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COLOSSIANS -
let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.l 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.m 17And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.n
The Christian Family. 18* Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.o 19Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. 20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.p 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.q
Slaves and Masters. 22Slaves,* obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord.r 23Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, 24knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is no partiality.s
41Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, realizing that you too have a Master in heaven.
Prayer and Apostolic Spirit. 2Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving;a 3at the same time, pray for us, too, that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak of the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison,b 4that I may make it clear, as I must speak. 5Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.c 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one.
3:18
The teaching about wives and slaves reminds us of the world in which the Letter to the Colossians was written. These passages have been used to justify oppression of others; Colossians was cited by American slaveholders before the Civil War to justify the keeping of slaves. To understand the Scriptures today, “due attention must be paid to the customary and characteristic styles of feeling, speaking and narrating which prevailed at the time of the sacred writer, and to the patterns people normally employed at that period in their everyday dealings with one another” (Dei Verbum, 12). Read in this light, we can nd deep wisdom here: Paul urges mutual respect among all members of the family.
CHAPTER 3
l. [3:15] Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12; Eph 2:16; 4:3–4; Phil 4:7.
m. [3:16] Eph 5:19–20.
n. [3:17] 1 Cor 10:31.
o. [3:18] Eph 5:22; Ti 2:5; 1 Pt 3:1.
p. [3:20] Eph 6:1.
q. [3:21] Eph 6:4.
r. [3:22] Eph 6:5; 1 Tm 6:1; Ti 2:9–10;
1 Pt 2:18.
s. [3:25] Rom 2:11.
CHAPTER 4
a. [4:2] Lk 18:1; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18–20; 1 Thes 5:17.
b. [4:3] Rom 15:30; 1 Cor 16:9; Eph 6:19; 2 Thes 3:1.
c. [4:5] Eph 5:15–16.
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* [3:18–4:6] After general recommendations that connect family life and the social condition of slavery with the service of Christ (Col 3:18–4:1), Paul requests prayers for himself, especially in view of his imprisonment (Col 3:2–3), and recommends friendly relations and meaningful discussions of Christian teaching with outsiders, i.e., non-Christians (Col 3:5–6). See note on Eph 5:21–6:9.
* [3:22–25] Slaves: within this table of duties in family and societal relations, involving wives and husbands, children and parents (Col 3:18–21), such as also appears in Eph 5:22–6:9, slaves here receive special attention because of the case of Onesimus the slave returning to his master (Col 4:9; Phlm 10–12).
* [4:7–18] Paul concludes with greetings and information concerning various Christians known to the Colossians.