Colossians 3:14
in Colossians 3And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.
KJV
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
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This verse in Colossians 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWhen love does not lead, there is no completion of what is lacking; but, where love is present we abstain from doing evil to one another. Indeed we put our minds in the service of doing good, when we love one another. .
This site's exposition
the bond of perfectness
on Colossians 3:14-15
Above all these things put on charity names love the crowning garment over every other virtue, the bond of perfectness, the single tie that holds the whole list together as one completed whole rather than a loose collection of separate qualities. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts uses an umpire's word, brabeuo, the peace called on to settle every dispute the way a judge settles a contest, to which also ye are called in one body naming the church itself as the arena that peace was meant to govern. Be ye thankful closes the sentence as it began the chapter's earlier turns, gratitude the recurring posture of the risen life.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Over all these things, however, have charity, which is the bond of unity. But because charity is greater than all, it encourages us to strive for it more. For then all that he commanded to be observed above can be brought to the fruition of …
"And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness." Dost thou see that he saith this? For since it is possible for one who forgives, not to love; yea, he saith, thou must love him too, and he points out a way whereby it becomes possible to forgive. For it is possible for one to be kind, and meek, and humbleminded, and longsuffering, and yet not affectionate. And therefore, he said at the first, "A heart of compassion," both love and pity. "And above all these things, love, which is the bond of perfectness." Now what he wishes to say is this; that there is no profit in those things, for all those things fall asunder, except they be done with love; this it is which clenches them all together; whatsoever good thing it be thou mentionest, if love be away, it is nothing, it melts away. And it is as in a ship, even though her rigging be large, yet if there be no girding ropes, it is of no service; and in an house, if there be no tie beams, it is the same; and in a body, though the bones be large, if there be no ligaments, they are of no service. For whatsoever good deeds any may have, all do vanish away, if love be not there. He said not that it is the summit, but what is greater, "the bond"; this is more necessary than the other. For "summit" indeed is an intensity of perfectness, but "bond" is the holding fast together of those things which produce the perfectness; it is, as it were, the root.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when Paul says, and above all these put on love, he urges them to practice the principal virtues, which perfect the others. Among the virtues, the love of charity holds first place; while among the gifts, wisdom is first. For love is the soul …
Since it is possible to please one another not out of pure love, but only in appearance and hypocritically, he shows the way by which we can attain true pleasing of others. One may be both meek and humble-minded, and yet not with love. Therefore …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Add to faith virtue, and to brotherly-kindness charity, 2 Pet. i. He lays the foundation in faith, and the top-stone in charity, which is the bond of perfectness, the cement and centre of all happy society. Christian unity consists of unanimity and mutual love.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And above all these things,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And above all these things - Επι πασι δε τουτοις· Upon all, over all; as the outer garment envelopes all the clothing, so let charity or love invest and encompass all the rest. Even bowels of mercy are to be set in motion by love; from love they derive all their feeling, and all their power and promptitude to action. Let this, therefore, be as the upper garment; the surtout that invests the whole man.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Seeming graces, where love is wanting, are mere hypocrisy. Justification by faith is assumed as already having taken place in those whom Paul addresses, Col 3:12, "elect of God, holy . . . beloved," and Col 2:12; so that there is no plea here for Rome's view of justification by works.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And above all these things - Over, or upon all these things; compare the notes at Eph 6:16. Charity - Love. Notes, 1Co 13:1. Which is the bond of perfectness - The bond of all perfection; the thing which will unite all other things, and make them complete; compare the parallel place in Eph 4:3. The idea seems to be that love will bind all the other graces fast together, and render the whole system complete. Without love, though there might be other graces and virtues, there would be a want of harmony and compactness in our Christian graces, and this was necessary to unite and complete the whole. There is great beauty in the expression, and it contains most important truth. If it were possible to conceive that the other graces could exist among a Christian people, yet there would be a sad incompleteness, a painful want of harmony and union, if love were not the reigning principle. Nor faith, nor zeal, nor prophecy, nor the power of speaking with the tongue of angels, would answer the purpose. See this sentiment expressed in 1Co 13:1-13, and the effect of love more fully explained in the notes at that chapter.
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπὶ | epi | Beyond | G1909 → | 883 times |
| πᾶσιν | pasin | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τούτοις | toutois | these | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τὴν | ten | [put on] the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγάπην, | agapen | love, | G26 → | 114 times |
| ὅ | ho | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| σύνδεσμος | sundesmos | [the] bond | G4886 → | |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τελειότητος. | teleiotetos | of perfect unity. | G5047 → |
ἐπὶBeyond
epiG1909 →883 times
πᾶσινall
pasinG3956 →1235 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τούτοιςthese
toutoisG3778 →1381 times
τὴν[put on] the
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀγάπην,love,
agapenG26 →114 times
ὅwhich
hoG3739 →1405 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
σύνδεσμος[the] bond
sundesmosG4886 →
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
τελειότητος.of perfect unity.
teleiotetosG5047 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 13:34A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:22
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
- Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
- John 15:17
This is My command to you: Love one another.
- 1 John 3:23
And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.
- 1 Peter 1:22
Through
1 Peter 4:8Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- Proverbs 17:9
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
- James 5:20
consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
- Proverbs 10:12
Where this verse is studied
About Colossians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Colossians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Severian of Gabala, Commentary (church-history corpus); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.