Introduction

In Col 2.20 Paul argues “if you died from the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world.” Then in Col 3.1 he argues, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is.” The alternatives are living as though we belong to the world and seeking the things that are above. Now Paul continues with those alternatives.

The Old Clothes

Paul says that since we have been liberated by Christ from the elemental spirits of the universe, we are in a position to put to death the kinds of behaviors that characterize people who are enslaved to the elemental spirits. Paul provides two lists. In Col 3.5 he lists “fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed.” The last, that is greed, Paul says is idolatry. Throughout the Old Testament and in subsequent Jewish thought sexual sin is related to idolatry. This was probably because the pagan religions to which the Jewish people were exposed—and in fact most pagans religions are of this kind—were fertility religions in which union with the deity was sought through having sex with temple prostitutes—male if the deity was a god; female if the deity was a goddess. Today, with the exaltation of sex as an end in itself and as a source of fulfillment, the same link remains. Idolatry and sexual sin go hand in hand. We could go further on this issue and we will when we deal with ethics next semester. Anyway, the linking of the two indicates that Paul is still arguing from a Jewish standpoint.

Paul has a second list in v. 8—“anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language.” In the first list, the movement is from the external “fornication” to the internal “greed.” In the second list the movement is from the internal “anger” to the external “abusive language.” Paul’s point is to encompass the whole gamut of behavior that characterizes those who are enslaved to the elemental spirits. So we should not take the lists as being exhaustive—that is, explicitly stating every behavior that Paul wants us to avoid. Rather, they provide examples of the kind of behavior we should avoid.

In general we could characterize them as behavior that is self-centered. With sexual sins, we violate other persons. With idolatry we project ourselves onto a false god and worship that false god. With anger, we nurse our unforgiveness toward other people. With sinful use of our tongues we hurt other people.

Reasons for which a Change is Necessary

Paul says that this kind of behavior is to be shunned by Christians because God has included them in a great renewal in which the former distinctions—racial and economic—are meaningless. The only thing that matters is Christ. In other words, as Christians, our identity is to be found in Jesus and being related to him and not in our ethnicity or economic class or culture.

The New Clothes

Paul does not stop with the negative command to put off old clothes. That would make his position similar to the negative regulations of the elemental spirits. So he goes on with positive commands. He lists behavior that should characterize those who are part of God’s renewal—compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Then in vv. 13-17 he lists some more—forbearance, forgiveness, love, peace, thankfulness, wisdom. Once again, Paul intends to cover the gamut of Christian behavior. Once again, the lists are not intended to be exhaustive. This is seen from the way in which Paul writes. The first list in v. 12 merely states five qualities. But then Paul goes on to explain forbearance and forgiveness. Then in v. 14 “above all, clothe yourselves with love.” We would expect that to be the end. But Paul thinks of peace and then of thankfulness and finally of wisdom.

What all these have in common is that none of them can be done in solitude. They are inherently communal qualities. All of them are other-related. That is also true about the behaviors Paul wants us to shun. However, the behaviors that Paul would have us adopt are not self-centered but other-centered. And that is the difference Paul expects when a person becomes a Christian. Christians should no longer be self-centered—not even to the extent of caring too much about our individual purity through negative observances like “do not touch” and “do not taste.” Rather, Christians are to build up each other.