Chapter 3

¹If, then, you have been raised to life with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are where Christ is, above, seated at God’s right hand. ²Fix your thoughts on the things that are above, not on those that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life now lies hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our true life, shall make his appearance, then you also will appear glorified with him.

⁵So treat as dead your physical nature, as far as immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed are concerned; for it is really idolatry. ⁶It is on account of these things that God’s anger is coming. ⁷And you once practiced them as others do, when you lived that old earthly life. ⁸But now you too must put them all aside—anger, rage, spite, rough, abusive talk—these must be banished from your lips. ⁹You must not lie to one another. For you have stripped off your old self with its ways ¹⁰and have put on that new self newly made in the likeness of its Creator, to know him fully. ¹¹Here, what matters is not “Greek” and “Jew,” the circumcised and the uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeborn, but Christ is everything and in us all.

¹²As persons chosen by God, then, consecrated and dearly loved, you must clothe yourselves with tenderness of heart, kindness, humility, gentleness, forbearance. ¹³You must bear with one another and forgive one another, if anyone has reason to be offended with anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive. ¹⁴And over all these put on love, which completes them and fastens them all together. ¹⁵Let the ruling principle in your hearts be Christ’s peace, for in becoming members of one body you have been called under its sway. And you must be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ live in your hearts in all its wealth of wisdom. Teach it to one another and train one another in it with thankfulness, with psalms, hymns, and sacred songs, and sing to God with all your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you have to say or do, do it all as followers of the Lord Jesus, and offer your thanksgiving to God the Father through him.

¹⁸You married women must subordinate yourselves to your husbands, for that is your duty as Christians. ¹⁹You who are husbands must love your wives and not be harsh to them.

²⁰Children, always obey your parents, for that is commendable in Christians. ²¹Fathers, do not irritate your children, or they may lose heart.

²²You who are slaves must always obey your earthly masters, not with mere external service, as though you had only men to please, but with sincerity of heart, because you fear the Lord. ²³Work at everything you do with all your hearts, as work done not for men only but for the Lord, ²⁴for you know that it is from him that you are to receive that inheritance which is to be your reward. Think of Christ as the master you are working for. ²⁵For the man who wrongs anyone will be paid back for the wrong he has done; there will be no exceptions.