The Letters Colossians 3:13-15
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
• The Greek word for “bear” is “anecho” (an-ekh-om-ahee) and it has two different meanings. The first is to
support one another so that the other depends on the support of the other. The second one is to “put up with each
other”
o This is how our body should act toward each other. There will be times when we offend each other and
wrong each other. Our Christian duty is to forgive. Sometimes that means supporting but at times that
also means that we have to put up with each other
▪ I think about my own marriage. Diana and I each support each other. We depend on one another
in a way that if I leave my position she will fall. She depends on me and I on her.
▪ There are times though when she has to “put up” with me too!
• I don’t do everything I’m supposed to do. Even after 20 years I still put things where
they aren’t supposed to be. She still has to find things in the fridge for me even when it is
staring right in front of me! We support each other and put up with each other.
• God doesn’t depend on us but we should depend on him. There are times when God has
to “put up” with me and my attitudes. We should in turn do that for each other!
Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
• The virtues he is talking about is in verse 12: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
• The Greek word for love here is “agape” – unconditional love.
o This is the love that still activates through hurt and offence. It is greater than everything because it is the
virtue that is most like Christ. Even though we were still sinners Christ still died for us.
o Love is the thing that holds all of these virtues together. There are times when we can be kind or patient
but with love we can do all of these constantly.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.
Peace – English – “Freedom from disturbance, tranquility” / Peace – Hebrew – Shalom “Complete / Whole”
• Refers to a stone that is complete without any cracks. Or a stone wall that has no gaps.
• It is something that is complex, that has many pieces but is in a state of completeness.
o Job 5:24 says that his tent is in a state of peace because he has counted his possessions and none of
them are missing.
o This is why Shalom can represent your well-being.
▪ When David found his brothers at war he asked them how they were doing with the word
“Shalom”
• The point is that life is complex and has many different parts and when part of your life is out of alignment
or missing your life is no longer whole. It needs to be restored.
o When using the word “shalom” as a verb it literally means to make complete or restore.
o If your animal tramples your neighbors field you bring them shalom by giving them complete
repayment for their loss.
o Proverbs 16:7 When the LORD takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make
peace with them.
▪ When enemies in the bible make shalom it doesn’t just mean that they stop fighting, it means
that they start working together to bring restoration and wholeness to each other.
o Israel’s kings were supposed to do this, to bring proper shalom “restoration” but rarely did that.
▪ Isaiah then foretold of a prince of peace, or a prince of shalom
• Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government
will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government
and peace there will be no end.
o He will bring shalom that will never end and he will right all wrongs and heal
all that has been broken
Peace – Greek – Eirene “to join or tie together into a whole” – When all essential parts are joined together. It speaks
of harmony. Many singing many parts together to make one sound.
• Through Jesus this is the arrival of that peace.
o John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
▪ Jesus offers to give us His peace that restores the brokenness between humans and God.
• Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups
one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
o Paul is talking about the separation of Jew and Gentile.
▪ What was once broken and separated in now made whole again. It’s
not just stopping hostility it’s making the two groups whole. Peace.
• Ephesians 2:15-16 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and
regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the
two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God
through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
o If you want peace between parties you need to have reconciliation.
▪ If you do not have reconciliation then breaking the hostility is only a
temporary solution.
• Reconciliation is the permanent solution bringing wholeness.
• Ephesians 2:17-18 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and
peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the
Father by one Spirit.
o It doesn’t matter what separates us. What matters is what brings us together.
We can all be unified under Christ, no matter our denominations.
o How do we keep peace within our church?
▪ Ephesians 4:2,3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another
in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
• Being humble – Seeing ourselves as God sees us. All as sinners in need of grace.
• Being gentle – Strength under control. You can be correct but be gentle as well.
• Being patient – Long suffering. It feels like that sometimes with people!
• Bearing with each other in love – To support / To put up with
o We share in Jesus peace by becoming like him
▪ Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and
through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
• Jesus restores peace through his death and resurrection.
Peace is not just the absence of conflict true peace is taking what is broken and restoring it to wholeness.
• Thankfulness
o Being thankful is so important to God!
o Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks
to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
▪ Here in Romans this passage shows the way that people walk in depravity and a lifestyle of
sin. It doesn’t start with witchcraft or demon worship. It starts by not giving God the glory
and by not giving him thanks.
• When we give God the glory and thanks we acknowledge that all that we are or can
do is from God.
• It is foolish thinking to believe that our gifts or talents to not begin with God. When
we think it is by our own ability we begin down the road to pride. We end up with
ourselves as idols that we worship.
o Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
▪ When we pray we should come with a thankful heart that acknowledges that we need Him.
• Prayer starts with humility and shows that we need God to act on our behalf.
