“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
Colossians 3:15 is a portion of Scripture that merits close attention, for a proper understanding of this verse may save us from decisions that seem right but may not be right.
For instance, it is not uncommon for those facing an important decision to base their determination on the presence or absence of “peace.” Since Colossians 3:15 advises us to “…let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” we can say that there is some definite validity to this approach. With this in mind, let’s consider the role of “peacefulness” in our decision-making process. We can begin by examining the context of this passage to help make the right application.
The word “context” can be defined as “the part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.” (1) In other words, the surrounding chapters and verses of the Scriptures help determine the meaning of each individual passage. This is important because it is possible to make the Bible say some very unbiblical things if we don’t establish a good contextual basis first.
In this instance, the immediate context of Colossians 3:15 involves our personal conduct with others. That framework was established earlier in Colossians 3:5-12 with a list of inappropriate behaviors that were to be “put off” in favor of God-honoring behaviors that were to be “put on.”
That brought us to Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (NIV). That portion of Scripture serves as the launch point for the directive given to us here in Colossians 3:15: “…let the peace of Christ be the ruling principle in your heart” (Mounce). In other words, we are instructed to allow the things that make for peace to guide us in our personal relationships with others.
In practical terms, this sometimes means that we must overlook faults, ignore slights (intentional or otherwise), or accept a personal loss if it becomes necessary to maintain peace with others. In commenting on this idea, one source offers the following insight…
“Although living with other Christians may try our patience at times, yet God in this way can develop virtues in the Christian’s life which He could not produce in any other manner. So we should not shirk our responsibilities in the local church, nor give them up when we are annoyed or provoked.” (2)
We’ll continue our look at the proper context for this passage next.
(1) “Context” American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language 3rd Edition © 1992 Houghton Mifflin Company
(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (p.2011) Edited by Arthur Farstad Thomas Nelson Publishers