THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS - Chapter 3 - Verse 13

Verse 13. Forbearing one another. See Barnes "Eph 4:2".

And forgiving one another. See Barnes "Mt 6:12, See Barnes "Mt 6:14".

If any man have a quarrel against any. Marg., "or complaint." The word here used momfh occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, fault found, blame, censure; and here denotes occasion of complaint. The idea is, that if another one has given us just occasion of complaint, we are to forgive him; that is, we are

(1.) to harbour no malice against him;

(2.) we are to be ready to do him good as if he had not given us occasion of complaint;

(3.) we are to be willing to declare that we forgive him when he asks it; and

(4.) we are always afterwards to treat him as kindly as if he had not injured us—- a God treats us when he forgives us. See Barnes "Mt 18:21".

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Learn here that Christ has power to forgive sin. Comp. See Barnes "Mt 9:6"; See Barnes "Ac 5:31".

Christ forgave us

(1.) freely—-he did not hesitate or delay when we asked him;

(2.) entirely—he pardoned all our offences;

(3.)for ever—-he did it so as to remember our sins no more, and to treat us ever onward as if we had not sinned. So we should forgive an offending brother.

{g} "Forbearing" Mr 11:25; Eph 4:2,32

{h} "forgiving" Mt 6:14,15 {1} "quarrel" "complaint"