Colossians 3:14

Colossians 3:14. And (or, ‘but;' the same being slightly in contrast with what precedes) above ill these things. Not simply ‘in addition to,' nor ‘above all,' in the colloquial sense, but ‘over' as one puts on an outer garment or girdle, this figure being still in mind. Hence the E. V. properly supplies put on from Colossians 3:12.

Love, lit, ‘the love,' that well known Christian grace, described by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 13.

Which (neuter in the Greek, yet referring to ‘love,' no to the act of putting it on) is the bond of perfectness. Love binds together into one moral perfection all the Christian graces. ‘Bond' is not = sum total, nor is the phrase = perfect love, nor to be explained as love which is the distinctive feature of perfection. ‘Without love there is no perfectness; since this has its conditio sine qua non in the including of all its other parts in love' (Meyer) The principal grace is here named last, as if it were supplementary, because of the figure. To find here justification by works is to misconceive the whole Epistle.