Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just list virtues; it grounds them in our identity in Christ. The "therefore" links these commands directly to the profound truth that we are "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved," implying these compassionate actions are not just suggestions, but natural outworkings of who we now are.
Having just argued that believers have "put on the new self" in Christ, Paul now urges them to actively live out this new identity. This means shedding the old ways of sin and embracing virtues that reflect their status as God's chosen, holy, and beloved people. The passage flows directly from the previous verses, presenting these virtues as the necessary and consistent outward expression of their inner transformation.
Why does Paul start with who we are before telling us how to act? It turns out our identity in Christ is the fuel for living a new life.
Paul kicks off this section by reminding the Colossians of their core identity: 'God's chosen ones, holy and beloved.' This isn't just a feel-good label; it's the reason they can and should live differently.
This foundation of identity is crucial. It's not about trying to be good; it's about living out who God has already made you to be in Christ.
Paul lists virtues like 'compassionate hearts' and 'humility.' What makes these 'inner garments' so essential for the Christian life?
The list that follows – 'compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience' – isn't just a nice personality checklist. Paul uses the metaphor of 'putting on' clothes, suggesting these virtues are outward expressions of an inward transformation. They are the very 'fabric' of the new humanity revealed in Christ.
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.
This passage directly echoes the list of virtues, calling believers to be 'kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you,' highlighting the relational aspect of these Christ-like qualities.
Galatians 5:22-23Here, many of the same virtues – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – are described as the 'fruit of the Spirit,' emphasizing their divine origin and supernatural nature in a believer's life.
1 Peter 2:9This verse describes believers as a 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,' which directly corresponds to the identity Paul grounds these virtues in for the Colossians: 'God's chosen ones, holy and beloved.'
Philippians 2:3-4This passage encourages believers to 'do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,' directly supporting the call to humility and reinforcing the self-sacrificing love that underlies these virtues.
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 grounds them in our identity in Christ. The "therefore" links these commands directly to the profound truth that we are "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved," implying these compassionate actions are not just suggestions, but natural outworkings of who we now are.
Having just argued that believers have "put on the new self" in Christ, Paul now urges them to actively live out this new identity. This means shedding the old ways of sin and embracing virtues that reflect their status as God's chosen, holy, and beloved people. The passage flows directly from the previous verses, presenting these virtues as the necessary and consistent outward expression of their inner transformation.
Having just argued that believers have "put on the new self" in Christ, Paul now urges them to actively live out this new identity. This means shedding the old ways of sin and embracing virtues that reflect their status as God's chosen, holy, and beloved people. The passage flows directly from the previous verses, presenting these virtues as the necessary and consistent outward expression of their inner transformation.
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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.
"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 grounds them in our identity in Christ. The "therefore" links these commands directly to the profound truth that we are "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,"…
