Chapter 3

Chapter Three

¹ If then you have been raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; set your mind on the things above, not on the things upon the earth. Having said that you died together with Christ—through baptism, that is—and having given us to understand, by what is left unspoken, that you have also been raised together with Him (for baptism, just as it figures death through the immersion, so it figures life and resurrection through the emergence), he now introduces the point that, if you have been raised together with Christ, you ought henceforth to be above, where He also is, where there is no scrupulous observance of days; and to set your mind on the heavenly things, since these matters—the questions about foods and days—are earthly and bodily, having nothing exalted and spiritual in them, for they are the commandments of earthly men. Yet he was not content to say merely “above,” nor “where Christ is,” but he added, “seated at the right hand of God,” so that he might draw our mind still farther away from the earth.

² For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. From both sides he prepares them not to seek the things here below—both from the deadening and from the life. For you have died, he says, to the things below; therefore you ought not to seek these things. And again, your life is above; so set your mind also on the things above. For he is eager to show that they are seated on high and live another life, the life in God, the life that does not appear. Christ does not appear; in the same way neither does your life appear. Why then do you seek the things that are seen? He lays all this down as a foundation beforehand so that he may immediately pass into the moral discourse. For it is his custom, while constructing one argument, to leap over into another; as also in the Epistle to the Corinthians, while discoursing about those who take their portion ahead of others at the suppers, he suddenly fell into the tradition concerning the mysteries.

³ When Christ, who is your life, shall be made manifest, then you also shall be made manifest with Him in glory. At the second coming Christ is made manifest, and is shown to all to be God, coming in glory with the angels. For now He is so hidden that He is even slandered. Then, therefore, you also shall be made manifest—not simply, but “in glory.” So seek that day, not this one; hasten to live with a view to that day. For then your true life is made manifest; since the present life is death, because it too is held together by corruption, by flux and reflux. Do not seek honors and glories here. For there is your glory. The pearl is hidden so long as it is in the oyster; but when that shell is broken open, then it shines in glory. So too we, so long as we are in this corruptible body, ought to live as those who are hidden, not seeking glory; but when this corruptible thing is dissolved, then comes our glory, if we are shown worthy of it through our deeds.

⁴ Therefore put to death your members that are upon the earth. He did not say “cast away,” but “put to death,” so that they may not rise again. By “members upon the earth” he perhaps means the bodily members themselves; which, when they do not work the heavenly things, are said to be upon the earth, but when the heavenly things are worked through them, are no longer upon the earth. For instance, when we do not see with evil intent, when we do not listen wrongly, we are not upon the earth. But perhaps by “members upon the earth” he also means the sins accomplished upon the earth through the members of the body—sins which both remain upon the earth and are corrupted here; since the members of the body, even if they are from the earth, nevertheless do not remain upon the earth and undergo corruption, but are made incorruptible when they rise. But how is it that, having said above that you were buried together with Christ, that you put off the body of the sins of the flesh, he now again says, “Put to death”? Because the former deadening was the gift of baptism, paying off the sin that had previously come to be in us; whereas the deadening now enjoined belongs to our own moral choice, doing away with the sins committed after baptism, or rather not permitting them to come back to life at all, through the putting to death of the mind of the flesh. It is as though someone, having reforged and made bright again a statue that had grown grimy, counsels its owner to be diligent to remove the rust—not the rust that has been wholly scoured off, but that which comes upon it afterward.

⁵ Fornication. Behold, he has interpreted what the members are. And he mentions this one first, because this passion especially holds sway.

⁶ Uncleanness, passion. He passed over naming individually the things that are not even good to name; and through “uncleanness” and “passion” he indicated all the kinds of shameful unions. For in truth the raging frenzy of the body is a passion, and like a fever, or a wound, or some other disease.

⁷ Evil desire. Behold, again he has stated the whole thing generally, for every desire is evil. Yet there is also a good desire, the desire for God and the things of God, according to which Daniel was a man of desires.[1]

⁸ And covetousness, which is idolatry. The firstborn son of evil desire is covetousness; which he named idolatry, as serving gold and silver. For the idols of the nations too are silver and gold.

⁹ On account of which the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Both the wrath to come, and the wrath in the present age, frequently overtake such people. And he calls them “sons of disobedience,” depriving them of pardon, and showing that they are in these passions not out of ignorance but out of disobedience, which they have so practiced that they have even made themselves its adopted sons, and are recognized and characterized by it.

¹⁰ In which you also once walked, when you lived in them. The statement carries praise with it, as of those who do not now live in these things, but there was a time—for they were pagans.

