Chapter 3

3:1 : This is not speaking of bodily resurrection, it is clearly speaking of spiritual resurrection. This resurrection is not a far off future concept but rather the beginning of the life and walk of every true Christian believer. We have been raised with Christ in our calling and this raising brings sanctification. Believers have died to self and become alive in and through Christ.

3:1: Again, this raising is done only by the Father. (Compare with notes on 2:13-14).

3:2: Part of the walk is the renewal of the mind. (Romans 12:2)

3:3: This "death" has already taken place. This death is not death at all but rather it is true spiritual life. Death to self and life to Christ is essential to our raising. This death to self and life to Christ happens only by faith.

3:4: This is speaking to Christ's second coming.

3:5 : We as believers have died to ourselves. Our bodies and spirits are no longer our own but Christ's. Therefore we must treat our bodies as dead to sin and temptation. Obviously temptation will still come but we have the strength in Christ to overcome and flee from it.

3:6: This "wrath" refers to God's divine judgement on evil.

3:7: We have chosen to lay these things aside when were made alive to Christ. How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:2)

3:8-9: We must put off all of these detestable things for we are new. We are new and being renewed and there is no renewal without conformity to the image of Christ.

3:10: Indeed in our renewal and the "putting on" of the new man, we have put on Christ. (Gal 3:27)

3:11 : This is saying that there will be no more division in or among us due to physical attributes
or social status because we are all one in Christ and He is in us.

3:12: In the putting on of Christ we will bear good fruit for Him (Gal 5:22-23). It is the unchanging and inherent role of an true believer to have a renewed heart.

3:13: "Bearing" speaks to present offenses whereas forgiving speaks to past offenses. If anybody has the right to complain, it is Christ, not us. He forgive us and correspondingly, we should forgive eachother.

3:14: The greatest of all the commandments is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind." The second is to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40) Our love for Christ and His love for us (1 John 4:10) unites us to Him and gives us the will to obey Him accordingly. (John 14:21) This love also unites believers. (John 13:35)

3:14: "Above all things put on love"... It is important to note here that there is no love apart from the knowledge of God. (1 John 4:8)

3:15: Love and peace unites us as one body in Christ. This is also true in marriage. It is love which unifies a man and a woman. (Ephesians 5:28-29) This love is not a feeling alone or a lust but is rather shown through action. Agape love is the love of the will and 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a beautiful example of Agape.

3:16: This is speaking about scripture. We are to let scripture live in us richly.

3:17: "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus"... Praise comes to the father not apart from but through Christ. (This is where we get "in Jesus Name" from)

3:18: The man is the head of the household. The woman is to be subject to Him. This is not speaking about blind obeying but rather a thoughtful and willful subjection. Obviously this subjection to the Man as the Head of the Household does not transcend God's law. God's law comes first. We are not to submit to anyone or any authority that tries to force us into sinning against the Lord.

3:19: This is agape, the purest, strongest form of love. It is the love of the will. It puts others priorities and needs before it's own. Men are called to love their wives with the highest form of love.

3:20: Just as the Lord put the governmental authorities in place like in Romans 13:1-7, Children have also been placed under the authority of their parents. Again, this does not transcend God's law. (see notes on 3:18)

3:21: "exasperate..." Another word to be used for this is "provoke". Fathers are not to provoke and create strife within their children because they will become discouraged and lose heart.

3:22: This is not a approval of slavery. Paul is asking everyone conform to Christ whether slave or freeman. He also gives us the "why" in the verses to follow. We are to do all things unto the Lord. He is our heavenly master and our heavenly authority and the work that we do we are not doing in vain we are doing it unto the Lord.

3:23: compare with notes on 3:22.

3:24: Because we do all of our work unto the Lord, he will reward us accordingly. What we reap we will sow. This also applies to the consequences of sin. (Colossians 3:25)

3:25: Us receiving the consequences of our sin does not mean that the Lord is punishing us for our sin but rather that sin does have a natural consequence. The most immediate and inherent consequence of sin for the unbeliever is spiritual death.