TRANSLATION OF COLOSSIANS 3:1-7 FROM THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE (GREEK)

1 If therefore you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on the things above, not the things upon the earth. 3For you have died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is our life has been manifested, you also will be manifested with him in glory. 5Put to death therefore the members upon the earth; sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness which is idolatry; 6on account of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. 7In these you also once walked, when you were living in these things.

EXEGESIS

The conditional clause ‘if’ bridges the preceding and succeeding discussion. Paul addresses several issues in chapter two including legalism, worship of angels and ascetism. Judaic laws have been stretched to the extreme and Paul observes that it is ridiculous to go back to these practices if the Colossians had died with Christ to the elemental things in the universe.

The clause ‘if’ is a first class condition in Greek and does not portray uncertainty. It is rather argumentative in force and is better interpreted ‘since or because you have been raised’. It must be noted after carefully observing Paul that the use of this conditional clause in his writings is an emphatic way of stating what is unquestionable.

The use of the aorist imperative in verse five is forceful. Paul does not imply keeping, shielding or suppressing, but rather ‘put to death’. It shows decisiveness in the action. It is worth noting that the Greek word ‘kai’ is not translated ‘and’ in verse four. This is one case in which it is translated ‘also’. Here Christ is seen as our life; inotherwords, the essence of our being. The entire verse refers to his glorious return.

Paul echoes the first and tenth commandments in Exodus when he observed that one should put to death, among other things, coveteouness which his idolatry.

The passage generally talks about the indicatives and the imperatives of the Christian life and has tremendous lessons for us today. The indicatives show what we are and how we are positioned in Christ whereas the imperatives declare what we should do. Christians today must realize that Christianity is a combination of indicatives and imperatives.

There are several indicatives identified in the passage. In verse three, it is observed that “you have died”. Two verses earlier, it is noted that “you have been raised”. Paul again, in verse three, states that “your life has been hidden with Christ in God”. In verses nine and ten, Paul talks about the old man and new nature which have been respectively put off and put on.

The passage, as observed earlier, is also about imperatives. The Colossians (who should keep seeking the things that are above) should set their minds not on earthly things (verse two). Furthermore, they are to put to death (verse five) several things. Paul uses impressive styles in writing. The passage (verses five, eight and twelve, the last not included) could be seen as one of ‘fives’. In verse five, five things should be put to death. This is followed by five things which should be put off in verse eight and another five which should be put on in verse twelve. This shows how constructive Paul is in his teaching. How can one easily forget the flow of thoughts in this passage?

A lot of ministers impose ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ on the members. The reason for this is that they merely stress the imperatives. What is really needed is a balance of indicatives and imperatives for a meaningful Christian life.

It would be an incomplete task if one fails to briefly comment on verse eleven which re-echoes Galatians 3:28. Christians need to realize that one of the greatest achievement of Christianity is to break national, racial or cultural barriers. Christ is the melting pot. We are all one in Him.

AUTHOR SIGNATURE
Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

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