Colossians 3:15-17

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In v15, Paul points out the peace of Christ, which is bridging the gap between heaven and fractured humanity on earth. The kingdom of heaven comes with Christ and is now here. That’s the peace of Christ. Vincent Cheung writes, “The verse is talking about the relationships between believers, and this peace is referring to an objective and relational peace. It is the opposite of hostility and animosity between people, and not the opposite of unrest and turmoil within a person’s mind.” This kind of peace is impossible between bunches of “old selves” pretending to be “new selves.” This kind of peace, to which we are called, comes only when groups of people as a whole diligently work to grow in Christ by the Spirit through ridding themselves of their “old selves” and putting on their “new selves” by the grace of God (Galatians 5:16-17). Some people are concerned that the “new self” eliminates their personality, but that’s wrong. Rather, putting on the “new self” is enhancing the qualities and personality traits with which God designed you. So the “new self” is who you are meant to be. Paul says that’s who you are in Christ, so be who you are in Christ. We weren’t free to be who God made us to be apart from Christ, but now we are!

V16 mentions the word of Christ dwelling in you richly. Keep the gospel close at hand, in your heart, and in your mind. Think of Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Having God’s word in us keeps us from sin; reading and studying God’s word sanctifies us in Christ. Do you love the word of God? How much? Can you quantify it? Do you crave it? We all should. “Let the word of Christ dwell is you richly.” Believers are sustained and grow by God’s word – the gospel.

How do we let that happen? Paul says it happens as we “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts.” Paul tells us that we ought to sing because we are thankful; we have “gratitude in our hearts.” He indicates here that the spiritual relationship among believers is to be an intellectual one: “Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” Vincent Cheung says, “The content of our conversation is to be the word of Christ, the mode is to be teaching, and the quality is to be wisdom. The relationship is thoroughly intellectual. And if we are not saying it, then we are to be singing it.” Paul continues, speaking of singing psalms (Psalms), hymns (Biblical songs like Hannah’s, Mary’s, Miriam’s, etc.), and spiritual songs (Tunes inspired by the Holy Spirit, such as Philippians 2:5-11). There are all kinds of songs throughout Scripture. The Greek words Paul uses are synonyms, but they convey a wide rage of music expressions. Whatever the sound, song lyrics ought to be edifying. V17 may or may not be alluding specifically to the worship of God or the relationship we have with one another, but the point would be aligned with 1 Corinthians 10:31. As you keep your mind and heart on heavenly things, the things done on earth ought to be “heavenly,” for God’s glory, as Romans 14:23 says, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”