Christian's all, his only Lord and Saviour, and all his hope and happiness. And to those who are sanctified, one as well as another and whatever they are in other respects, he is all in all, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: he is all in all things to them.

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.

But now you also put off all these,.... Intimating, that now since they were converted and delivered out of the former state in which they were once, and professed not to walk and live in sin, it became them to separate, remove, and put at a distance from them all sins, and every vice, to lay them aside as dead weights upon them, and put them off as filthy garments; for such sins are never to be put on, and cleaved to again as formerly; and that not only those, the above mentioned, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, but the following also, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, or "evil speaking"; what vices are here intended; see Gill on Eph 4:31; to which is added, filthy communication, which comes out of the mouth: and is to be removed and put out of it, or abstained from; and which is to be understood also of blasphemy, or evil speaking of one another, whereby the credit and reputation of each other may be hurt. "Filthy communication" is the same with that which is said to be corrupt, Eph 4:29; and which, though it is applicable to all speech that is unsavoury, unedifying, idle, and useless, and may be properly enough said of flattery, lying, cursing, and swearing; yet chiefly regards obscene language, unchaste words, and filthy talking, which tend to encourage and cherish the sin of uncleanness in any of its branches, flattery, lying, cursing, and swearing; yet chiefly regards obscene language, unchaste words, and filthy talking, which tend to encourage and cherish the sin of uncleanness in any of its branches.

"But now put ye also away all these." He speaks always both universally and particularly; but this is from earnestness. "Anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth. Lie not one to another." "Shameful speaking," he saith, "out of your mouth," clearly intimating that it pollutes it.

But against others he advanceth his discourse. Under the head of "passion and railing" he means revilings, just as under "wrath" he means wickedness. And in another place, to shame them, he says, "for we are members one of another." He makes them out to be as it were manufacturers of men; casting away this one, and receiving that. He spoke of a man's "members"; here he saith, "all." He spoke of his heart, wrath, mouth, blasphemy, eyes, fornication, covetousness, hands and feet, lying, the understanding itself, and the old mind.

A hermit said, ‘A monk ought not to listen to disparagement; he ought not to be disparaging, and he ought not to be scornful.’

How is this? He just said: "you once walked," showing by this that they no longer live that way, and suddenly he says again: put off all these things! How can they put off what they no longer have? To this one can answer that the phrase "you once walked" serves for the understanding of what is now being said. For by this it is suggested that "once," that is, before baptism, sin ruled in you, possessed your entire life, and tyrannized over you, and freedom from the passions was impossible for you; but now, when through baptism sin has been put to death in you, it has become easy for you to put off the passions like a garment. And you cannot put forward as an excuse that you live under the power of sin and the passions, for you have died to them. By "malice" he means bearing grudges, which some have called resentment, when someone holds malice within himself against another, as if to take revenge. The apostle speaks about abusive speeches. Expressively he said: "your mouths," for your mouths are sanctified by partaking of the body of the Lord. Therefore it is extremely unfitting for you to defile with slander and foul language the mouths that receive Christ the Lord.

Above, the Apostle warned the faithful about sins of the flesh; here he warns them about spiritual sins. First, he lays down a general admonition; and secondly, he divides it into parts. So he says: At one time you walked in sins, but now put them all away, not only sins of the flesh, but all sin: "So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander" (1 Pet. 2:1). He divides the spiritual sins into two groups: first, into sins of the heart, secondly, into sins of the mouth, spoken sins. First of all, he mentions anger: "For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God" (Jas. 1:20); and this must be avoided. Secondly, he mentions wrath, which springs from anger, and occurs when a person considers someone unworthy of what he has, or in comparison with another: "I have no wrath" (Is 27:4). Malice then follows after these two, when a person tries to cause injury to his neighbor: "Put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness" (Jas. 1:21). Then he mentions those sins committed by word; and there are three kinds. Such sins indicate a spiritual disorder. First, such a sin in relation to God is blasphemy: "Bring out of the camp him who blasphemed; and let all who hear him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him" (Lev 24:14). And thus all blasphemy is a grievous sin. But what if it is sudden? I answer that if it is so sudden that a person does not realize that he is blaspheming, it is not a grievous sin. But I believe that however suddenly, if a person realizes that he is speaking blasphemous words, he sins in a grievous way. Secondly, he mentions a disorder concerning concupiscence, when he says, put foul talk from your mouth: "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths" (Eph 4:29). Thirdly, he mentions a disorder in relation to our neighbor, lying: "A false witness will not go unpunished" (Prov 19:5).

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.

But now ye also put on all these - See on Eph 4:22 (note). Being now converted, sin had no more dominion over them. Anger, wrath, etc - They had not only lived in the evils mentioned Col 3:5, but also in those enumerated here; and they had not only laid aside the former, but they had laid aside the latter also. They retained no bosom, no easily besetting, sin. They were risen with Christ, and they sought the things which were above. Blasphemy - The word seems here to mean injurious and calumnious speaking.

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.

But now--that ye are no longer living in them. ye also--like other believers; answering to "ye also" (Col 3:7) like other unbelievers formerly. put off--"Do ye also put away all these," namely, those just enumerated, and those which follow [ALFORD]. anger, wrath--(See on Eph 4:31). blasphemy--rather, "reviling," "evil-speaking," as it is translated in Eph 4:31. filthy communication--The context favors the translation, "abusive language," rather than impure conversation. "Foul language" best retains the ambiguity of the original.