All Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible 1995 Ed. (NASB95), published by The Lockman Foundation

One of the most debated and controversial questions we as western believers talk about is what are the proper steps toward a healthy church. Some of the most common topics of discussion in this regard are “what kind of music should be played,” “what kind of children’s ministry should we have,” “how should we go about greeting and welcoming guests,” “should there be a powerpoint presentation for the sermons,” and “should there be a fellowship time with coffee and snacks.” While some of these things can be important, they deal with mere externals, whereas the writings of the apostles come to the heart of how we should be treating each other as members of God’s family.

In most of Paul’s letters, he provides very specific instructions for how believers ought to treat one another in their everyday interactions. One of the clearest and most concise of these treatments is found in his letter to the Colossians, where he provides a beautiful outline of the attitudes and actions Christians should have toward each other, as they mutually participate in their renewal “to a true knowledge according to the image of” their Creator (3:10). In this passage, Paul cuts to the main virtues and behaviors that will lead to an increased renewal of local congregations in Christlikeness. He begins with the attitudes that we ought to have toward each other, and then details the most important actions we should be taking in our mutual service toward each other, so that we’ll continually help each other to be conformed into the image of Christ.

In this section near the end of chapter 3, he explains three main duties to the Colossians, which all fellowships ought to be practicing for the upbuilding of the body:

  1. Put on hearts of compassion and kindness (vss. 12-13).
  2. Put on love and peace (vss. 14-15).
  3. Pamper the Word of Christ with singing (vss. 16-17).

Let’s read the section, and then discuss the first instruction:

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Put on Hearts of Compassion and Kindness

The first priority with regard to believers’ treatment of each other is to have the right attitude and feeling about them. It’s only if we view each other correctly in our minds, that we’ll take the necessary steps toward meeting our brethren’s needs, and serving them. Thus, Paul begins with reminding the Colossians of their new identity as a body of believers, and calls them to exercise hearts of compassion.

He describes them with the most foundational attributes of their heavenly nature, which consist in God’s treatment of them. They’re “chosen,” “holy,” and “beloved,” which are all characteristics coming from God’s acts on them (v. 12). It is God who has chosen them to be holy and beloved. That is, He has literally “set them apart,” or made them holy, and it is He who has decided to love them as His most treasured possessions and children. Since they all are treated this way, then they must treat one another in the following ways.

How do they need to treat each other? First, with “compassion,” or “mercy.” The word “compassion” literally means “to feel along with,” or to share one’s feelings. Thus, they must be sensitive to each other’s feelings and sufferings, and respond accordingly. How will they respond? With “kindness,” which refers to a general benevolence and goodness manifesting itself in practical actions. Given that they treat each other’s feelings as just as important as their own, they must also be humble, or literally, “lowly.” This means to view oneself in light of one’s relationship to God, as nothing but what and who God has made them. Finally in this verse, Paul urges them towards “gentleness and patience.” These traits are two sides of the same coin, since gentleness is the disposition of exercising just enough force toward someone in tone, while patience refers to putting up with wrongs without retaliating.

Therefore, Paul’s instructions in verse 13 are the logical outworking of all these heart attitudes. If they’re compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient, then they’ll “bear with one another” and forgive each other inevitably. And this covers everyone for everything. That’s why he says “whoever has a complaint against anyone”. Then, he points them to their prime example and motivator for forgiving each other. “Just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (v. 13). Thus, because He’s forgiven them, they ought to forgive each other for far lesser offenses.

Having instructed them in the right heart attitudes toward each other, he now comes to the core virtues they must show in their unity as a body. These serve as the bridge toward the main activities he’ll then call them to whenever they gather together.

Put on Love and Peace

After enjoining cores of compassion, humility, and forgiveness, Paul then uses one of the few most important words in the Christian vocabulary – love. Although the Greek he uses doesn’t specifically use the phrase “put on,” this command is still implied as modifying love. So, we read “beyond all these things put on love” (v. 14). By “beyond all these things,” we should understand him as meaning “above all these things,” or “most of all,” since he calls love “the perfect bond of unity” (v. 14). It’s love that unites Christians together. But the question is, what is love? Well, since he tells them to put it on, it must be something that we do. In other words, it’s a decision of the will to love our brethren in Christ, because we love our Lord and Savior Christ.

The New Testament is replete with descriptions and examples of Christian love, but I think one of the most concise is found in 1 John 3:16, where John writes, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Hence, love for our brethren, or anyone, is done by giving up our rights and comforts in order to meet the needs of someone else, for their spiritual and eternal well-being.

