Colossians 3.13-The Colossians Must Continue to Tolerate and Forgive One Another
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday September 4, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:13- The Colossians Must Continue to Tolerate and Forgive One Another
Lesson # 84
Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (NASB95)
“Bearing with one another” is composed of the following: (1) verb anechomai (ἀνέχομαι), “bearing with” (2) reciprocal pronoun allēlōn (ahlayloan) (ἀλλήλων), “one another.”
The verb anechomai (ahneckhhhowemie) means “to tolerate” since the word expresses the idea of the Colossians enduring personal difficulties with each other without retaliating against each other and without complaint.
The verb anechomai functions as a temporal participle which is expressing the idea that “when” they clothe themselves with compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, “simultaneously,” they must make it their habit of tolerating one another.
The present tense of the verb anechomai is a customary present which expresses the idea of the Colossians continuing to make it their habit of tolerating one another.
“Forgiving each other” is composed of the following: (1) verb charizomai (χαρίζομαι), “forgiving” (2) reflexive pronoun heautou (heowtoo) (ἑαυτοῦ), “each other.”
The verb charizomai (hareezowemie) means “to graciously forgive, to show oneself gracious by forgiving.”
If you recall, this same word appeared in Colossians 2:13 and spoke of the Father “graciously forgiving” each and every one of the transgressions committed by the Colossians prior to their conversion.
Here in Colossians 3:13, it is used of the Colossians graciously forgiving each other and expresses the idea of being magnanimous meaning with regards to each other, the Colossians were to be generous in forgiving an insult or injury and being free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness.
The verb charizomai (hareezowemie) functions as a temporal participle which is expressing the idea that “when” they clothe themselves with compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, “simultaneously,” they must make it their habit of forgiving each other.
The present tense of the verb charizomai is a customary present which expresses the idea of the Colossians continuing to make it their habit of forgiving one another.
“Whoever has a complaint against anyone” is composed of the following: (1) conditional particle ean (ἐάν), “if” (2) indefinite pronoun tis (τις), “anyone” (3) preposition pros (πρός), “against” (4) indefinite pronoun tis (τις), “anyone” (5) verb echō (ἒχω), “has” (6) noun momphē (μομφή), “a complaint.”
The conditional particle ean (ayeahn) is employed with the subjunctive mood of echō, “has” in order to form the protasis of a third class condition which presents a hypothetical situation in the church at Colossae and a spiritual axiom or principle.
The indefinite pronoun tis (teese) means “anyone, someone” and is used as a substantive referring to any male member of the body of Christ, i.e. the church without further identification since the word is used in the masculine gender.
Now, though it refers to males in the body of Christ, the third class conditional statement is obviously applicable to every Christian whether male or female which is indicated in that the third class condition in Colossians 3:13 is presenting a spiritual principle.
The noun momphē (momfay) means “complaint” since the word pertains to an expression of grievance or resentment especially one that assumes blame.
“Just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” is composed of the following: (1) adverb kathōs (καθώς), “just as” (2) conjunction kai (καί), which is not translated (3) noun kurios (κύριος), “Lord” (4) verb charizomai (χαρίζομαι), “forgave” (5) personal pronoun su (σύ), “you” (6) correlative adverb houtos (οὕτως), “so” (7) conjunction kai (καί), “also” (8) personal pronoun su (σύ), “you.”
The comparative adverb kathōs (kathoce) introduces a comparative clause that expresses a comparison between the Lord forgiving a hypothetical Christian all their sins and this hypothetical Christian forgiving a fellow believer with whom they possess a legitimate complaint against.
The conjunction kai is emphatic meaning that it is not only introducing the apodosis of a third class condition but is also serving to emphasize this apodosis because of the importance of its content with regards to the unity of the Colossian Christian community.
The noun kurios (kootheeoce) refers to Jesus Christ and indicates the following: (1) His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature. (5) His victory over the sin nature and Satan and His kingdom.
