Colossians 3-4

Easy-to-Read Version

Your New Life

3 You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. ² Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. ³ Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. ⁴ Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.

⁵ So put everything evil out of your life: sexual sin, doing anything immoral, letting sinful thoughts control you, and wanting things that are wrong. And don’t keep wanting more and more for yourself, which is the same as worshiping a false god. ⁶ God will show his anger against those who don’t obey him,^[a] because they do these evil things. ⁷ You also did these things in the past, when you lived like them.

⁸ But now put these things out of your life: anger, losing your temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and saying shameful things. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other. You have taken off those old clothes—the person you once were and the bad things you did then. ¹⁰ Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the one who made you. You are becoming more and more like him. ¹¹ In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are a Scythian.^[b] It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he is in all of you.

Your New Life With Each Other

¹² God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. ¹³ Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body.^[c] And always be thankful.

¹⁶ Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Your New Life at Home

¹⁸ Wives, be willing to serve your husbands. This is the right thing to do in following the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and be gentle to them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything. This pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, don’t upset your children. If you are too hard to please, they might want to stop trying.

²² Servants, obey your masters in everything. Obey all the time, even when they can’t see you. Don’t just pretend to work hard so that they will treat you well. No, you must serve your masters honestly because you respect the Lord. ²³ In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master. ²⁴ Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master.^{[d] 25} Remember that anyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong. And the Lord treats everyone the same.

4 Masters, give what is good and fair to your servants. Remember that you have a Master in heaven.

Some Things to Do

² Never stop praying. Be ready for anything by praying and being thankful. ³ Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ. ⁴ Pray that I will say what is necessary to make this truth clear to everyone.

⁵ Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. ⁶ When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.

News About Those With Paul

⁷ Tychicus is my dear brother in Christ. He is a faithful helper and he serves the Lord with me. He will tell you everything that is happening with me. ⁸ That is why I am sending him. I want you to know how we are, and I am sending him to encourage you. ⁹ I am sending him with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother from your group. They will tell you everything that has happened here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus, the one here in prison with me, sends you his greetings. Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, also sends his greetings. (I have already told you what to do about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.) ¹¹ And greetings from Jesus, the one who is also called Justus. These are the only Jewish believers who work with me for God’s kingdom. They have been a great comfort to me.

¹² Epaphras, another servant of Jesus Christ from your group, sends his greetings. He constantly struggles for you in prayer. He prays that you will grow to be spiritually mature and have everything that God wants for you. ¹³ I know that he has worked hard for you and the people in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Greetings also from Demas and our dear friend Luke, the doctor.

¹⁵ Give our greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. Greetings also to Nympha and to the church that meets in her house. ¹⁶ After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter that I wrote to them. ¹⁷ Tell Archippus, “Be sure to do the work the Lord gave you.”

¹⁸ Here’s my greeting in my own handwriting— Paul. Remember me in prison. God’s grace be with you.