Colossians 3 4

Colossians 3:4 kjv

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 nkjv

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 niv

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 esv

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 nlt

And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Colossians 3 verses

Colossians 3 4 Meaning

Colossians 3:4 declares a pivotal truth about the believer's future: the manifestation of Christ, who is intimately their very life, will simultaneously lead to their own public revelation in divine splendor and honor. This verse highlights the inseparable union between Christ and His followers, establishing that the hope and consummation of their new existence are inextricably linked to His glorious return.

Colossians 3 4 Context

Colossians 3:4 forms the climax of a profound call to the believer to live out their new identity in Christ. Paul begins chapter 3 by urging believers, who have been "raised with Christ," to "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (v. 1). This is followed by the imperative to "set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (v. 2). The reason for this heavenly focus is given in verse 3: "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." This spiritual reality, though currently unseen by the world, underpins the believer's present and future existence. Verse 4 then provides the ultimate motivation and certainty for this transformed life, looking forward to the glorious day when Christ, their very life, is publicly revealed, and they too will be revealed in His glory. This eschatological hope provides power and purpose for sanctification (vv. 5ff), calling believers to put off sinful practices and put on virtues that reflect their new nature in Christ. Historically, this truth served as a powerful counter-narrative to false teachings in Colossae that promoted earthly rituals, asceticism, or philosophical speculation as pathways to spiritual advancement, by re-emphasizing Christ's absolute supremacy and the believer's secure and glorious future in Him.

Colossians 3 4 Word analysis

• When (Ὅταν - Hotan): This word denotes a definite future time or event, emphasizing certainty rather than speculation. It points to the decisive timing of Christ's eschatological revelation.
• Christ (ὁ Χριστὸς - ho Christos): This refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, central to all Christian belief and hope. He is the preeminent Person of salvation and the object of future expectation.
• who is (ἐστιν - estin, implied by apposition in Greek) your life (ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν - hē zōē hymōn): This phrase emphasizes the radical, intimate, and ontological union between Christ and the believer. "Life" (ζωὴ - zoē) signifies not merely biological existence (bios) but spiritual, divine life, the very essence of true being. Christ is not just the giver of life, but the very life of the Christian. This means spiritual vitality, purpose, and existence derive entirely from Him.
• appears (φανερωθῇ - phanerothē): From the verb phaneroō, meaning "to make visible," "to reveal," "to manifest." The aorist passive subjunctive highlights a divine action that will cause Christ to be openly revealed. This future "appearing" is His glorious Second Coming, in contrast to His first, more humble manifestation.
• then (τότε - tote): This temporal adverb indicates a direct consequence. The believers' revelation is contingent upon and simultaneous with Christ's.
• you also (καὶ ὑμεῖς - kai hymeis): "You" refers to all believers. "Also" emphasizes their inclusion in this glorious event; their destiny is irrevocably tied to His.
• will appear (φανερωθήσεσθε - phanerothēses_the): This is the future passive indicative of phaneroō. Just as Christ will be supernaturally revealed, so too will believers be divinely manifested. This appearance will involve a glorious transformation of their bodies (Phil 3:21) and the full disclosure of their spiritual reality and union with Christ (1 Jn 3:2).
• with him (σὺν αὐτῷ - syn autō): "With" (σὺν - syn) implies deep association, shared participation, and inseparable unity. Believers will appear not independently, but in His presence, as part of His glorious retinue, emphasizing their secure position.
• in glory (ἐν δόξῃ - en doxē): "Glory" (δόξῃ - doxē) refers to divine splendor, majesty, honor, and renown. Believers will share in Christ's glory, indicating a state of perfection, dignity, and recognition of their identity as children of God (Rom 8:17, 30). This is a public display of the divine life that was previously hidden within them.

Words-group Analysis:

• "When Christ who is your life appears": This phrase encapsulates the eschatological hope rooted in Christ's centrality. His return is certain, and it will be the revelation of the very source and essence of the believer's new life. It strongly counters any teaching that downplays Christ's future work or separates it from the believer's present experience.
• "then you also will appear with him in glory": This connects the individual believer's destiny directly to Christ's glorious future. Their future public manifestation is guaranteed and will involve participation in His divine splendor. It assures believers of their complete identification with Christ in His ultimate triumph, shifting focus from earthly tribulations to heavenly reward and recognition.

Colossians 3 4 Bonus section

The active "appears" for Christ and the passive "will appear" for believers in the original Greek ("φανερωθῇ" and "φανερωθήσεσθε") underscore divine agency. Christ reveals Himself, and in doing so, He causes believers to be revealed. This highlights that the believer's glorification is not a human achievement but a divine work, solely dependent on Christ and His return. The "glory" believers will appear in signifies not only Christ's glory but also their own inherent spiritual worth and perfected state in the presence of God, a full and final vindication for those who faithfully endured (Rom 8:17; 2 Thess 1:10). This hope actively challenges any form of false humility or Gnostic asceticism that devalued the body or neglected the future, corporeal redemption promised in Christ. It reaffirms the robust Christian eschatology where both soul and body are glorified in Christ's physical return.

Colossians 3 4 Commentary

Colossians 3:4 delivers a powerful assurance for believers, anchoring their present spiritual reality and future hope firmly in Jesus Christ. The verse begins by unequivocally declaring Christ as "your life," stressing the profound, ontological union forged through redemption. This isn't merely an external relationship but Christ Himself inhabiting and animating the believer's deepest being (Gal 2:20). While this spiritual life is currently "hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:3), unseen by the world and often unnoticed by believers in their daily struggles, it guarantees a future public manifestation. "When Christ... appears," referencing His Second Coming in divine splendor, that previously hidden life will be revealed for all to see. The corresponding promise, "then you also will appear with him in glory," speaks of the believers' own eschatological unveiling. This future appearing encompasses resurrection and transformation into Christ's likeness (1 Jn 3:2; Phil 3:21), marking the full consummation of salvation. Their glory is not inherent but derivative, a sharing in Christ's own majesty, proving their inseparable union and demonstrating their co-heirship with Him (Rom 8:17). This ultimate hope motivates sanctification and perseverance, reminding believers that their earthly journey culminates in a glorious, public vindication with Christ, the source and sum of all their existence.

• Example for Practical Usage: For a believer feeling unseen or undervalued in the world, this verse offers the comfort that their true life and worth are hidden securely in Christ. The future promise reminds them that one day, their hidden identity will be revealed publicly with Christ's glorious appearing, providing motivation to live according to that heavenly reality now.