March 6
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STRIP OFF THE OLD AND PUT ON THE NEW SELF
8 But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.
-Colossians 3:8-11
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Paul continues to give them an exhaustive list of the things that lead to idolatry in this letter to the Colossians. Among these second list are the following
1. Anger- Strong emotional reaction of displeasure, often leading to plans for revenge or punishment. There are many words for anger in Hebrew; in Greek orge [ojrghv] and thumos [qumov”] are used more or less interchangeably.
2. Wrath- is a strong vengeful hatred or resentment. We can become consumed by rage and revenge to the point of acting irrationally and immorally. This is the wickedness of wrath and why it is included as a deadly sin.
3. Malice- means enmity of the heart, malevolence, a disposition to injure others-without cause, for mere personal gratification, or from a spirit of revenge. The word comes from the Latin word militia from the root word malus, literally meaning evil.
4. Slander- is an accusation maliciously uttered, with the purpose or effect of damaging the reputation of another. As a rule, it is a false charge (but it may be a truth circulated insidiously and with a hostile purpose
5. Obscene speech- means speech that is offensive to modesty or decency; indecent; lewd. Causing or intended to cause sexual excitement or lust or anything offending against recognized standards of propriety or good taste; vulgar.
6. Lie- is defined as a criminal falsehood; a falsehood uttered for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth.
Paul stresses the importance of the believers to remove their old sinful ways and put on the new self in Christ Jesus. When one becomes a believer, he is being transformed into a creation like his creator Himself, he is being renewed. The old is gone and the new has begun. This renewed self sees all people without distinctions or prejudices.
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REFLECTION
• Why do we need to be aware of putting off the old and wear the new person?