Colossians 3:9-17 (v12-13)

Read vv9-17.

This text is about what it’s like to live together as a church when Christ is all and in all.

But to see that, we have to back up to verse 9 and work our way forward.

In v9 Paul says that we’ve put off the old self with its practices.

That happened at conversion: our ole unbelieving self died and the old garment was discarded

like a butterfly discards its old worm-like cocoon when the springtime of salvation comes.

Then verse 10 states the positive counterpart to this discarding off of the old self.

It says that Christians, “put on the new self. You are being renewed in the knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”

So in conversion what happened was that we discarded off an old self and we put on a new self.

We did not just decide to do this, to make it happen ourselves.

Verse 12 makes clear who was the initiating power behind this metamorphosis or new birth.

Paul refers to believers as, “God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved.”

The reason we experienced the putting off of our old self and the putting on of a new self was

that God loved us and chose us and set us apart as holy to the Lord.

We are elect, holy, and loved.

In other words God took the initiative with us.

God elected, God sanctified, God loved.

Now that’s important.

Because God was up to something when he did this.

What he was up to was this: in creating new people in his own image by his own power he was obliterating distinctions in which we could boast.

Distinctions that separated us and made us suspicious and distrustful and jealous and puffed up.

His aim in creating new people was that they would

stop boasting in their distinctives (that separated them) and boast in Christ (who united them).

That’s the point of verse 11: referring back to verse 10 where the new self has been put on and is being renewed,

Paul says that in the fellowship created by these new people who are chosen, holy, and loved, “there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all.”

In other words, God is creating a new community out of people who have put off their old selves and put on their new selves.

And the mark of this new (chosen, loved, holy) community is [first] that

the people in it stop cherishing the things that separate Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman.

The new people in the new community do not boast in ethnic distinctives or language or intellect or culture or race or homeland or social status.

Those things have passed away.

And the number one, primary mark of newness in the new people and the new community is that Christ is all and in all.

Don’t miss that all important climax at the end of verse 11: “But Christ is all and in all.”

If you ask, “What’s new about the new self of verse 10 and what’s new about the new community of new persons?”

the answer is, “For them Christ is all.” In all of them Christ is all.

Piper, J. (2007). Sermons from John Piper (1990–1999). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Once we boasted in our culture and our intellect like the Greeks. But now CHRIST IS ALL.

Once we gloried in our tradition and our religious rigor like the Jews, but now CHRIST IS ALL. Once we got our strokes because of our ethnic pedigree. But now CHRIST IS ALL. Once we reveled in not being like the barbarians and the shabby Scythians, but now CHRIST IS ALL.

Once we gloried in our tradition and our religious rigor like the Jews, but now CHRIST IS ALL.

Once we got our strokes because of our ethnic pedigree. But now CHRIST IS ALL.

Once we reveled in not being like the barbarians and the shabby Scythians, but now CHRIST IS ALL.

Once we struggled to find our significance and our happiness and our security in what we were in relation to other people—

we’re Jews,

we’re Greeks,

we’re circumcised,

we’re free,

we’re American,

we’re rich,

we’re smart,

we’re strong,

we’re pretty,

we’re witty,

we’re cool.

But then we put off that old self.

We put on the new self.

And the core essence of the new self is that CHRIST IS ALL. “It is no longer I who live but Christ lives” ().

And so v12 says to those who have “put on” the new self,

— Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on [here’s the new garments] compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

You have come to know and experience that Christ is all.

Now show how people relate to each other for whom Christ is all.

Confirm that Christ is your all by what you become for others in the new community.

Look back at those three words used to describe the church in v12 ‘chosen’, ‘holy’, ‘loved’.

Now listen to how God describes Israel in the OT.

— For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your fathers, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Holy, chosen, and loved. These were the people of His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

In so singling them out, they became a holy nation.

— Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

Then listen to Peter. — you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

— But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Now Paul can take the characteristic titles of Israel, the ‘chosen’, ‘holy’, and ‘dearly loved’ people

and boldly give them to the local community of Christians in Colossae.

