Colossians 3 9

Colossians 3:9 kjv

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Colossians 3:9 nkjv

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

Colossians 3:9 niv

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

Colossians 3:9 esv

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

Colossians 3:9 nlt

Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

Colossians 3 verses

Colossians 3 9 Meaning

Colossians 3:9 is an exhortation for believers to cease the practice of lying to one another. The command is founded upon the theological reality that they, through their union with Christ, have already shed or "put off" their former unredeemed nature, referred to as "the old man," along with the sinful behaviors associated with it. This verse signifies that honest communication is a necessary outgrowth of their spiritual transformation and new identity in Christ.

Colossians 3 9 Context

Colossians 3:9 is part of a larger section (Col 3:1-17) that outlines the practical implications of a believer's new identity in Christ. Having established in chapters 1 and 2 the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ against various false teachings (such as Gnosticism, asceticism, and legalism) prevalent in Colossae, Paul transitions in chapter 3 to ethical instruction. The command to "set your affection on things above" (3:2) is followed by a stark contrast between the former life (3:5-9) and the new life (3:10-17) in Christ.

Verses 5-8 explicitly call believers to "mortify" (put to death) the "members which are upon the earth," listing various sinful behaviors like fornication, impurity, covetousness (which is idolatry), anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication. Colossians 3:9 serves as a concluding command against a specific form of relational sin—lying—before moving to the positive command of "putting on the new man" (3:10). It summarizes the call to shed off the former ungodly lifestyle.

Historically, lying was a pervasive vice in Greco-Roman society and often interwoven with idolatry, deceitful philosophies, and disingenuous social interactions. Paul's emphatic command to "lie not" directly confronts these societal norms and implicitly, any false teachings that would permit or ignore such behavior, by grounding the imperative in the radical, transformative work of Christ.

Colossians 3 9 Word analysis

• Lie not (μὴ ψεύδεσθε - mē pseudes-the):

  • μὴ (mē): A strong negative particle used with commands, implying "stop doing this" or "do not begin doing this."
  • ψεύδεσθε (pseudes-the): This is a present middle/passive imperative verb, indicating an ongoing action. The command is not merely to avoid a single instance of lying, but to discontinue or refrain from the habit or practice of lying. It encompasses any form of deliberate misrepresentation or deceit. This is in direct opposition to the nature of God, who is truth (Jn 14:6) and cannot lie (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).

• one to another (εἰς ἀλλήλους - eis allēlous):

  • εἰς (eis): Preposition meaning "to," "into," or "among."
  • ἀλλήλους (allēlous): Reciprocal pronoun meaning "one another," emphasizing mutual relationship. The prohibition against lying is specifically applied within the Christian community, highlighting the importance of honesty, transparency, and trustworthiness among believers, fostering unity and genuine fellowship (Eph 4:25). It stresses the impact on horizontal relationships.

• seeing that (ἀπεκδυσάμενοι - apek_d_ysamenoi - a participle meaning "having put off/stripped off"):

  • This is a present participle, implying a reason or cause for the main command. It means "since you have stripped off" or "having already stripped off." This grammatical construction establishes the theological ground for the ethical command. The command to "lie not" is not a burdensome requirement but a natural outflow of what has already happened spiritually.

• ye have put off (ἀπεκδυσάμενοι - apek_d_ysamenoi):

  • ἀπεκδυσάμενοι (apek_d_ysamenoi): A strong compound verb, aorist middle participle of apekduomai, which means "to strip off completely," "to divest oneself of." The imagery is vivid: like taking off an old, dirty, and worn-out garment (Rom 13:12; Eph 4:22; Heb 12:1). It's a decisive, complete action that took place at conversion/union with Christ. The use of "ἀπεκδύομαι" elsewhere (Col 2:15, where Christ "stripped off" spiritual rulers) highlights its sense of total disarmament and rejection.

• the old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον - ton palaion anthrōpon):

  • παλαιὸν (palaion): Adjective meaning "old," in the sense of ancient, worn-out, obsolete, no longer suitable. It refers to a former state or condition, in contrast to "new" (kainos).
  • ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon): Noun meaning "man," here representing the whole person. "The old man" refers to the entire unregenerate self, the identity and character governed by the sin nature before salvation (Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22). It is not merely individual sins but the root principle of sin that formerly characterized the person. It signifies humanity in Adam, living apart from Christ's saving grace.

• with his deeds (σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ - syn tais praxesin autou):

  • σὺν (syn): Preposition meaning "with," indicating companionship or close association.
  • ταῖς πράξεσιν (tais praxesin): Dative plural of praxis, meaning "deeds," "actions," "practices." This refers to the actual sinful behaviors and habits that characterize the "old man." It emphasizes that putting off the old man is not just an inward disposition but must manifest in outward behavior change (Gal 5:19-21; Col 3:5-8).
  • αὐτοῦ (autou): Possessive pronoun, "his," referring back to "the old man." The deeds are intrinsic to that former self.

Colossians 3 9 Bonus section

The concept of "the old man" being "put off" finds its deepest theological parallel in baptism, where believers visually signify their death to sin and resurrection to a new life with Christ (Rom 6:3-4). This verse underscores that ethical behavior is not merely self-effort or rule-following, but the fruit of an inward, radical, identity-altering work of God. It's a living out of one's new position "in Christ." Furthermore, Paul's command directly addresses relational dynamics within the Christian community, highlighting that personal holiness is not solitary but impacts the entire fellowship. Lies erode trust, fellowship, and the very witness of the church, thus they must be decisively put away. The "deeds" are not isolated actions but a unified expression of the old self that no longer reigns in the believer's life.

Colossians 3 9 Commentary

Colossians 3:9 is a foundational ethical command for believers, rooted in their completed spiritual transformation in Christ. The injunction "Lie not one to another" is not an arbitrary rule but a direct consequence of their new identity. As those united with Christ, they have already participated in the death and resurrection that signifies the definitive "putting off" of "the old man." This "old man" is the former unredeemed self, utterly dominated by sin and characterized by various "deeds" (including the lying addressed here and the vices listed in Col 3:5-8).

The strong imagery of "stripping off" an old garment emphasizes the decisive and complete nature of this transformation at conversion. It implies that sinful habits, including falsehood, are foreign to the Christian's new nature and should be actively discarded. Honesty, especially within the Christian community ("one to another"), is therefore an essential expression of true fellowship and authenticity, reflecting the character of God who is truth itself. The ethical imperative flows from the theological indicative; because believers are new creations, they must live consistently with that reality. The practice of truthfulness affirms the reality of the Holy Spirit's work within them and reinforces the genuine bond of love in the body of Christ.

Examples for practical usage:

• Refraining from exaggerating stories to impress others.
• Being honest in financial dealings, even when it costs something.
• Speaking truthfully and kindly within family relationships.
• Avoiding gossip or misleading statements about others, even subtle ones.