¹¹ But now do you also put away all these things. How then, having said above “when you lived” and made it plain that they do not now live in them, does he again say, “Put away all these things”? For how could they put away what they do not have? It is possible, then, to say that the very phrase “when you lived” works together with him toward the things now being said; for it is as though he is hinting at this: that “of old, indeed, sin ruled over you, and held your life fast, and tyrannized—before baptism, that is—and freedom from the passions was difficult; but now, since the sin in you has been put to death through baptism, it is easy to put away the passions, like a garment. And you have no excuse to plead that you live under the tyrant and under the passions; for you have been put to death to them.”

¹² Anger, wrath, malice. By “malice” he means the holding of grudges, which some have also named bitterness—when a person keeps the malice within himself in order to repay.

¹³ Blasphemy. Thus he speaks of reviling.

¹⁴ Shameful speech out of your mouth. He spoke emphatically the phrase “out of your mouth”—that is, the mouth that is sanctified through communion in the Lord’s body. For it is absurd that your mouth, which receives Christ, should be defiled through blasphemy and shameful speech.

¹⁵ Do not lie to one another. Having put on Christ, who said, “I am the truth,” how do you now clothe yourselves in another form, that of falsehood? For it is evident that you stripped off that stamp which marked you out from the truth.

¹⁶ Having stripped off the old man with his deeds. Why ever does he call the corrupt life “members” and “body” and “man,” and again the virtuous life by the same names? In order to show that moral choice is more authoritative than substance, and that we are named rather from moral choice, not from substance. For Scripture too names some people horses, and dogs, and foxes—those who through their moral choice have become like such animals. And it is moral choice, not substance, that leads us into hell and into the kingdom. By “the old man,” then, he means the corrupt moral choice. Therefore he added, “with his deeds”—that is, moral choice together with its works. And he named it “old,” wishing to show its shamefulness, its ill-favored aspect, and its feebleness. And observe how he enumerated the members of the old man: the mind, through falsehood; the heart, through wrath; the mouth, through both falsehood and blasphemy; the eyes, through fornication, along with the hidden members; the liver, through evil desire; the hands, through covetousness.

¹⁷ And having put on the new man, who is being renewed unto knowledge. The new man is the moral choice that is according to God, which does not grow old but is ever in its prime toward the knowledge of God and of divine things, ever and ever shown to be younger, and growing stronger the more knowledge it receives and the greater the things of which it is deemed worthy.

¹⁸ According to the image of Him who created him. That is, of Christ. Since Christ too did not come to old age, but was so beautiful as cannot even be told: Beautiful in comeliness beyond the sons of men.[2] For He committed no sin, which is what ages and corrupts. We too, then, who were created by Him according to His image, ought to scrape off the corruption and aging that come from sins. And understand by “creation” both that of baptism and that of the best manner of life.

¹⁹ Where there is neither Greek nor Jew. That is, neither proselyte nor Jew by ancestral descent.

²⁰ Circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Behold yet another commendation of the new man according to Christ: that in him no difference of nation, of rank, or of ancestry is observed, but Christ is his distinguishing mark. For in all who have been formed in the virtuous life, Christ is all things—that is, both lineage and rank. Or also in another sense: that you all became one Christ, being His body.

²¹ Put on, then, as elect of God, holy and beloved. He always shows the ease of virtue; for, like a garment, we are able to take this on as well. But also that we must have it continually, and use it as an adornment; for whoever does not have it is unseemly and unadorned. And the exhortation comes with praise, and that in the highest degree. For they became holy, but not elect, nor beloved; whereas you are all these things.

²² Bowels of compassion. He did not say, “Put on mercy,” but “bowels of compassion”—at once so as not to disparage those who are worthy of compassion, and at the same time to show that we must be moved toward them out of inward disposition, and not as brothers toward brothers, but as fathers toward children. For do not say to me, “He sinned.” For it is on this very account that I require of you the bowels of compassion.

²³ Kindness, humility, gentleness, longsuffering. For the one who has put on bowels of compassion, these too necessarily follow. For what father is not kind toward his son, is not humble-minded—not contending, but yielding all things to him? Who is not longsuffering? And learn the excellent order. Kindness gives birth to humility; for he who is kindly disposed is also humble-minded. From humility comes gentleness; for he who is arrogant is also prone to wrath. From gentleness comes longsuffering, which is greatness of soul.

²⁴ Bearing with one another and forgiving each other, if anyone has a complaint against another. That is, supporting one another—you him, and he you—and not bitterly scrutinizing one another’s faults, but accounting them small and worthy of being overlooked. And observe how he too made light of them, by saying “complaint.”

²⁵ Just as Christ also forgave you, so you also. What he always does, he exhorts them from Christ, bringing Him forward as an example. But above he made one another’s faults seem small, calling them a mere “complaint”; while by bringing Christ forward he persuades us that, even if the sins are great, even if we are benefactors of those who harm us, even if we are great and they small, we should nevertheless forgive everything—and not only this, but even die on their behalf, and do good to them after death, just as Christ also did good to us even after death. For the word “just as” requires all these things.

²⁶ And above all these things, love. Since it is possible even for one who forgives to do this not out of pure love but in outward show and hypocrisy, he points out the way by which we are able to attain to forgiving truly. For it is possible to appear gentle and humble-minded, and yet not to love. Therefore he says, “Above all these things put on love.”

²⁷ Which is the bond of perfection. All those things, he says, this love binds tightly together when it is present; but when it is absent, they fall apart and are exposed as being hypocrisy and nothing. For just as in the case of a house, if there are no joinings—the fastenings commonly so called—and in the case of the body, if there are no ligaments, there is no benefit from the rest; so too love holds together all the things that make for perfection, and without it no one is perfect, but even if he seems to have everything, he is imperfect.

²⁸ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. We have often been wronged by someone; two impulses contend within us, the one moving us toward vengeance, the other toward longsuffering. If the peace of God takes its stand in us, like some just arbiter—that is, a judge and steward of the contest—and gives the prize of victory to the one bidding us be longsuffering, the adversary will cease. Let this peace, then, rule in you—not wrath, not contentiousness, not human peace; for that peace comes from taking vengeance, from retaliating; but rather the peace of God, the firm, the indissoluble peace, the peace that comes about for no worldly good, just as God’s peace toward us did not come about on account of anything, but simply out of love for mankind and love He dissolved the enmity against us. But how is it that, having mentioned love, he again begins and discourses about peace? For the exhortation appears superfluous, if indeed peace is contained within love. It is possible, then, to say that, since a friend often brings charges even against a friend, and out of much love contentions and insults and quarrels are stirred up, he says: No, that is not what I want; rather, together with love have also the peace of God, which orders and judges all things.

²⁹ To which also you were called in one body. That is, Christ, calling us to peace, made us one body, becoming Himself the head. For why else are we one body, except that, being members of one another, we may keep this peace and not be torn apart? Or: that “you were called with a view to peace”—that is, you were deemed worthy of countless good things through peace. For if we had not been at peace with God, we would not have been called by Him to be His servants and to share in His good things.

³⁰ And be thankful. This is what it is to be thankful: to treat one’s fellow servants in the same way as God treats us. For the one who confesses thanks to God, as having been forgiven by Him, will not take vengeance on the one who wronged him; whereas the one who takes vengeance does not remember the good he himself received—like that man who, having been forgiven the ten thousand talents, did not forgive the hundred denarii.[3] Let us therefore give thanks, whatever we may suffer, and from whomever, and we shall receive the crown of martyrdom.

³¹ Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. He shows us the way by which we shall be thankful. For if the Word of Christ dwells in us—that is, the teaching, the doctrines, the exhortations, through which He teaches us to despise the present life and the good things here—we shall yield to none of the hardships, but, bearing all things steadfastly, we shall give thanks for whatever befalls us. And he did not say simply, “Let it be in you,” but “Let it dwell,” and “richly.” For if we are rich in the knowledge of the Scriptures, we shall bear all misfortunes easily, just as the man rich in money is able to bear a loss.

³² In all wisdom. That is, in all virtue. For he calls virtue “wisdom,” just as David calls sin “folly”: The fool said in his heart;[4] and, My wounds stank and festered because of my folly.[5]

³³ Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. Since reading involves toil and much that is burdensome, he led them not to histories but to psalms, so that you may at once both delight the soul by singing and steal away the toil. And after the psalms he set the hymns, as a more perfect thing. For singing psalms belongs to men, but singing hymns belongs to the angels.

³⁴ Singing with grace. Meaning, with grace and spiritual delight. For just as human songs seem to have a grace, though not a spiritual one, so the divine songs have a spiritual grace. Or because they also had their singing from a gift of grace.

³⁵ In your heart to the Lord. Not simply with the mouth, but “in the heart,” which is, with attentiveness. For this is to sing to God, while the other is to sing to the air. And in another sense, “in the heart” means, not for display. For even if you are in the marketplace, you can sing within yourself with no one hearing.