Lucas, R. C. (1980). Fullness & freedom: the message of Colossians & Philemon (p. 150). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

The fact that this transfer of Israel’s titles to the church is almost a commonplace in the New Testament shows the revolution in thinking that had taken place in Paul’s mind.

His meeting with Christ had transformed his whole understanding of God’s plan for the world.

So what are the qualities expected of God’s people who’ve undergone the new birth?

Those that God has chosen, set you apart for Himself, and set His electing, saving love upon, how to they live?

Then we get five virtues to show what it looks like when a people are put together to model that Christ is all!

“put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”

The call in v13 to bear with and forgive each other, is a fleshing out of these five virtues.

And the grounding of living the way that v12 tell us to is grounded in the fact that Christ has forgiven us (v14).

So that’s how the whole passage flows.

These five virtues are a deliberate contrast to the five vices in v8 that destroy our harmony.

These five virtues are a deliberate contrast to the five vices in v8 that destroy our harmony.

Each of these five virtues are all associated with Christ. It’s as if Paul is saying to us, to put on Christ.

Like in — But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t make plans to gratify the desires of the flesh.

So in viewing v12 with our Christ centered lenses is how the context forces us to view these virtues.

v12 is just an elaboration of vv10-11. Having put on the “new self”, identified with Christ Himself,

it is necessary at the same time to put on those virtues that characterize Christ.

So when people who are compassionate, kind, humble, and gentle, and patient begin to do life together and then

a lost person comes into the sphere of that group, what’s the impact (I wonder) in that person’s life?

What greater Christ-like virtues in going forward in changing the name of the church, where we’re tempted to lash out our differing opinions etc. ?

v12, put on compassion. In the KJV we find the phrase “bowels of mercy”. This is a word that refers to the inner parts of a person.

It’s pity or compassion which one shows for the sufferings of others.

It is used in reference to God as the Father of mercies () showing His character

— Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

and that upon which believers can depend as they make their bodies a living offering to Him ()

— Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Flip a couple of pages to the left into .

We find this word used here in a similar way Colossians uses it, of believers showing compassion for one another.

— If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Compassion towards one another is described as “others centered” service.

This is being intent on one purpose, everyone looking out, not only for your own interests but also for the interests of others.

So us being compassionate is us loving one another with a love that is characterized by mercy.

Look back to — For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Listen to the depth of this feeling in how Joseph reacts to seeing Benjamin (read Gen. 43:40).

Or in Joseph revealing Himself to his brothers ().

Another Example would be the tender relationship between David and Jonathan (; ,).

‘put on…kindness’. Is a word that’s often used to describe God’s own goodness.

He saved us by grace — so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

— But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Kindness is also a fruit of the Spirit ().

Being kind was also a way in which the early church would commend themselves to others (turn to 2 Cor. 6).

And the word commend in this text means for something to be known by action.

Read —

A couple of good examples is the Good Samaritan (read )

Or Barnabas (; )

Or Paul himself is a good example of kindness. (Read )

It is immediately evident that these qualities overlap.

A person with “a compassionate heart” will also be “kind.”

One who is lowly or humble in disposition will also be “gentle,” etc.

‘humility’.

This virtue is so despised by our culture today but is a quality that believers should strive after more and more to acquire.

The person who is kind to others generally does not have too high an estimate of himself.

A happy condition arises when in a church each member counts the other to be better than himself ().

Of course, there is also such a thing as “false humility” (see on 2:18, 23).

Good examples of true humility would be the centurion who said, “I am not worthy that You should come under my roof” (),

and the publican who, in a striking parable, pours out his heart by sighing, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner” ().

According to the entire context, however, it is modest self-appraisal in relation to the neighbors, especially to fellow-believers,

that Paul has in mind.

Of course, these two—humility toward God and the same disposition toward men

Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Colossians and Philemon (Vol. 6, p. 156). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

—far from being mutually exclusive, belong together.

Let’s stop right here.

Piper, J. (2007). Sermons from John Piper (1990–1999). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.