Colossians 3:12

Colossians 3:12. Put on therefore. Thus the positive precepts are introduced; ‘therefore' points to Colossians 3:10. ‘For although the putting on of the new man as a fact, has historically occurred through the conversion to Christ, yet it has, according to the nature of the new man, its continued acts, which should occur, namely, through the appropriation of those virtues, which the new man as such must possess' (Meyer)

As elect of God. It is assumed that they belong to this class, and this is urged as a motive. The act of God chose them; and as His elect, they are further defined as holy and beloved. The terms are not parallel with ‘elect,' nor are they vocatives. ‘Holy' suggests the idea of consecration, rather than of sanctification, while ‘beloved' (a participle, not an adjective) means beloved of God. ‘The consciousness of this extraordinary privilege, of being the elect of God, who as such are holy and beloved of God how it must have affected the conscience of the readers and aroused them to the very virtues, corresponding with so high a position, which Paul here enjoins' (Meyer). No view of election which fails to do this, can be in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.

Bowels of mercy. The best authorities read ‘mercy,' the figure is a common one in the New Testament, expressing the tame idea conveyed by ‘heart' in modern speech. Following this mention of the inmost seat of compassion, we find kindness, humility, ‘which describe the Christian temper of mind generally, and this in two aspects, as it affects either (1) our relation to others, or (2) our estimate of self' (Lightfoot); then, meekness, longsuffering, which according to the same author ‘denote the exercise of the Christian temper in its outward bearing toward others.' The former, the opposite of ‘fierceness,' is mildness toward faults which are blameworthy, the latter is slowness to punish, quietness toward wrongdoing. See on Ephesians 4:2; comp. Galatians 5:22.