Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
• New International Version (NIV)Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Context of Colossians 3:5

3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Colossians 3:5 word by word

Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακὴν καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρία,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Mortifyνεκρόωnekroō · to put to deathG3499
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• membersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• membersμέλοςmelos · memberG3196
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• fornicationπορνείαporneia · sexual sinG4202
• uncleannessἀκαθαρσίαakatharsia · impurityG167
• inordinate affectionπάθοςpathos · passionG3806
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• concupiscenceἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• covetousnessπλεονεξίαpleonexia · greedinessG4124
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• idolatryεἰδωλολατρείαeidōlolatreia · idolatryG1495

Cross-references for Colossians 3:5

• Romans 6:6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
• Romans 8:13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
• Galatians 5:24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
• Ephesians 5:3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
• Romans 6:13Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
• Romans 7:5For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
• James 4:1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
• Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
• Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
• Romans 1:29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
• 2 Corinthians 12:21I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
• Galatians 5:19Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
• Hebrews 12:16that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

Commentaries on Colossians 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Mortify, therefore, you members - · Put them to death: the verb is used metaphorically to signify, to deprive a thing of its power, to destroy its strength. Use no member of your body to sin against God; keep all under dominion; and never permit the beast to run away with the man. To gratify any sensual appetite is to give it the very food and nourishment by which it lives, thrives, and is active. However the body may suffer by excessive sensual…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Mortify therefore your members - Since you are dead to sin and the world, and are to appear with Christ in the glories of his kingdom, subdue every carnal and evil propensity of your nature. The word mortify means to put to death (Romans 8:13, note; Galatians 5:24, note), and the meaning here is that they were entirely to subdue their evil propensities, so that they would have no remains of life; that is, they were not at all to indulge them. The word…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be avoided: the lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world; and covetousness, which is idolatry; love of present good, and of outward…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Put to death, therefore: We must truly die to this life by how we live each day (3:3) . greed, which is idolatry: Greedy people pursue money, sex, power, and possessions instead of God. They hope to find happiness in those things and treat them like idols.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Mortify--Greek, "make a corpse of"; "make dead"; "put to death." therefore--(See on Col 3:3). Follow out to its necessary consequence the fact of your having once for all died with Christ spiritually at your regeneration, by daily "deadening your members," of which united "the body of the sins of the flesh" consists (compare Col 2:11). "The members" to be mortified are the fleshly instruments of lust, in so far as the members of the body are abused to…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:5

• Adultery
• Affections
• Chastity
• Commandments
• Continence
• Covetousness
• Depravity of Man
• Holiness
• Lasciviousness
• Righteousness
• Self-Denial
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Admonish
• Affection
• Bond
• Charity
• Concupiscence
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Fit
• Idolatry
• Lord

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