Ephesians and Colossians Colossians: Chapter 3 Summary

They Used to Be Bad to the Bone

Basically, Paul doesn't want Christians to worry about all the petty things going down on Earth. Just stay focused on Jesus and all will be well.
That means no sex outside of marriage. Don't do impure or lustful stuff or desire evil things. And definitely don't be greedy. It's a tall order.
Back when the Colossians were Gentiles, they did all this bad stuff. But now that they're believers, things are different.
They shouldn't be angry or cruel or mean or gossipy. They also shouldn't lie. Well, unless a fellow Christian asks if her toga makes her look fat.
Christians basically have a whole new wardrobe. They need to put on their holiest ensemble and not those sinful rags from last season. That was the ugliest skirt God has ever seen.
The awesome part is that this means that everyone is equal in God's eyes. He doesn't see a difference between Greeks or Jews or foreigners or slaves or free people. Jesus is cool with everyone. Group hug!
Really, just do good stuff. Be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Forgive other people. Oh, and love. Don't forget to love.
Bottom line, according to Paul: let Jesus be a part of your life, and you'll be happy and awesome and thankful for everything in your life.
Paul's quite the self-help guru.

Speaking of self-help—Paul's got loads of other helpful tips for keeping an orderly household.
How about some thoughts for the ladies?
Wives, obey your husbands, just like you would obey God himself. Talk about putting your man on a pedestal.
But gents, love your wives and don't be huge jerks to them.
Kids, listen to your parents. Yeah, they can be lame, but it's the right thing to do.
Dads, don't be cruel to your children. You might actually push them to rebel and that would not be good.
How about slaves? They all get to go free, right?
Not exactly. Slaves should obey their masters, too. They're also supposed to be cheerful and obedient all the time. No slacking off when the master is away, okay?
Just pretend that you're slaving away for God. You'll get your reward in Heaven! We guess that's one thing to look forward to…?
Don't forget, though—anyone who does the wrong thing will be punished. Fingers crossed that God actually has the whole "owning humans" thing under this "wrong stuff" category.