13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.

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13 When you were dead in your sins(A) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive(B) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us

The Life of the New Man

So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.(B) For you have died,(C) and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your[a] life, is revealed,(D) then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.(E)

Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature:[b] sexual immorality, impurity,(F) lust,(G) evil desire, and greed,(H) which is idolatry.(I) Because of these, God’s wrath(J) comes on the disobedient,[c] and you once walked in these things when you were living(K) in them. But now you must also put away(L) all the following: anger,(M) wrath,(N) malice,(O) slander,(P) and filthy language from your mouth.(Q) Do not lie(R) to one another, since you have put off(S) the old self[d](T) with its practices 10 and have put on(U) the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your[e] Creator.(V) 11 In Christ[f] there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,[g] slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.(W)

The Christian Life

12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved,(X) put on heartfelt compassion, kindness,(Y) humility,(Z) gentleness,(AA) and patience,(AB) 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.(AC) 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called(AD) in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name(AE) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:4 Other mss read our
  2. Colossians 3:5 Lit death the members on the earth
  3. Colossians 3:6 Other mss omit on the disobedient
  4. Colossians 3:9 Lit man; = a person before conversion
  5. Colossians 3:10 Lit his
  6. Colossians 3:11 Lit Where
  7. Colossians 3:11 A term for a savage

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,(A) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(B) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.(C) For you died,(D) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your[a] life,(E) appears,(F) then you also will appear with him in glory.(G)

Put to death,(H) therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:(I) sexual immorality,(J) impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,(K) which is idolatry.(L) Because of these, the wrath of God(M) is coming.[b] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.(N) But now you must also rid yourselves(O) of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,(P) and filthy language from your lips.(Q) Do not lie to each other,(R) since you have taken off your old self(S) with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,(T) which is being renewed(U) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.(V) 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew,(W) circumcised or uncircumcised,(X) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,(Y) but Christ is all,(Z) and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves(AA) with compassion, kindness, humility,(AB) gentleness and patience.(AC) 13 Bear with each other(AD) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(AE) 14 And over all these virtues put on love,(AF) which binds them all together in perfect unity.(AG)

15 Let the peace of Christ(AH) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body(AI) you were called to peace.(AJ) And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ(AK) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom(AL) through psalms,(AM) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.(AN) 17 And whatever you do,(AO) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks(AP) to God the Father through him.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
  2. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient

From Death to Life

And you were dead(A) in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,(B) according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,[a](C) the spirit(D) now working in the disobedient.[b] We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly(E) desires, carrying out the inclinations(F) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath(G) as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy,(H) because of His great love(I) that He had for us,[c] made us alive(J) with the Messiah even though we were dead(K) in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,(L) so that in the coming ages(M) He might display the immeasurable riches(N) of His grace through His kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace(P) through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created(Q) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time(R) so that we should walk in them.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:2 Lit ruler of the domain of the air
  2. Ephesians 2:2 Lit sons of disobedience
  3. Ephesians 2:4 Lit love with which He loved us

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,(A) in which you used to live(B) when you followed the ways of this world(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.(E) All of us also lived among them at one time,(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,(H) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.(J) And God raised us up with Christ(K) and seated us with him(L) in the heavenly realms(M) in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,(N) expressed in his kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace(P) you have been saved,(Q) through faith(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,(S) so that no one can boast.(T) 10 For we are God’s handiwork,(U) created(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.