Colossians 3:13-14
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The word for "complaint" here doesn't just mean a casual gripe; it refers to a formal charge or cause for blame, highlighting that even when someone has a legitimate reason to be upset, they're still called to forgive. This isn't about overlooking real wrongs, but about choosing not to hold onto the blame when Christ Himself has already absorbed the penalty for all our offenses.
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to live out their new identity in Christ by shedding their old ways and embracing virtues that reflect their renewed nature. He's just spoken about putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, which are the outward signs of their inner transformation. This verse then directly explains how these virtues are to be expressed in their relationships, especially when conflicts inevitably arise within the community.
We all experience friction in relationships, but God's Word offers a powerful two-step approach to navigating conflict and maintaining unity.
Paul presents two essential actions for Christians living together: 'bearing with one another' and 'forgiving each other.'
Bearing with One Another
This is about endurance and patience. It means choosing not to dwell on minor offenses or irritations. It's about actively putting up with imperfections in others, not letting small things build up into big resentments.
Forgiving Each Other
This goes a step further than mere endurance. It's about releasing the debt of an offense. When someone has wronged you—and the text uses the word 'complaint' for this, indicating a real grievance—you choose to let it go. This isn't about pretending the offense didn't happen, but about actively choosing not to hold it against the person.
Why is forgiveness so central to the Christian life? The answer lies in an incredible pattern set by Jesus Himself.
The verse doesn't just command forgiveness; it provides the ultimate motivation and model for it: 'as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.'
The Magnitude of Christ's Forgiveness
Our forgiveness from God through Christ is not based on our merit or how little we've sinned. It was a radical act of grace. We had 'complaints' against us – sins, failures, rebellion – but Christ, despite having every right to condemn us, forgave us completely.
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The Call to Reflect This Grace
Paul is saying that the forgiveness we have received from the Lord is not a one-time event to be forgotten, but the very foundation of our new life. This profound, unearned forgiveness should transform how we interact with others. When someone offends us, we are called to extend that same radical, generous forgiveness.
Understand the original words
charizomai · Greek Verb
The active, voluntary remission of an offense; modeled directly upon God's gracious action in Christ toward sinners.
agapē · Greek Noun
The sacrificial, selfless love of God; the supreme virtue that binds the community of believers together.
This passage parallels Colossians 3:13 by urging believers to be 'kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving of one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.' It reinforces the idea that our forgiveness of others flows directly from God's forgiveness of us through Christ.
Matthew 18:21-22Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive, to which Jesus responds with a parable and the command to forgive 'seventy-seven times.' This emphasizes the boundless and unconditional nature of the forgiveness we are called to extend, mirroring the immeasurable forgiveness Christ offers.
Luke 17:3-4Jesus instructs his disciples, 'Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him.'' This highlights the importance of both confronting wrongdoing and offering forgiveness when repentance is present.
1 Peter 4:8The apostle Peter writes, 'Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.' This connects to the 'forbearing' and 'forgiving' aspects of Colossians 3:13, showing that a deep, active love is the foundation for overlooking offenses.
Romans 12:19Paul advises believers to 'Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' This speaks to the 'forbearing' aspect, reminding us that our role is not to hold grudges or seek retribution, but to trust God with justice.
vincentColossians 3:13: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
One another - one another (ἀλλήλων - ἑαυτοῖς)Lit., one another - yourselves. For a similar variation of the pronoun see Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 4:8-10. The latter pronoun emphasizes the fact that they are all members of Christ's body - everyone members one of another - so that, in forgiving each other they forgive themselves.Quarrel (μομφή…
meyerColossians 3:13: "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
Colossians 3:13 . Neither the second part of the verse, καθὼς … ὑμεῖς , nor ἀνεχόμενοι … μομφήν , is to be parenthesized; for the whole is an uninterrupted continuation of the construction. ἀνεχόμ . ἀλλ .] modal definition of the ἐνδύσασθαι of the last two virtues, informing us how the required appropriation of them is to manifest itself in acti…
The word for "complaint" here doesn't just mean a casual gripe; it refers to a formal charge or cause for blame, highlighting that even when someone has a legitimate reason to be upset, they're still called to forgive. This isn't about overlooking real wrongs, but about choosing not to hold onto the blame when Christ Himself has already absorbed the penalty for all our offenses.
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to live out their new identity in Christ by shedding their old ways and embracing virtues that reflect their renewed nature. He's just spoken about putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, which are the outward signs of their inner transformation. This verse then directly explains how these virtues are to be expressed in their relationships, especially when conflicts inevitably arise within the community.
Paul is urging the Colossian believers to live out their new identity in Christ by shedding their old ways and embracing virtues that reflect their renewed nature. He's just spoken about putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, which are the outward signs of their inner transformation. This verse then directly explains how these virtues are to be expressed in their relationships, especially when conflicts inevitably arise within the community.
"bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." — The word for "complaint" here doesn't just mean a casual gripe; it refers to a formal charge or cause for blame, highlighting that even when someone has a legitimate reason to be upset, they're still…
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Last reviewed October 2026
