Colossians 3:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Christ, set forth as the example, teaches all this. He also teaches that one must forgive offenses even if they are great. This remains true even if we have in no way previously offended those who offend us.

It remains true even if we are great and those who offended us are insignificant. It remains true even if, after being forgiven, they intend to offend us again. Finally, it means that one must lay down one’s soul for them.

The word “as” requires this. It also shows that one must stand for those who offend us not only until death, but, if possible, even after death.

“Bearing,” he says, “with one another.” He has shown wherein justice lies: receive him, and he will receive you. He says the same in the Epistle to the Galatians: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2).

But when he brought forward Christ as the example, he persuaded them to forgive everything alike, even serious transgressions. This is so even if we have been benefactors of those who insult us, and even if we are great while they are insignificant.

Not only this, but we must also die for them and, after death, continue to benefit them. In this we are like Christ, who benefits us even after death. The word “as” requires precisely this understanding.

Under the burden of our needs, we ask and entreat mercies from Him. Yet we misuse God’s countless mercies worse than some poor man who has received from us a small alms.

Does the Lord God give us means in life only so that we may live well, while others may even die of hunger? No.

Suppose we have been offended, both privately and before others. Our angry and proud heart seethes with vengeance and urges us to lodge a complaint in court.

But do not hasten, Christian, even to express your malicious feelings to the one who offended you in anger. Still less should you display them in complaints and legal quarrels before courts and neighbors.

First consider that anger is harmful to health. As we must grow used to harsh weather, so in life we must grow used to the harsh words and deeds of others.

Second, we must remember what we ourselves are like. We see the straw in our brother’s eye, but do not notice even a whole beam in our own. We become angry with our neighbor over a word.

Yet we ourselves provoke both other people and our Savior by unkind deeds. At the same time, we wish others to be condescending toward us, and we wish the Lord to forgive us.

The Lord, in His boundless love, truly forgives our countless deeds when we repent. Therefore forgive others as Christ forgave and forgives you.

“If anyone,” he says, “has a complaint against another.” If you have cause to blame your neighbor because he has sinned against you, then bear with him and forgive him his transgression.

Notice that only the merciful, kind, humble-minded, meek, and longsuffering man possesses these two great virtues: condescension and readiness to forgive.

The unmerciful, wicked, proud, angry, and irascible man neither bears with nor forgives the transgressions of others. For this reason he first commanded “bowels of mercies, kindness, humility of mind, meekness, and longsuffering,” and only then condescension and forgiveness (Col 3:12).

To persuade them to fulfill these two virtues, he presents the example of Jesus Christ: “Even as Christ forgave you, so you also.”

As Jesus Christ patiently endured the senseless slanders and blasphemies of the Jews, and forgave the sins of those who crucified Him, so you also must bear with and forgive the transgressions of others.

Hear, then, to which virtue he gives the primacy, teaching that it is the bond of perfection.

According to the Greek original: bearing with, or condescending to, one another, and granting, or forgiving, one another.

According to Blessed Theophylact, by the word “put on” the Apostle shows the ease of virtue. Just as it is easy to put on clothing, so we may readily receive virtue.

This also teaches that virtue must be possessed continually and used as the greatest adornment. Whoever lacks it is shameful and unseemly.

“Kindness, begotten by the parental bowels of mercies, gives birth to humility of mind. From humility of mind comes meekness. From meekness comes longsuffering, which is greatness of soul.”

St. John Chrysostom says: “By the words ‘even as Christ,’ he means not only that what is endured from others is insignificant, but also that one must forgive from the whole heart. Not only this, but one must also love.

For Christ, presented as the example, teaches all this. He teaches still more: that one must forgive offenses even when they are great, and finally that one must lay down one’s soul for them.”

“Therefore look upon the Master’s love for mankind, and how many sins He has granted you remission from. For this reason, imitate the Master, and let each forgive the sins committed against him by his brother” (Theodoret).

In this renewal the word of God brings great benefit. The Apostle desires that Christians resort to it as often as possible, instructing one another by it in the various circumstances of life.

Likewise, in place of their former pagan idle talk and pagan songs, Christians must sing to the Lord in their household gatherings through new songs of various kinds: hymns, psalms, and odes.

They must do this with special inspiration, έν χάριτι, and from a sincere heart; cf. Eph 5:19.