³⁶ And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Whether you eat, whether you drink, whether you travel abroad, do all in the name of God—that is, calling Him as your helper, first praying to Him, and so laying hold of your works. The name of God casts out demons, and will it not make your affairs go smoothly for you? Or he means this: that you should name the Lord Jesus; do not bring in the angels.

³⁷ Giving thanks to God and the Father through Him. If you call upon the Son, through Him you call upon the Father. If you give thanks to the Son, through Him you give thanks to the Father. Or: that just as the Son brought us ourselves to the Father, so too He Himself brings our thanksgiving to the Father, being for us the mediator of all good things.

³⁸ Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Why ever does he enjoin these things not in all the Epistles, but in this one, and in that to the Ephesians, and in those to Timothy and Titus? Either because it was likely that in these cities there were such dissensions; or because the Church was firmly established here, and the other matters had been set right among them, and it remains for him to discourse about these. But for the others, since loftier doctrines were lacking, it was more necessary to write on their account, and to neglect such practical injunctions. And there is much resemblance in these matters too between this Epistle and that to the Ephesians. And what is the meaning of “in the Lord”? It stands for, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake.” For I do not require only the subjection that comes from nature (for this he indicates by the phrase “as is fitting,” that is, as is proper), but especially the subjection that is for God’s sake.

³⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. Observe how he exhorts what is suitable to each kind: to wives, subjection; to husbands, love. For the love of the one ruled toward the ruler is not so much required as the love of the ruler toward the one ruled. From being loved, the wife too becomes affectionate; from being served, the husband becomes reasonable. And since it is possible even for one who loves to grow bitter (for these quarrels with beloved persons are especially bitter), on this account he says, “Do not be bitter.” For in truth it comes from much bitterness, this rising up in faction against one’s own member.[6]

⁴⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things. For this is well-pleasing in the Lord. Again the phrase “in the Lord.” For he wishes us to do these things not from nature alone, but also because it seems good to God, so that we may have a reward as well, as doing them for God’s sake. And, discoursing with the children of godly fathers, he said in all things, since godless fathers ought not to be obeyed in all things. For surely when they force us into impiety, we are not to comply.

⁴¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, lest they become disheartened. That is, do not bitterly scrutinize everything they do; but there are things you should be willing to overlook, lest you make them more contentious and cast them into discouragement. And observe his wisdom—how he bent the parents and softened their inward feelings by saying, “lest they become disheartened.” For fathers have every concern that their children not be disheartened.

⁴² Slaves, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. Immediately the very name of “slave” is a ground for obeying; but lest the slave be pained, he added, “masters according to the flesh.” For the better part of you, the soul, he says, has been set free. The slavery is temporary; rather, then, subject your soul, so that the slavery may be voluntary.

⁴³ Not in eye-service, as men-pleasers. Make the slavery that comes from law, he says, come rather from the fear of Christ. For when you do what is required while your master is not watching, it is plain that you do it for the sake of the eye of God; but if it is only when your master is watching, then you are a man-pleaser; and being such, you will harm yourself. For the Lord has scattered the bones of the men-pleasers.[7]

⁴⁴ But in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. For this is to fear the Lord: when, with no one watching, we do nothing evil; and this too is singleness of heart, the not looking to men. So then, the man-pleaser is not single-hearted.

⁴⁵ And whatever you do, work it from the soul, as to the Lord, and not to men. He wishes them to be rid not only of hypocrisy but also of idleness. Rather, he makes them free instead of slaves, when they have no need of their masters’ oversight. For the phrase “from the soul” means this: to act with goodwill, not under the constraint of slavery, but with freedom and moral choice.

⁴⁶ Knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the recompense of the inheritance. For masters often do not make their slaves heirs, even if they serve them well ten thousand times over; but the Lord will give you the recompense of the inheritance in the heavens, if you keep goodwill toward your masters.

⁴⁷ For you serve the Lord Christ. Him who legislated order and subjection. And that you serve Christ is plain from the fact that He is the one who renders you your wages.

⁴⁸ But the one who does wrong shall be requited for the wrong he did, and there is no partiality. The slave who wrongs his master—by serving carelessly, or by pilfering his master’s goods—shall have his recompense from God. For God is not a respecter of persons, that He should pity the slave as the weaker party; He who through the law also commanded not to pity a poor man in judgment.[8] Or in another way: Let the Christian slave who wrongs a pagan master not suppose that he will escape condemnation. For Christ is not a respecter of persons, that He should forgive him, as a Christian, the sin against his pagan master. And though the saying “there is no partiality” seems to be addressed to the slaves, nevertheless let the masters too receive it as fitting them as well.