Colossians 3:13

Translations

King James Version (KJV)

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you.

American King James Version (AKJV)

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you.

American Standard Version (ASV)

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

Basic English Translation (BBE)

Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

Webster's Revision

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man hath a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

World English Bible

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

English Revised Version (ERV)

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

Definitions for Colossians 3:13

Forbearing - Patience; slow anger.

Clarke's Colossians 3:13 Bible Commentary

Forbearing one another - Avoid all occasions of irritating or provoking each other.

Forgiving one another - If ye receive offense, be instantly ready to forgive on the first acknowledgment of the fault.

Even as Christ forgave you - Who required no satisfaction, and sought for nothing in you but the broken, contrite heart, and freely forgave you as soon as you returned to Him. No man should for a moment harbour ill will in his heart to any; but the offended party is not called actually to forgive, till the offender, with sorrow, acknowledges his fault. He should be ready to forgive, and while he is so, he can neither feel hatred nor malice towards the offender; but, as Christ does not forgive us till with penitent hearts we return unto him, acknowledging our offenses, so those who have trespassed against their neighbor are not to expect any act of forgiveness from the person they have injured, till they acknowledge the offense. Forgive, says the apostle, καθως και ὁ Χριστος even as Christ forgave you - show the same disposition and the same readiness to forgive your offending brethren, as Christ showed towards you.

Barnes's Colossians 3:13 Bible Commentary

Forbearing one another - Notes, Ephesians 4:2.

And forgiving one another - Notes, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14.

If any man have a quarrel against any - Margin, "or complaint." The word used here - μομφή momphē - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, "fault found, blame, censure;" and here denotes occasion of complaint. The idea is, that if another one has given us just occasion of complaint, we are to forgive him; that is, we are:

(1) to harbor no malice against him;

(2) we are to be ready to do him good as if he had not given us occasion of complaint;

(3) we are to be willing to declare that we forgive him when be asks it; and,

(4) we are always afterward to treat him as kindly as if he had not injured us - as God treats us when he forgives us; see the notes at Matthew 18:21.

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye - Learn here that Christ has power to forgive sin; compare the Matthew 9:6 note; Acts 5:31 note. Christ forgave us:

(1) freely - he did not hesitate or delay when we asked him;

(2) entirely - he pardoned all our offences;

(3) forever - he did it so as to remember our sins no more, and to treat us ever onward as if we had not sinned.

So we should forgive an offending brother.

Wesley's Colossians 3:13 Bible Commentary

3:13 Forbearing one another - If anything is now wrong.And forgiving one another - What is past.