Colossians 3:5-17

[5.

Practical Exhortation, General.

(1) NEGATIVE. — To MORTIFY THE OLD MAN, by fleeing from —

(a)

Uncleanness and lust (Colossians 3:5);

(b)

Wrath and malice (Colossians 3:8);

(c)

Falsehood (Colossians 3:9).

(2) POSITIVE. — To PUT ON THE NEW MAN, making Christ our “all in all.”

(a)

In love and peace, as shown in mercy, humility, patience, and forgiveness (Colossians 3:10);

(b)

In thanksgiving (Colossians 3:16);

(c)

In living to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17);

(The whole of this section stands in close parallelism, frequently in verbal coincidence, with Ephesians 4:20 to Ephesians 6:9. There are, however, constantly emerging indications of independence of handling. Generally speaking, the Ephesian Epistle is fuller and deeper in treatment; and, moreover, it constantly brings out, in relation both to moral duty and to the observation of the relations of life, the great characteristic doctrine of the universal unity in Christ. This Epistle, on the other hand, is briefer and more incisive, and has only slight, though clear, indications of the idea so powerfully worked out in the other Epistle.)]