And after declaring that love binds the Colossians together like glue, Paul next urges them to be ruled by “the peace of Christ” (v. 15). The peace of Jesus is that which comes from having peace with God, and peace with one’s moral condition, so that he extends peace to his neighbor. Specifically, this peace is that which will abound when brethren love each other, since he says that believers were “called in one body” to this peace (v. 15). Because we’re one body in Christ, we must be at peace with each other.

And if we remember that we’ve been chosen, set apart, and beloved by God, and can reflect this love, compassion, and peace toward others, Paul concludes that Christians ought to “be thankful.” To be thankful means to be regularly expressing recognition of God’s good gifts for us, even through the relationships we have with our brethren. And thankfulness will also lead to the next practice that Paul explains in this passage.

Pamper the Word of Christ with Singing

The last main instruction in this section is one of the most important in the whole New Testament, since it summarizes the main activities that believers ought to be doing when they gather together under qualified leaders. That is, verses 16-17 describe what we ought to be doing every time we meet on Sundays, and any day in between. Verse 17 gives us the general way in which we ought to conduct all our business, while verse 16 outlines what Christian gatherings look like when we’re doing it to please the Lord.

There are four specific instructions contained in verse 16, which outline how we ought to encourage and instruct our brethren when we meet with them. The first one is the prerequisite for all the others, which is to “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you”. Since all the other actions in the verse are participles, or actions that describe what this looks like, letting Christ’s word dwell abundantly in us must come first. But what does this mean? To let His word, or message, to dwell in us, means that we’re making it part of our lives, our beliefs, our thinking, and affections. Usually in the New Testament, “the word of Christ,” describes the word about Christ, or the gospel, so this is clearly the main message that Paul has in mind. However, it’s also true that all the apostles conceived of the message of Christ as including more than just the bare gospel message. Included in Christ’s word, or His message, is all that He taught the apostles in person, and through the Spirit after He’d ascended. This is confirmed by Paul’s statement that if the Colossians let this word dwell in them richly, then they’ll teach and admonish each other with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Notice he doesn’t say that they’ll teach each other with the gospel, but with Old Testament praise songs, Christian praise songs, and songs of testimony and instruction. Thus, by his own words, Paul must have the whole teaching of Jesus in mind when he says “the word of Christ”.

Hence, he’s calling the Colossians first of all to a holistic, whole-hearted, and submissive faith and obedience to Jesus’s teaching. After they’re doing this while they meet together, then they should teach and admonish one another “with all wisdom.” It’s clear what “teaching” means, but what about “admonishing?” This word is translated from a Greek word that literally means “to put in mind,” and was used in secular writings of the time to refer to the confrontational correction of a wrong that had been committed. Hence, the ESV translates it as “warning”. However, it’s more expansive than this, since Paul has already used the word in Colossians 1:28, where he writes that he and the apostles “proclaim Him, teaching and admonishing every man”. The word conveys more than simply pointing out someone’s fault, but explaining why it’s wrong, and what to do about it. Thus, many Bible scholars would commend translating it as “counseling” (Jay E. Adams among them). Therefore, Paul is calling believers to counsel each other!

The third part of this instruction is the form in which this teaching and counseling should come. I’ll just remind you that he writes that the result of letting Christ’s word dwell richly in you will be that you’ll teach and warn your brethren “with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”. Therefore, singing is essential to obeying Jesus, and helping our brethren to learn and obey His word more.

Finally, Paul reminds them of the attitude in which this singing should be done, which is “with thankfulness in your hearts to God”. Therefore, we find here that even songs that give thanks to God are meant to teach and counsel believers, as we sing them among our brethren, but sing them to God.

To sum up all that he’s said in this passage, Paul describes the motive for, and manner, in which all their corporate activities (not excluding private ones), should be done. He tells them that whatever they do, they must do “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 17). To act in His name means to act by the authority and motivation of His name. That is, when we’re doing something in His name, we’re doing it because He’s taught us to, and therefore given us the right and privilege to. It’s acting on Jesus’s behalf, and to fulfill His purposes. But Paul doesn’t stop with this instruction. He concludes the whole section by repeating that the Colossians must give “thanks through Him to God”. In essence, Paul’s entire description of Christian living begins and ends with thanking God because of what He’s given us through Jesus.

Put on Compassion, Love, and Christ’s Word

Just to review this passage, please reflect on your own consistency with following its instructions. Are you compassionate, kind, humble, and gentle toward your brethren in Christ?

Do you consistently act out of love for your brethren, in order to meet their needs, and help them on toward Christlikeness?

Are you peaceful with your brethren, and thankful for them?

Are you regularly letting the Lord’s teaching live inside of you abundantly, so that you’re motivated to sing to your brethren to teach and counsel them based on Scripture?

Are you increasingly acting on behalf of Jesus in your words and deeds, together with your closest brethren?