If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. 6 Because of these the wrath of God is coming [upon the disobedient]. 7 By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. 9 Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.
St. Paul told the Colossians that if they have been baptized into Christ and have died with Christ to the elemental powers of the world (Col. 2:20), they should put to death their previous attitudes and behaviors (v. 7) and seek the thing of God so that they would rise with Christ (v. 1) who has been exalted to sit at the right hand of God. If they have died a mystical death and have been reborn in Christ by their baptism, they should renounce all earthly and temporal things that would separate them from Christ (vv. 8-9) and set their minds on heavenly things. The Messianic promises have been fulfilled in Christ. However, there is still a gap between what is on earth and what is in heaven. Those who have died in Christ are protected from spiritual dangers while in the flesh because they are hidden with Christ in God. When Christ finally appears, those who have died in him will appear with him in glory.
St. Paul tells the Colossians what they must reject from their past lives so they can live new lives in Christ. Gentiles were thought of as being depraved in their sexual behavior and some of the Colossian Christians may have continued such behavior. Paul gave them two lists of vices they should mortify (vv. 5,8). The first list pertains to sins of the body and passions. The second list pertains to sins that begin in the mind/intellect. If they do not cast off the sins that are part of their old self and “seek what is above,” God’s just judgment will come upon them because of their sinful and unjust actions. They must be truthful, honest, and without deceit in their dealings with each other, and embrace their new identity in Christ so that the knowledge of God can continually renew and conform them to His image. There should be unity and equality among all who believe in Christ who lives in them and that will transcend all cultural, social, and racial differences.
Almighty God, we thank you for the new life we have in Christ as we await his glorious return. Empower us to put away our earthly desires, and let your grace transform us so we can live in unity and love. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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