“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12).
As mentioned in a previous study, the word “therefore” should alert us to pay close attention to the passage of Scripture that follows. The presence of this word tells us that a Biblical author is ready to summarize the content of a preceding section and present us with a call to action. In this instance, that call reflects the qualities that distinguish a God-honoring man or woman.
Here in Colossians 3:12, “therefore” also indicates a shift from the list of negative behaviors that appeared earlier within this chapter. You see, Paul the Apostle has already told his readers that the qualities of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language should not characterize a Christian’s life. But just as we should expect from a good teacher, Paul will not only tell us what we shouldn’t do- he will now go on to tell us what we should do.
To accomplish this, Paul will return to an illustration he has used three times in the previous four verses: the idea of putting off ungodly behaviors and putting on the characteristics that are associated with those who honor God. The contrast between these negative and positive characteristics has led one commentator from another generation to make the following observation…
“We must not always live in the negative of avoiding wrong, the positive has a clear claim on us; and in each circumstance of trial or temptation we must advance to meet it, arrayed in Christ. As the Lord acted, so must we. We must partake of the family likeness.” (1)
Another source identifies the common denominator that unites these God-honoring qualities: “Each one of the qualities mentioned in this passage express themselves in relationships. A significant measure of our Christian life is found simply in how we treat people and the quality of our relationships with them.” (2) Nevertheless, its important to recognize that the nature of those relationships will impact the way we express these characteristics.
For instance, the interaction between two long-time friends will surely differ from those who have a passing acquaintance. The same is likely to be true of differences in age, gender, and authority, among others. Nevertheless, the qualities of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience mentioned here in Colossians 3:12 are applicable to any relationship. We’ll take a closer look at each of these individual characteristics over the next few studies.
(1) Meyer, Frederick Brotherton. “Commentary on Colossians 3:12-17”. “F. B. Meyer’s ‘Through the Bible’ Commentary”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fbm/colossians-3.html. 1914.
(2) David Guzik Colossians 3 – Put Off, Put On © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/colossians-3/