Because of this reverence for the word of God, everything in Christian life must be sanctified by the name of Christ. Everything must be worthy of Christ’s followers, and thanksgiving must be offered to God for everything.

“‘Bearing with,’ ανεχομενοι, is the same as ‘carrying,’ βασταζοντες, one another: you carry him, and he carries you. Do not judge one another’s defects and falls with sharp severity. Rather, counting them as small things, pass them by without attention” (Blessed Theophylact).

“Bearing with” refers more to what displeases us in one another and annoys us, without relation to ourselves. “Forgiving” refers to what touches us personally, what one may complain of, what is not blameworthy merely in itself but is hurtful and offensive to us. The Apostle expressed this by the word μομφη, “complaint.”

Today he has done something for which you rightly have a complaint against him. Tomorrow you may act the same way toward him. When you meet such cases, forgive one another, χαπιζομενοι εαυτοις. Freely give one another such incidents, without beginning disputes, quarrels, and discord because of them.

To endure and bear one another is to carry a more external burden. Forgiveness has as its object what enters the heart. Therefore it reveals a merciful heart and freely gives to another what one might exact from him.

However simple all this seems in thought and word, in deed it is difficult to bear and forgive even some small matter, let alone something great. The Apostle strengthens his commandment with the strongest motive, the forgiveness that each person receives from the Lord.

Why do people not forgive? A self-centered movement enters the heart: why should I forgive him? Then forgiveness, often already prepared, is driven away. This is the main source of unforgiveness. The Apostle blocks it with a firm and heavy stone.

As soon as selfhood says within you, “Why should I forgive?” quickly bring to mind the all-forgiveness you have received from Christ the Lord, and selfhood will fall silent. How will it dare to make even the faintest sound when you consider the immeasurable offense you have committed against the boundless God?

Consider what immeasurable sacrifice satisfaction for it required. Consider how forgiveness of it was freely given to you, the most unworthy and contemptible. If you take this into feeling, and how could you not, then what will be in your soul afterward is not, “Why should I forgive this or that small matter?” Rather it will be: give me more and more that I may forgive.

The Apostle says, “as Christ forgave you.” He recalls the greater forgiveness in holy baptism. Consequently, he supposes that those to whom he writes have not sinned after baptism. To those who sin after baptism one must say: otherwise Christ God will not forgive you either.

The Savior showed in bright light, both by direct word and by parable, that the forgiveness of each person’s sins depends entirely on his forgiveness of his neighbor for what he has against him. If you do not forgive, you yourself will not be forgiven. Here is the answer to selfhood: why should I forgive? Because otherwise you yourself will not be forgiven.

But if you are not forgiven, you will suffer something with which nothing that you endure from another, and that requires your forgiveness, can be compared even by a hair.

Chrysostom says: “See how Saint Paul showed the insignificance of this, namely what must be forgiven another, by calling it a complaint. Then he adds, ‘as Christ forgave you.’ A great example! Paul always does this. He persuades by the example of Christ.

He says ‘complaint,’ by which he showed that what is endured from others is insignificant. Yet when he brought forward the example, he affirmed that even if we had serious accusations, we must forgive. The words ‘as Christ’ mean this. And not only this, but also that we must forgive from the whole heart.

Not only this, but also that we must love those who offend us. For Christ, set forth as the example, teaches all this. He also teaches that we must forgive offenses even if they are great, even if we ourselves have not first offended those who offend us.

He teaches this even if we are people of importance and those offending us are insignificant. He teaches it even if, after forgiveness, they intend to offend us again. Finally, He teaches that we must lay down our soul for them. The word ‘as’ requires this. It also shows that we must stand for those who offend us not only unto death, but, if possible, even after death.”

Therefore, “look upon the Master’s love for mankind. How many sins He has granted you remission of! Therefore imitate the Master, and let each forgive the sins committed against him by his brother” (Blessed Theodoret).

The limit of this is love and peace. Through self-renunciation, having struck selfhood down, they then go by one path toward compassion and kindness, and by the other toward meekness and longsuffering. By the first path they reach love, and by the second, the peace of God.

Comparing these with the passions, we see that love is established in place of all the passions of desire, and peace in place of all the passions of irritation. I recall that Saint Maximus the Confessor somewhere distributes in this way what takes place within us.