Colossians 3:1

Colossians 3:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
• New International Version (NIV)Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Context of Colossians 3:1

God has raised you with Christ to a new life. So you should want more and more the things that belong to heaven. That is where Christ is now. He sits there at God's right side. 2So think about the good things that are there in heaven above. Do not think only about things that are on the earth. 3Remember that your old nature has died. God is keeping your new life safe with Christ.

Colossians 3:1 word by word

Εἰ οὖν συνηγέρθητε τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε, οὗ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ καθήμενος·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• yeσυνεγείρωsunegeirō · to raise up withG4891
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• Christὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• aboveἄνωanō · aboveG507
• whereοὗhou · whitherG3757
• sittethκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
• onἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Colossians 3:1

• Colossians 2:12When they baptized you, it was like God buried you with Christ. And God also raised you to a new life with Christ. You believed that God has great power to do that. You believed that God raised Jesus to life after he died. Because you believed, God raised you to have a new life.
• Romans 6:4Your baptism shows that they buried you, just like they buried Christ after his death. It is like you died with him and they buried you with him. Because of that, God will also raise us, just as he raised Christ from death. God, the Father, is so great and powerful that he raised Christ to a new life. That means that we also can live our lives in a new way.
• Galatians 2:19But God's Law showed me that I could never obey all its rules. So I became like a dead person, free from the authority of those rules. That means that I can now live to please God.
• Ephesians 1:19You will also know how very powerful God is. He uses that power to help us now, as we trust in Christ. God's power is greater than anything we could ever know.
• Ephesians 2:5Because of our sins, we were dead in our spirits. But God gave us a new life, because we are united with Christ. Yes, God has saved you because he is so kind.
• Colossians 3:2So think about the good things that are there in heaven above. Do not think only about things that are on the earth.
• Psalms 16:11You will lead me along the path of life. Because you are with me, I am very happy. I know that I will be with you for ever, and that makes me very happy!
• Psalms 17:14Lord, use your power to save me from them. They only think about this world, and they enjoy the good things that it gives them. So give them all that you have ready for them. Give them more than they want! May their children also have plenty, and enough left to give to their children too.
• Psalms 73:25You are the only one in heaven or on earth that I need to help me. You are the only one that I want.
• Proverbs 15:24A wise person walks on a path that leads him up to a long life. He keeps away from the path that would lead him down to death.
• Matthew 6:20Instead, you should want to have valuable things in heaven. Insects and water cannot destroy anything there. Men cannot rob you of your things there.
• Luke 12:33So sell what you have and give the money to poor people. Then you will have valuable things in heaven. That is like keeping your money in a bag that will never have any holes in it. There, the value of your things will never become less. There, nobody can take them from you. Insects cannot destroy them.
• Romans 8:6People who let their human thoughts rule them will die. But people who think about what God's Spirit wants will have life with God. They will have peace inside themselves.
• 2 Corinthians 4:18So we do not look at the things that we can see in this world. Instead, we look at the things that people cannot see. The things that we can see are only here for a short time. But the things that we cannot see will continue for ever.
• Philippians 3:20But as for us, the home where we belong is in heaven. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from there. He is the one who will come from heaven and save us.
• Hebrews 11:13All these people continued to believe God until they died. But they did not receive all the things that God had promised to give them. They were like people who saw those things far away. That made them happy. These people understood that they lived as strangers and travellers on the earth.

Commentaries on Colossians 3:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1If ye then - · Seeing then that ye are risen with Christ; this refers to what he had said, Colossians 2:12; : Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him. As, therefore, ye have most cordially received the doctrine of Christ; and profess to be partakers of a spiritual religion, that promises spiritual and eternal things; seek those things, and look to be prepared for the enjoyment of them.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1If ye then be risen with Christ - The apostle in this place evidently founds the argument on what he had said in Colossians 2:12; see the notes at that passage. The argument is, that there was such an union between Christ and his people, that in virtue of his death they become dead to sin; that in virtue of his resurrection they rise to spiritual life, and that, therefore, as Christ now lives in heaven, they should live for heaven, and fix their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Colossians exhorted to be heavenly-minded; (1-4) to mortify all corrupt affections; (5-11) to live in mutual love, forbearance, and forgiveness; (12-17) and to practise the duties of wives and husbands, children, parents, and servants. (18-25) Verses 1-4 As Christians are freed from the ceremonial law, they must walk the more closely with God in gospel obedience. As heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed together; and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1strive for the things above: Christians live on earth, but their true selves have been raised with Christ. This connects them to the spiritual world where Christ rules. In contrast, the commands and teachings of false teachers focus on earthly matters (2:22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251. If ... then--The connection with Col 2:18, 23, is, he had condemned the "fleshly mind" and the "satiating to the full the flesh"; in contrast to this he now says, "If then ye have been once for all raised up (Greek, aorist tense) together with Christ" (namely, at your conversion and baptism, Ro 6:4). seek those things ... above--(Mt 6:33; Php 3:20). sitteth--rather, as Greek, "Where Christ is, sitting on the right of God" (Ep 1:20). The Head being…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:1

• Affections
• Commandments
• Resurrection
• Spirituality

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Admonish
• Bond
• Charity
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Earth

Commentaries on Colossians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings