Colossians 3:8-11 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But now ye also Being converted to the pure, peaceable, and devout religion of the Lord Jesus; put off Mortify; all these corrupt passions and lusts; anger, &c. See on Ephesians 4:31; blasphemy Or evil speaking, as the word may be properly rendered; for it includes not only impious speeches with regard to God, which is the highest degree of malignant language, but all railing and reproachful speeches against our fellow-creatures, and even speaking of the faults of absent persons, when not necessary for the caution of others, or when no good end is likely to be answered thereby. Filthy communication The word αισχρολογια, so rendered, seems to signify the same with λογος σαπρος, rotten discourse, mentioned Ephesians 4:29, where see the note. And was there need to warn even believers in Christ against such gross and palpable sins as are here named? O what is man, till fully renewed in the spirit of his mind! Lie not one to another Either in trade and business, or common conversation; seeing ye have put off the old man That which (Col 2:11) is called the body of the sins of the flesh, and is there said to be put off by the circumcision of Christ, by Christ's circumcising men's hearts, or making them new creatures. The apostle means that when they professed to believe in Christ, and to offer themselves to baptism, that they might be members of the Christian Church, t “Other foundation of God's temple, no teacher, if he teaches faithfully, can lay, except what is laid by me, which is Jesus, the Christ, promised in the Scriptures. Now if any teacher build on the foundation, Christ, sincere disciples, represented in this similitude by gold, silver, valuable stones; or if he buildeth hypocrites, represented by wood, hay, stubble, every teacher's disciples shall be made manifest in their true characters; for the day of persecution, which is coming on them, will make every one's character plain, because it is of such a nature as to be revealed by the fire of persecution: and so that fire, falling on the temple of God, will try every teacher's disciples, of what sort they are. If the disciples, which any teacher has introduced into the church, endure persecution for the gospel without apostatizing, such a teacher shall receive the reward promised to them who turn others to righteousness, Daniel 12:3. If the disciples of any teacher shall, in time of persecution, fall away, through the want of proper instruction, he will lose his reward; he himself, however, having in general acted sincerely, shall be saved; yet, with such difficulty, as one is saved who runs through a fire.” But, as by the foundation, which he says he had laid, the apostle undoubtedly meant the doctrine concerning Christ, and salvation through him, it seems more consistent with his design to interpret what refers to the superstructure attempted to be raised by different builders, of doctrines also, and not of persons introduced by them into the Christian Church: and to understand him as cautioning the Corinthians against disfiguring and destroying the beautiful edifice, by inculcating tenets which were heretical, and pernicious to the souls of men, and would not stand the test of the approaching fiery trial. Thus what follows.