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Chapter three begins a fundamental transition in this letter. Paul has provided a Christologically centric cosmology which is fully embodied in and as each of our lives. This corresponds to Paul’s deconstruction from institutionalized religion and rule based morality. Like our modern world, Colossae was a polytheistic, pluralistic and syncretistic religious culture. Roman cities attracted diverse cultures, who would import their deities and religious rules into the public square. Thus, Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae was contrary to culture in that no deity surpasses Christ in power and scope, and none continue to live within the people. Christ followers needed no temple, nor religion, and no community enjoyed more personal freedom.

As a “deconstructed” Jew, Paul is free of rule based religion. The Law which points to morality, failed because it works from the outside in. By following Jesus approach to morality, Paul reminds Christ followers that moral living flows from the inside out. Thus, he admonishes Colossae to:

“fix your minds on higher things and not on those things for which the world systems are concerned.” (3:2).

Paul builds on this inside out flow of morality by commanding Colossae to:

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (3:5).

Keep in mind that Paul isn’t compiling a top sins list. While these sins may be relevant in Colossae and our modern world, his point is to reveal how (mortification) works, or “putting to death the members of the earth.” The Greek word “mélos“–(body part, member, things of the body, part of a unit) is translated as “kill what is earthly in you”. Paul isn’t talking about killing a part of your body, but “stopping completely” our appetites, impulses, and “epithumian”-(over-desires) which are a part of our creaturely nature.

Sexual immorality (porneia) is a constant sin within every human culture, but before its seeds blossom into any of its forms, it “lives” within a mind which becomes “fixed” on satisfaction. In Mark 7:14, Jesus listed sexual immorality as an internal sin prior to it becoming a behavior which ruins peoples lives. To kill sin early means to “fix our minds” or as later explains, “Put away lower things and put on higher things.”

Suppose sexual immorality isn’t your sin of choice, but instead you covet, gossip or worry. Mortification flows the same way by maintaining awareness of Christ working and existing in and as our life. Jesus isn’t monitoring behavior from the outside, according to Paul, “Christ is our life” (v.4). He wrote something similar to Corinth: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?” (1 Corinthians 6:15). Again Paul and Jesus’ approach to moral living is not rule based religion, but inner awareness.

Paul’s apostleship means he trains Christ followers how to live. As he follows Christ (whom he never met in person) he reveals how setting our minds on Christ within us, radically changes our lives.

“But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Mark 8:33)

⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin.⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:6-8)

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7)

“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:9)

Far too many people only see Paul’s theological doctrine. If we miss Paul’s workflow of embodied conscious awareness (contemplation) then we’re doomed to live in shampoo christianity (sin/repent/repeat). The spiritual practice of mortification works in conjunction with new life as we“take thoughts captive unto obedience to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

We put off one thing and put on another.

This makes this chapter understandable. A new way to live is to first put off earthly things (vs. 5-11) and also put on good things (vs.12-17). Paul uses examples of what “putting on Christ” (wearing Jesus) produces in life.

“¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

To “put on love” is to set our mind on the most loving thing possible and then do it. Without any rules, we can produce a radically different life and community, which leads to Paul’s admonishment for the institutions of family and work in society. These are the extensions of the same internal flow. This not only sums up this chapter, but almost all of Paul’s letters.

I’d like to add that Paul isn’t being dogmatic on marital roles as some insist. His flow of “conscious awareness” applies here. This means a dynamic range exists in marital roles, parenting, and work arrangements. Learning and obeying the single law of love within the heart means we’ll never violate any human relationship that exists in society or in any institution. That’s tremendous freedom.

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (3:23-24)

This spiritual work of “putting off the old self and putting on the new self” in love is precisely how a people who is free from religion can create a New World, where all comers can be blessed and not victims of other peoples evil impulses. Now we can understand Paul’s words in v.6, “through these things comes the punishment of God”. Paul isn’t threatening God’s punishment for being naughty, he’s revealing how our wrongdoing is our punishment. When we fix our mind on our appetites, our punishment is the life which results apart from love.

According to Paul and Jesus, love is the only antidote. Love is discovered and experienced inside each of us by way of self awareness. Thus the spiritual work of contemplation, of fixing our minds on Christ, initiates the flow of love which renews everything, enriching our lives and providing us tremendous personal freedom. And now we can understand Paul’s simple workflow of a new life and a new world.

“⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

Our world suffers because it lacks this simple Christological principle and after 2000 years, the church should know better. All people want unity and diversity. We all want our best versions of our self. We all want peace in our lives and world. It’s all a matter of awareness and where we fix our minds.