Colossians 3 5

Colossians 3:5 kjv

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Colossians 3:5 nkjv

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5 niv

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5 esv

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5 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.

Colossians 3 verses

Colossians 3 5 Meaning

Colossians 3:5 calls believers to decisively put to death the carnal desires and sinful practices that belong to their former, unredeemed life. This is not a physical act against one's body, but a spiritual mortification of the earthly appetites that were once dominant. The specific sins listed – sexual immorality, impurity, uncontrolled passion, evil desires, and covetousness – are deemed expressions of an old identity, with covetousness explicitly equated with idolatry, signifying a heart alienated from God by pursuing created things over the Creator. It is an urgent imperative to live in accordance with the new life found in Christ.

Colossians 3 5 Context

Colossians 3:5 stands as a crucial command in Paul's letter, bridging the theological foundation of a believer's new identity in Christ (Col 2:9-15) with the practical implications for daily living. Following verses Colossians 3:1-4, which instruct believers to "seek the things that are above" and "set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth," verse 5 explains what it means to concretely act upon this heavenly-mindedness. It outlines the specific earthly elements – vices tied to the old, fallen nature – that must be actively rejected and put to death. This contrasts with the Colossian error, which potentially advocated ascetic practices (Col 2:21-23) that did not genuinely mortify the sinful desires of the flesh but merely engaged the outward self. Paul's message here is that true spiritual transformation comes from Christ's power, resulting in a radical break from the ways of the world and a definitive putting off of the "old man." The call to mortify these members is the practical outworking of one's co-resurrection and new life with Christ.

Colossians 3 5 Word analysis

• Mortify / Put to death (νεκρώσατε - nekrōsate): This is an aorist active imperative verb from nekroo, meaning to make dead, to cause to be dead. It conveys a decisive, once-for-all action, a command to kill or utterly extinguish. It’s an urgent and absolute demand. It signifies actively suppressing and eliminating the power of these sinful "members" or dispositions within the believer, much like crucifying them (Rom 6:6). This is not a passive or gentle suggestion but an aggressive spiritual combat.
• Therefore (Οὖν - Oun): A strong connective adverb signaling a logical conclusion. It links the command in verse 5 directly to the profound theological truths in verses 1-4 – particularly the believer's co-resurrection with Christ and being hidden with Christ in God. Because of this new identity, the consequence must be a new way of living.
• Your members which are upon the earth (τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς - ta melē hymōn ta epi tēs gēs): "Members" (melē) here refers not to physical body parts themselves, but to the carnal affections, impulses, or instruments through which sin operates. They are called "upon the earth" because they belong to the realm of this fallen world, its values, and its passing nature, as opposed to the "things above" in Christ. These are the desires and expressions of the old self, not the redeemed body itself.
• Fornication (πορνεία - porneia): A broad term for all unlawful sexual activity, including but not limited to prostitution, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and any sexual deviation outside of God’s design for marriage.
• Uncleanness (ἀκαθαρσία - akatharsia): General term for moral impurity, defilement, foulness. While often associated with sexual sin, it is broader, encompassing anything that stains the spirit, soul, or body, representing inner filthiness and a morally defiled state.
• Inordinate affection / Passion (πάθος - pathos): Strong, uncontrolled desires or lusts; a deep, often irrational, craving. It refers to a disordered internal disposition or powerful emotion that propels one towards sin, especially illicit sensual or carnal impulses.
• Evil concupiscence / Evil desire (ἐπιθυμία κακή - epithymia kakē): Epithymia denotes a strong desire or craving, either good or bad, but when coupled with kakē (evil), it specifically refers to covetous, unholy, or malicious longing. This refers to the root desire or internal craving that is inherently bad or directs one towards wrong acts, preceding "passion."
• And covetousness (καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν - kai tēn pleonexian): An insatiable greed, an unchecked desire to have more, particularly for what belongs to another. It signifies selfishness, acquisitiveness, and the pursuit of material possessions or gains above all else. It's not just a desire but an act of grasping or getting more than one is entitled to.
• Which is idolatry (ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρία - hētis estin eidōlolatreia): This phrase powerfully equates covetousness with idolatry. It means that when one passionately desires, craves, and pursues possessions, status, or any created thing beyond measure, these things become idols. They displace God from the center of one’s affections and worship, effectively taking His place as the ultimate object of desire and devotion. This is a profound insight into the spiritual nature of greed.

• "Mortify... which are upon the earth": This phrase underlines the decisive and violent nature of the action required. The command is to kill those inner dispositions that tether believers to the world system and its ungodly values, recognizing that their true citizenship and focus should be heavenly. It is about a radical break from a past way of life.
• Progression of Vices: The list of vices shows a progression from overt sinful acts (fornication, uncleanness) to the internal wellsprings of sin (inordinate affection, evil desire), culminating in the expansive sin of covetousness. This implies that outward sins stem from inner cravings, and if left unchecked, these cravings escalate into deeper spiritual issues.
• "Covetousness, which is idolatry": This specific identification highlights that idolatry is not just worshipping a carved image, but elevating anything created—wealth, pleasure, power, status, or even self—above the Creator. It defines the essence of worldliness: finding one’s ultimate satisfaction and security in something other than God. This clarifies that an appetite for more material goods or personal gratification becomes a rival deity in the heart.

Colossians 3 5 Bonus section

The concept of "putting to death" here is paradoxical; while believers are declared dead to sin in Christ (Rom 6:1-11), they are simultaneously commanded to actively execute that death in their daily lives. This signifies the "already-but-not-yet" aspect of sanctification, where the judicial reality in Christ (already dead to sin) must be practically lived out by human will in dependence on the Spirit's power (not yet fully perfected). The passage reveals the serious nature of inward desires as root causes of outward sin, demonstrating how sins of the heart can be as offensive to God as physical transgressions. The final phrase, "which is idolatry," serves as a potent summary of the entire list, indicating that all the mentioned vices are ultimately forms of spiritual adultery, where something other than God is adored and pursued as the highest good. This understanding underscores the call for radical devotion and exclusive worship of the one true God.

Colossians 3 5 Commentary

Colossians 3:5 issues a powerful command for believers to actively "put to death" the instruments of sin that once ruled their lives, particularly the specified sexual sins and all forms of unbridled desire and greed. This urgent call stems directly from the preceding theological truths: since believers have been raised with Christ and have a new, heavenly identity (Col 3:1-4), they must align their practical living with this spiritual reality. "Mortifying" these earthly members is an active, ongoing process, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:13), representing a complete rejection of the "old self." The listing of specific vices serves as a concrete illustration of what it means to shed the former way of life, progressing from outward acts of immorality to the deeper internal dispositions of uncontrolled passion and evil desire. The critical equation of "covetousness" with "idolatry" reveals the core spiritual danger: any ultimate desire for created things, be it wealth, possessions, or even carnal gratification, replaces the rightful place of God in the heart, making those desires into idols. This passage demands a radical realignment of affections and a daily commitment to seek God and His righteousness above all earthly cravings, as an essential outworking of one's redemption.