The verb charizomai (hareezowemie) means “to graciously forgive, to show oneself gracious by forgiving” and expresses the idea of being magnanimous.
This means that the Lord Jesus Christ was generous in forgiving an insult or injury committed against Him by this hypothetical Christian in Colossae and did so while being free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, because each and every one of you are elected by God the Father, holy as well as divinely loved, I solemnly charge the clothing of yourselves with compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, kindness, humility gentleness, patience. 13 Simultaneously, continue making it your habit of tolerating one another, while also continuing to make it your habit of graciously forgiving each other. Whenever anyone possesses a complaint against anyone just as the Lord in fact graciously forgave each and every one of you for His own glory, so also in the same way, each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of graciously forgiving each other. (My translation)
By performing these two actions of tolerating and forgiving one another in conjunction with this command in Colossians 3:12, the Colossians would continue to manifest the love of God in their lives.
In fact, in Colossians 3:14, Paul commands the Colossians that in addition to the godly virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13, they were to put on love which is the perfect bond of unity.
The Colossians were already manifesting these godly virtues and thus operating in the love of God.
Thus, Paul’s instructions in Colossians 3:12-13 are preventative maintenance and an encouragement to these faithful believers in Colossae which is indicated by Paul’s statements in Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 which affirm the Colossians were already being obedient to the commands in this epistle.
By continuing to make it their habit of tolerating and forgiving one another, the Colossians would avoid the practice of the sins mentioned in Colossians 3:8 and which sins would manifest their indwelling old Adamic sin nature.
When Paul speaks of the Colossians continuing to make it their habit of tolerating one another in Colossians 3:13, it expresses the fact that he wants them to continue making it their habit of enduring personal difficulties with each other without retaliating against each other and without complaint.
He wants them to continue to successfully overcome the urge or impulse to retaliate against each other and resent each other when one of them says or does something injurious or distasteful to them and to do this without complaint.
This idea of manifesting God’s love through toleration of one another appears in Ephesians 4:2 and is one of the positive “one another commands” in Scripture.
Now, when Paul speaks of the Colossians continuing to make it their habit of forgiving each other, he wants them to continue making it their habit of “graciously” forgiving each other.
If you recall, this idea of forgiveness which is gracious appeared in Colossians 2:13 which asserts that the Father “graciously forgave” each and every one of the transgressions committed by the Colossians prior to their conversion.
Like the godly virtue of tolerating one another, this godly virtue of manifesting God’s love through forgiveness of one another is one of the positive “one another commands” in Scripture and also appears in Ephesians 4:32.
The third class condition in Colossians 3:13 presents a hypothetical situation in the church at Colossae and teaches a spiritual principle or spiritual axiom that the Christians in Colossae must forgive each other just as the Lord has forgiven each of them all of their sins.
In other words, he is teaching them that they are obligated to forgive each other because the Lord Jesus Christ graciously forgave each of them each and every one of their sins.
Our forgiveness of one another is based upon God’s forgiveness of us, therefore the believer is both the object and the subject of forgiveness.
Not only is the believer the object of God’s forgiveness but also they have now become the subject of forgiveness since they are to exhibit the same attitude toward others as God has displayed towards them.
Since the believer is the object of God’s forgiveness, they are obligated to forgive their fellow believer in the same manner as God in Christ has forgiven them (Colossians 3:12-13; 1 Peter 4:8).
The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to forgive and practiced it (Matt, 18:21-35).
The believer who does not acknowledge their unforgiving attitude towards others will not be forgiven by God meaning that the believer will not be restored to fellowship with Him if they do not acknowledge to the Father their unforgiving attitude toward others (Matthew 6:14-15).
Our Lord set all precedence for the attitude that the believer is to possess in life, which is to always maintain an attitude of forgiveness towards others (Luke 23:24).
God’s forgiveness in Christ serves as the believer’s power and motivation to forgive others.