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Colossians

About this book
Chapter 3

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.⁠ 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7 You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 8 But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.⁠ 11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,⁠ 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. 14 And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. 15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, submit to your husbands,⁠ as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect,⁠ not only when they are watching—like those who are strictly people-pleasers—but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, 24 because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.⁠ 25 For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no exceptions.

Texts in conversation

Compare Testament of Judah 19:1 and Colossians 3:5

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments · New Testament

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Summary

Colossians compares greed to idolatry, describing the love of wealth as similar to other destructive habits. The Testament of Judah uses similar language, saying how the love of money leads to idolatry, moral failure, and tragedy.

Passages

Testament of Judah 19:1

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments · Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
1 My children, the love of money leads to idolatry, because when people are led astray by money, they call gods those who are not gods, and it drives the one who has it into madness. For the sake of money I lost my children, and if my repentance, my humbling of myself, and my father's prayers had not been accepted, I would have died childless. 2 But the God of my fathers had mercy on me, because I had done it in ignorance. 3 The prince of lies blinded me, and I sinned as a mortal man, corrupted by sins, and I learned my own weakness while I had thought myself invincible.
100 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Testament of Judah

Colossians 3:5

New Testament
1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
80–85 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Colossians

References

"... There is good evidence, however, that in the generation after Paul's death the proper use of wealth remained a critical issue for the church and that this concern arose as a result of the continued leadership of the well-to-do. Colossians 3:5 includes in a list of vices "greed which is idolatry." Commentators have interpreted this as part of a traditional rhetorical list which is loosely connected with the first vice of the series, fornication (porneia), an instance of cribbing from the undisputed Pauline letters, a reference to Matthew 6:24, or as an example of shorthand rabbinic exhortation. A more satisfactory explanation is to interpret the phrase in light of the social context in which wealthier householders are responsible for the leadership of the community. It was probably included for more than rhetorical effect: the presence of a hierarchical household code in 3:18–4:1 permits one to conclude that the patterns Paul established in his community continued after his death. It seems likely that the exhortation against greed will have had an important role in reminding well-to-do leaders of their primary allegiance to the church, especially when business concerns would have tempted them to form close associations with outsiders ..."
Harry O. Maier, “Purity and Danger in Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians: The Sins of Valens in Social Perspective,” JECS 1.3 (1993): 229–247.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Testament of Judah 19:1 and Colossians 3:5

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