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’s exhortation to the Colossians begins with a sharp and luminous reminder of their spiritual identity: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). This is not a call to escapism, nor an encouragement to withdraw from earthly responsibilities. Rather, it is a call to live as those who have already been transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection.
The apostle is writing to a community baptized into Christ, reminding them that they have died to their old way of life. Their true life is now hidden with Christ in God (v. 3), a phrase rich in both mystery and promise. As the Navarre Bible notes, this hiddenness speaks of a life sustained by grace—a life that will one day be revealed in glory (v. 4). Paul’s theology here mirrors the language of Romans 6:3–4, where baptism is described as a participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, and also echoes 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.”
The “old self” (v. 9) that must be put to death includes not just outward behaviors but inward desires—immorality, greed, anger, and deceit. Paul makes clear that these are not merely bad habits but manifestations of a disordered heart. Greed, he says bluntly, “is idolatry” (v. 5)—not because it involves statues or pagan rites, but because it enthrones desire in the place of God. The Greek word pleonexia signifies an insatiable craving for more—more wealth, more comfort, more power. It is a condition of the heart that treats created things as the source of happiness and security, rather than the Creator Himself. As Jesus taught, “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Mt 6:24), for one will always displace the other.
But the good news is not only that the old can be left behind. The new self is being “renewed…in the image of its Creator” (v. 10)—an unmistakable allusion to Genesis 1:27, where humanity is first made in God’s image. The redemption in Christ is not a patch over sin, but a restoration of God’s original intention for humanity: holiness, dignity, and communion with God. This new creation undoes the divisions that sin once entrenched: “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision…but Christ is all and in all!” (v. 11).
This passage speaks powerfully to today’s fractured society. In an age consumed by materialism, identity politics, and self-indulgence, Paul’s words call believers to a higher standard—not of judgment, but of radical transformation. We are reminded that our true identity is not defined by our ethnicity, wealth, background, or past sins, but by our union with Christ. Living in that truth demands constant renewal—a daily dying to lesser loves and a turning toward the One who sits at God’s right hand.
Lord Jesus, You are our life, hidden now but radiant in eternity. Strip from us the ways of our former selves and clothe us in the garments of Your grace. Renew us in the image of our Creator, that we may live as signs of Your kingdom until the day we appear with You in glory. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953), on Colossians 3.
- The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018), on Colossians.
- Gen. 1:27; Rom. 6:3–4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Mt. 6:24; Gal. 3:27–28.
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