Colossians 3 8

Colossians 3:8 kjv

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Colossians 3:8 nkjv

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Colossians 3:8 niv

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Colossians 3:8 esv

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Colossians 3:8 nlt

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

Colossians 3 verses

Colossians 3 8 Meaning

Colossians 3:8 commands believers to decisively lay aside specific vices that characterize the old self, which has been crucified with Christ. These vices, including anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, are antithetical to the new life in Christ and hinder spiritual growth and witness. The call is for a practical outworking of their new identity, aligning their behavior and speech with their position as those raised with Christ.

Colossians 3 8 Context

Colossians chapter 3 begins with the radical truth of the believer's union with Christ: being raised with Him, having died to the old life, and having their true life hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-4). This profound theological truth is then translated into practical living. Verses 5-7 urge believers to "put to death" or crucify the "earthly members," specifically listing immoral and idolatrous behaviors of the old self. Colossians 3:8 continues this instruction, moving from immoral actions and idolatry to an emphasis on speech and internal attitudes. It directly counters the characteristics of the "old self" mentioned in 3:9. This call to put off certain vices is directly followed by the command to "put on the new self" (Col 3:10) which includes positive virtues like compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. The historical context for the Colossians involved philosophical ideas that minimized the body or focused on ritualistic legalism. Paul refutes this by showing that genuine spiritual transformation impacts every aspect of life, including one's emotional life and speech. The vices listed are common pagan behaviors that Christ followers must abandon.

Colossians 3 8 Word analysis

• But now: (νυνὶ δέ, nyni de) – A strong adversative conjunction indicating a shift from past practices (Col 3:7) to the present and future expectation for believers in Christ. It signals a definitive break.
• you must also rid yourselves: (ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς, apothesthe kai hymeis) – A strong imperative verb in the middle voice, meaning "you yourselves put off" or "you yourselves lay aside." It's like taking off dirty clothing. The command emphasizes personal responsibility and active renunciation. This imagery is deeply biblical, used in Eph 4:22 for discarding the old self.
• of all such things as these: (τὰ πάντα, ta panta) – "the all [things]"; emphasizing completeness. This isn't a partial effort but a comprehensive putting away of the listed items and everything like them.
• anger: (ὀργή, orgē) – Refers to deep-seated, settled indignation or wrath, often long-lasting and potentially vindictive. It is a more intense and often justified or God-like wrath when used of divine anger (e.g., Rom 1:18), but here it denotes sinful human passion that endures.
• rage: (θυμός, thymos) – Denotes a passionate outburst, a boiling agitation, or an explosive burst of anger, like a flare-up. It is volatile and momentary but can be destructive. It contrasts with orgē in its suddenness.
• malice: (κακία, kakia) – Broad term for wickedness, ill-will, depravity, or inherent vice. It's the evil disposition or intention to injure, the underlying motive for wrongful actions and hurtful words.
• slander: (βλασφημία, blasphēmia) – Abusive speech against God or people. It includes railing, reviling, defaming, blasphemy against the divine, and generally any speech that disrespects or unjustly denigrates another's reputation or character. It's about injuring with words.
• and filthy language: (αἰσχρολογία, aischrologia) – From aischros (shameful, morally repulsive) and logia (speech). It refers to foul, obscene, vulgar, or abusive speech that is intrinsically shameful and dishonorable. It encompasses both sexually suggestive language and generally demeaning, contemptuous talk.
• from your lips: (ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν, ek tou stomatos hymōn) – Literally "out of your mouth." Emphasizes that these evil dispositions manifest audibly through speech. What's within finds its way out, echoing Matt 15:18.

Words-group analysis:

• anger, rage, malice: This triad moves from uncontrolled emotion (thymos and orgē) to the evil disposition that fuels it (kakia). It highlights both sudden emotional outbursts and deeper, festering animosity. Believers must address both the fleeting fit and the underlying spirit of ill-will.
• slander, and filthy language: These two relate directly to corrupt communication. They demonstrate that the internal evil of malice manifests as external harmful speech, ranging from character assassination to crude and indecent talk. It emphasizes that a transformed life impacts verbal expression fundamentally.
• rid yourselves of all such things: The verb "rid yourselves" signifies a decisive, once-for-all action, similar to taking off old clothes you will never wear again. It's not about merely suppressing these sins, but actively discarding them as part of the old self. The command applies to "all such things," indicating that the listed items are representative, not exhaustive. Believers are called to a complete cleansing of their inward and outward life.

Colossians 3 8 Bonus section

The emphasis on putting off specific vices (Col 3:8) immediately followed by putting on specific virtues (Col 3:12) highlights a dual aspect of Christian sanctification: repentance from sin (the "off") and pursuit of righteousness (the "on"). This isn't merely ceasing to do evil, but actively engaging in good. Furthermore, the strong imperative in Colossians 3:8 ("you must also rid yourselves") indicates that while the new nature is a gift, its outworking requires human will and obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The vices listed represent facets of the sinful "old self" which, though "put off" positionally, require daily application and conscious rejection. These specific prohibitions served as clear marks distinguishing a Christian lifestyle from the prevalent pagan behaviors of the Roman-Hellenistic world, including forms of gnosticism that either denied the material world entirely (and thus saw bodily actions as inconsequential) or promoted extreme asceticism. Paul ensures that salvation's impact extends to real, ethical conduct and personal integrity, affirming the holistic nature of biblical transformation.

Colossians 3 8 Commentary

Colossians 3:8 is a powerful and practical command following the theological grounding of a believer's new identity in Christ. Paul pivots from the positional truth (raised with Christ, died to the world) to its indispensable practical outworking. The imagery of "putting off" (like clothes) strongly implies a decisive, intentional act of renunciation. This is not passive avoidance but active abandonment of behavior patterns belonging to the old, unredeemed life. The vices listed – anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language – cover both internal states and their outward manifestations, particularly through speech. Anger (ὀργή) points to a deep, settled hostility, while rage (θυμός) describes violent, often sudden, outbursts. These emotions, unless divinely channeled (e.g., God's righteous wrath), are destructive to personal holiness and communal harmony. Malice (κακία) is the sinister root, the general ill-will that fuels hostile thoughts and actions. Finally, slander (βλασφημία) and filthy language (αἰσχρολογία) address the perversion of speech. The transformed life in Christ must yield transformed speech—language that builds up, does not tear down, and reflects Christlikeness (Col 4:6, Eph 4:29). This verse directly confronts human fallen nature, insisting that genuine salvation results in moral and behavioral change, especially in controlling one's temperament and tongue.

• Practical application: When provoked, pause and pray before responding, instead of immediately giving in to anger. Consider if words spoken would reflect Christ, or defile. Regularly examine speech patterns for negativity, cynicism, or obscenities and seek the Spirit's help to replace them with gracious, edifying communication.