Colossians 3.14-The Colossians Must Clothe Themselves with the Perfect Bond of Unity, God's Love
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday September 11, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:14-The Colossians Must Continue to Clothe Themselves with the Perfect Bond of Unity, God’s Love
Lesson # 85
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. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (NASB95)
Not translated by the NASB95 is the conjunction de which is epexegetical meaning it is introducing a statement which is defining specifically the meaning of Paul’s instructions in Colossians 3:12-13.
This is indicated by the fact that to exercise the love of God mentioned in Colossians 3:14 is equivalent to exercising the godly virtues cited in Colossians 3:12-13.
“Beyond all these things” is composed of the following: (1) preposition epi (ἐπί), “beyond” (2) adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (3) demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “these things.”
The plural form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos means “these things” referring to Paul’s instructions in Colossians 3:12-13 and the adjective pas is modifying it and denotes totality and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
The demonstrative pronoun houtos is the object of the preposition epi, which means “because” since it is functioning as a marker of cause indicating this prepositional phrase is expressing the reason why Paul wants the Colossians to clothe themselves with divine-love.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the reason why Paul wants the Colossians to clothe themselves with divine-love.
Therefore, he wants them to exercise God’s love with each other “because of” or “on account of” or “on the basis of” these instructions he gives them in Colossians 3:12-13.
In other words, because he wants them to exercise compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, as well as kindness, humility gentleness, patience and in addition, toleration and forgiveness, he is commanding them to operate in the love of God with each other.
“Put on” is italicized by the NASB95 because they correctly interpret Paul using the figure of ellipsis meaning he is deliberately omitting the second person plural aorist middle imperative form of the verb enduō (ἐνδύω), though it is implied.
As was the case in Colossians 3:10 and 12, the verb enduō in Colossians 3:14 is used in a figurative of sense and means “clothe oneself, to put on oneself, to dress oneself with” since it pertains to putting on clothes without implying any particle article of clothing and is used in relation to love of God.
To clothe oneself with the love of God would be equivalent to clothing oneself with the new man since love like the other godly virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13 reflects the character and nature of the new man, i.e. the new Christ nature.
The second person masculine plural form of this verb is a reference of course to the Colossians as a corporate unit with a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
The middle voice of the verb enduō is a direct middle which indicates that Paul is commanding the Colossians to “clothe themselves” with divine-love.
The aorist imperative form of the verb enduō is a constative aorist imperative which is expressing the solemn nature of this command, emphasizing the urgency of the Colossians obeying this command and is emphasizing how extremely important it is for them to clothe themselves with divine-love.
“Love” is the noun agapē (ἀγάπη), which does not refer to the function of human love but rather the exercise of divine-love that is produced by the Holy Spirit through the believer who is obedient to the Spirit inspired command of the Lord Jesus Christ to love one another as He loves.
The articular construction of this noun is anaphoric indicating that this word is synonymous with the godly virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13 which manifest the love of God.
“Which is the perfect bond of unity” is composed of the following: (1) relative pronoun hos (ὅς), “which” (2) verb eimi (εἰμί), “is” (3) noun sundesmos (σύνδεσμος), “the bond of unity” (4) noun teleiotēs (τελειότης), “perfect.”
The relative pronoun hos is pointing back and referring to the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun agapē, “divine-love” even though it does not agree in gender with the word since it is in the neuter gender.
They both agree in number (singular).
Sometimes in Greek grammar, the gender of the relative pronoun does not match that of the antecedent, usually because of sense agreement superseding syntactical agreement.
This is called constructio ad sensum which is being employed here by Paul.
The noun sundesmos means “a uniting bond, bond of unity” since the word pertains to that which unifies Christians experientially.
The noun teleiotēs means “perfection” since the word pertains to the quality or state of being perfect which pertains to being entirely without fault or defect, as well as satisfying all requirements and corresponding to an ideal standard.
It means “perfect” in the sense that the believer who exercises God’s love with their fellow believer is without fault in the judgment of God because it fulfills that which God requires of the believer in relation to their fellow believer.
It also means “perfect” in the sense that the believer who exercises God’s love with their fellow believer is satisfying all that God requires of the believer in relation to their fellow believer.
Lastly, the word means “perfect” in the sense that the believer who exercises God’s love with their fellow believer is living according to God’s perfect holy standard.
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. 14 Specifically, based upon these things, I solemnly charge each and every one of you to clothe yourselves with divine-love which is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the perfect bond of unity. (My translation)
The command the apostle Paul issues the faithful believers in Colossae is defining or summing up the list of godly virtues presented by him in Colossians 3:12-13.
This is indicated by the fact that the exercise of the love of God mentioned in Colossians 3:14 defines what it means to exercise the godly virtues cited in Colossians 3:12-13.
Therefore, Colossians 3:14 defines specifically for the Colossians the meaning of the command in Colossians 3:12 to clothe themselves with compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, kindness, humility gentleness, patience.
It also defines specifically the temporal clause in Colossians 3:13 which required the Colossians continue making it their habit of tolerating one another while simultaneously obeying the command in Colossians 3:12.
It also defines specifically the temporal clause which required the Colossians to continue making it their habit of graciously forgiving each other while they simultaneously obey the command in Colossian 3:12.
To clothe oneself with the love of God would be equivalent to clothing oneself with the new man since love like the other godly virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13 reflects the character and nature of the new man, i.e. the new Christ nature.
So in other words, Paul is teaching that clothing oneself with compassion which is the product of deep seated affections, kindness, humility gentleness, patience is demonstrating the love of God.
He is also teaching that tolerating and forgiving one another manifests the love of God.
Many expositors interpret love as holding together the other virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13 and is the virtue which is above these other virtues.
However, I am of the conviction that the virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13 are all manifestations of love.
Paul taught in Romans 13:10 that when a believer exercises God’s love toward another human being, they will never commit evil against another.
If we apply Romans 13:10 to what Paul is teaching the Colossians in Colossians 3:12-14, we can see that by being compassionate and kind to one other, being humble with one another, being gentle, patient with one another and being tolerant and forgiving of one another, they will never commit evil against each other and will fulfill all that the Word of God requires of them.
Furthermore, Paul’s teaching on the love of God in First Corinthians 13:4-7 mentions all except one of the virtues listed in Colossians 3:12-13.
In the former, he describes love and provides us with some of the characteristics of God’s love.
These characteristics show up in the list of godly virtues in Colossians 3:12-13 with the exception of one.
Now, if we compare Colossians 3:12-13 with First Corinthians 13:1-7, we see that kindness (1 Cor. 13:4; Col. 3:12), humility (1 Cor. 13:4; Col. 3:12), gentleness (1 Cor. 13:5; Col. 3:12), patience (1 Cor. 13:4; Col. 3:12), toleration (1 Cor. 13:5; Col. 3:13) and forgiveness (1 Cor. 13:5; Col. 3:13) appear in both passages.
Thus, Paul is describing love in First Corinthians 13:1-7 as being kind, humble, patient, tolerant and forgiving.
Only compassion does not appear in both passages.