The Word Made Fresh
1If then you have been raised with Christ, search for those things that are above where Christ is, seated at God’s right hand. 2Pay attention to the things that are above rather than on earthly things, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4Christ is your life, and when he is known you will also be exalted with him. 5So, lay aside your earthly nature – adultery, indecency, lust, evil desires, and covetousness, which is a form of idolatry. 6These things are the reason God’s anger is coming. 7You once lived like this, 8but now put them all aside – anger, rage, spite, slander, and foul language. 9Don’t be dishonest with one another; you have cast aside your old way of life with its habits 10and have put on the new body which is being recreated in the image of the creator. 11In this there is no Greek nor Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no barbarian or Scythian or slave or free, but only Christ who is within us all.
12So, since we are sacred and beloved as God’s chosen ones, we must be compassionate, kind, lowly, meek, and patient. 13Give each other the benefit of the doubt, and if one of you has a complaint about another forgive each other. The Lord has forgiven you, so you must also be forgiving. 14But more than anything else, put on love, for love harmoniously binds everything together. 15And allow Christ’s peace to rule your hearts. You were called to live in his peace as one body; be thankful for that. 16Allow Christ’s word to live deeply in you. Teach and correct one another wisely, and sing psalms and hymns and other spiritual songs and be thankful to God. 17Whatever you do or say, let it always be in the name of the Lord Jesus and be thankful to God the Father through him.
18Wives, serve your husbands as the Lord would want. 19Husbands, love your wives and don’t treat them harshly. 20Children, always obey your parents, and the Lord will be pleased. 21Fathers, don’t do anything that will cause your children to be discouraged. 22Servants, be obedient to those you serve, not to please them, but out of a sense of duty and your respect for the Lord. 23Whatever your task, do it well, as if you were serving the Lord and not human masters. 24The Lord will reward you with your inheritance for serving the Lord Jesus Christ. 25Sinners will be repaid for the wrong they have done; God shows no partiality.
Commentary
1-4: Faith in Christ causes us to seek the things that are above; that is, to seek what is God’s will and God’s way. This seeking will culminate in Christ being revealed, or made known — and by this Paul can only mean the return of Christ. When that takes place his followers will also be made known and will participate with him in glory — the future glorious reign of Christ when all things will be made new. I think that is a fair representation of Paul’s meaning here.
5-11: Paul believed that committing oneself to following Christ meant automatically that one would cease doing those things that are not pleasing to God — the things of the flesh, as he would say. Faith in Christ results in a renewal of a person’s character. Sin and sinful attitudes are laid aside. Barriers between races, nationalities and classes are erased.
12-17: The ideal Christian community is described, based on that harmony that results when people live and act out of love and mutual respect.
18-19: Likewise, husbands and wives are to let love be the guide in their relationship — wives, in subjection within the context of the prevailing culture, and husbands with loving regard.
20-25: The same mutual respect and loving treatment should be applied in other relationships as well: children and parents, servants and masters. The general rule is to treat others the way you would treat Jesus Christ.
Takeaway
Everyone you meet is worthy of being fairly treated, even those who don’t always treat you fairly.