Colossians 3

consider…as dead
Some translations have “put…to death”, but when Paul talks about putting something to death he uses θανατόω (thanatoō; cf. Rom 8:13). Here Paul uses νεκρόω (nekroō) metaphorically, which is about something being as good as dead (cf. Col 2:13; Rom 6:11).

is coming
The translation here is “is coming” rather than “will come” because the verb in Greek is in the present tense (ἔρχεται; erchetai). This contributes an added sense of imminency as Paul enforces the seriousness of sins which believers are to put to death. These sins are the reason for which God’s wrath is imminently coming upon those who persist in them.

wrath, anger
The New Testament has two similar words for the concepts of “wrath” (ὀργή; orgē) and “anger” (θυμός; thymos), both used in this verse. The burden in translation is to keep each term consistent with itself but distinct from the other. Because θυμός (thymos) carries the idea of a state of indignation, and ὀργή (orgē) more of a focus on retribution, this translation consistently renders θυμός (thymos) with “anger” or “rage” and ὀργή (orgē) with “wrath” or “fury.” While this is the general rule, some specific contexts require exceptions. For example, when θυμός (thymos) is used in the plural, it is translated as “outbursts of anger” (Gal 5:20; 1 Cor 12:20). In two other exceptional contexts, θυμός (thymos) is most precisely translated as “anger” (Mark 3:5; James 1:19–20). Finally, the book of Revelation has its own rules for translating these terms because John uses them in a different way than the other New Testament writers due to the connections and allusions he makes to Old Testament passages. Thus, in Revelation, ὀργη (orgē) is translated with “rage” and θυμός (thymos) with “wrath.”

old man
Most modern translations have “self,” but the Greek refers to man (ἄνθρωπος; anthrōpos). The translation as “man” connects the reader to the fact that the believer’s old man is his identity in Adam. This translation connects the reader to passages like those speaking of the “new man” in Ephesians 2:15, “Adam” in Romans 5 and the “old man” in Romans 6:6; and man being created in God’s image in Genesis 1:26. The Christian is to put on the new man (4:24), identified with Christ, and live accordingly.

new man
Refer to the discussion on verse 9 above. Though “man” is not technically specified in this context (lit. “the new”), it is implied from the previous verse and thus included here.

full knowledge
“Full knowledge” translates the Greek word ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis), which Is the word for “knowledge” (γνῶσις; gnōsis) with the added prefix ἐπί- (epi-). In Greek, prefixes are often added to intensify the existing word, so in this case, it is translated not just as “knowledge” but as “full knowledge” to bring out the sense of the added prefix. Because Paul is concerned that believers be filled with the knowledge of Christ (cf. 1:9), the force of the added prefix likely does not emphasize the quality of knowledge (as in “real knowledge”) but rather the quantity of knowledge (“full knowledge”). This is especially important to emphasize in light of the beginnings of Gnostic thought which was prominent at the time Paul wrote to the Colossians. While it was popular in the culture to seek various means of acquiring fuller knowledge, Paul enforces that full knowledge is found in Christ Himself and nothing may be added to Him men must come to the full knowledge of God only through Him (cf. v. 15; John 1:18; 14:9; Heb 1:3).

Above
“Above” translates the Greek preposition ἐπὶ (epi; “on,” “upon,” “over,” “above,” etc.). Thus, Paul communicates with this that love is the chief and governing attribute of the new man to put on above everything else.

dwell in you richly
The translation “dwell in you richly” closely follows the Greek word order (ἐνοικείτω ἐν ὑμῖν πλουσίως; enoikeitō en hymin plousiōs), providing the most literal rendering. With this ordering, the concept of dwelling is slightly more emphasized, showing the importance that believers have Christ’s word permanently residing in them in a way that overflows into wise teaching and admonishment through grateful song.

gratefulness
The translation here as “gratefulness” rather than “thankfulness” helps to bring out the idea that this is a response to God’s “grace.” The word used here is χάρις (charis), which communicates a “gift” or “grace” when given to someone, and “gratefulness” when offered in response to grace. Because of God’s abundant grace, believers should respond by singing with gratefulness.

through Him
Placing “through Him” at the end of the sentence here properly reflects the word order of the Greek text, where διʼ αὐτοῦ (di’ autou) comes last—a position of emphasis in this verse as Paul continues to highlight Jesus’ supremacy.

integrity
“Integrity” is a translation of ἁπλότης (haplotes), which means either “generosity” in the context of giving or “sincerity/integrity” as it is translated here. Since the word has the nuance of singleness here and Ephesians 6:5 it is translated as “integrity” whereas in 2 Corinthians 1:12 it is translated “sincerity” to emphasize the contextual nuance of honesty.

Serve the Lord Christ
Some translations have this last phrase as an indicative, i.e., “It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” However, the only other parallel use of this form of the verb is also a command (Gal 5:13). Translating this phrase as a command also connects better with verse 25—Paul commands the believer to serve the Lord Christ and then explains why they should do so.