Colossians 3:12
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The verse doesn't just list virtues; it frames them as essential "clothing" for those chosen by God. It’s not just about having these qualities, but putting them on as a visible expression of your identity as God's holy and beloved people.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just described the radical transformation of putting on the "new self" in Christ, Paul now urges the believers to actively live out this new identity. He calls them to manifest the inner renewal outwardly by clothing themselves with specific virtues, emphasizing that these qualities are the natural and necessary expression of being God's chosen, holy, and beloved people.
Before Paul lists any virtues, he reminds the Colossians of who they ARE in God. What's the power in starting with identity?
God's Unshakeable Foundation
Paul opens Colossians 3:12 with a powerful reminder: "as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved." This isn't just a nice sentiment; it's the bedrock of Christian living.
These truths aren't earned; they are gifts. They form the foundation from which all other virtues flow.
Paul lists virtues like 'compassionate hearts.' What makes this 'inner garment' so crucial for Christian community?
The Heart of Compassion
The list of virtues in Colossians 3:12 begins with 'compassionate hearts' (literally, 'bowels of mercy'). This is deeply personal and visceral.
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Paul uses the imagery of 'putting on' clothes. What does this active metaphor teach us about living out these virtues?
The Active Practice of Virtue
The command to 'put on' these virtues (kindness, humility, meekness, patience) is an active one. It's not passive; it's a deliberate choice.
Understand the original words
eklektos · Greek Adjective/Noun
Those whom God has sovereignly selected, set apart, and destined for salvation and participation in His kingdom.
hagios · Greek Adjective
Set apart for God’s exclusive use; possessing a moral and spiritual state of purity and dedication to His service.
agapaō · Greek Verb (participle)
The object of God's divine, self-giving, and sacrificial love (agapē); those whom He cherishes.
splagchnon · Greek Noun
The inward expression of mercy, pity, and deep feeling for the suffering of others; the root of biblical compassion.
chrēstotēs · Greek Noun
The divine quality of being useful or gentle; reflecting God's benevolence toward humanity.
tapeinophrosynē · Greek Noun
The virtue of recognizing one's true standing before God and others; the opposite of pride.
prautēs · Greek Noun
A mildness of temper and gentle strength; the ability to endure injury with patience and without retaliation.
makrothumia · Greek Noun
Self-restraint in the face of provocation; the ability to bear with difficult people or circumstances for an extended time.
This passage lists the fruit of the Spirit, many of which overlap with the 'virtues' Paul calls believers to put on here, showing these qualities are divinely produced within us.
Ephesians 4:31-32Similar to Colossians, this letter from Paul exhorts believers to 'put away' harshness and 'be kind and tenderhearted,' directly paralleling the virtues mentioned in our verse.
1 Peter 2:9This verse calls believers 'a chosen race, holy and beloved,' echoing the very identity Paul uses in Colossians 3:12 to motivate the putting on of these virtues.
Matthew 5:7Jesus Himself states, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,' directly linking the mercy and compassion Paul lists with a core beatitude.
Philippians 2:3-5Paul urges believers to 'do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,' which beautifully illustrates the humility and kindness called for in Colossians 3:12.
barnesColossians 3:12: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;"
Put on, therefore, as the elect of God - The fact that you thus belong to one and the same church; that you have been redeemed by the sameblood, and chosen by the same grace, and that you are all brethren, should lead you to manifest a spirit of kindness, gentleness, and love. Bowels of mercies - Notes, Philippians 2:1. Kindness ... - See the note…
meyerColossians 3:12: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;"
Colossians 3:12 . οὖν ] for these virtues are in keeping with the νέος ἄνθρωπος , according to what has been said in Colossians 3:11 ; it would be a contradiction to have put on the new man, and not to have put on these virtues. The new moral condition , into which ye have entered by your conversion, passing thereby into the fellowship of equality…
The verse doesn't just list virtues; it frames them as essential "clothing" for those chosen by God. It’s not just about having these qualities, but putting them on as a visible expression of your identity as God's holy and beloved people.
Having just described the radical transformation of putting on the "new self" in Christ, Paul now urges the believers to actively live out this new identity. He calls them to manifest the inner renewal outwardly by clothing themselves with specific virtues, emphasizing that these qualities are the natural and necessary expression of being God's chosen, holy, and beloved people.
Having just described the radical transformation of putting on the "new self" in Christ, Paul now urges the believers to actively live out this new identity. He calls them to manifest the inner renewal outwardly by clothing themselves with specific virtues, emphasizing that these qualities are the natural and necessary expression of being God's chosen, holy, and beloved people.
"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience," — The verse doesn't just list virtues; it frames them as essential "clothing" for those chosen by God. It’s not just about having these qualities, but putting them on as a visible expression of you…
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Last reviewed October 2026
