CHAPTER 3

(A.D. 64)

NEW LIFE

¹If you then be risen with Christ (presents the New Life [Rom. 6:3-5]), seek those things which are above (which come directly from the Lord, not man), where Christ sits on the Right Hand of God. (This is referring to the fact that the great Work is a Finished Work, meaning man doesnt have to go elsewhere.)

²Set your affection on things above (refers to directing ones mind to a thing), not on things on the earth (everything on this Earth is temporal; as well, our help comes from above).

³For you are dead (dead to the old life by virtue of the fact of Christ dying on the Cross as our Substitute and, in effect, us dying with Him [Rom. 6:3-5]), and your life is hid with Christ in God (all made possible by the Cross [Jn. 14: 20]).

⁴When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear (refers to the Rapture of the Church), then shall you also appear with Him in Glory. (This refers to every Saint at that time being given a Glorified Body [I Cor. 15:51-57; I Thess. 4:13-18].)

PUT OFF

⁵Mortify therefore your members (of your physical body) which are upon the earth (can be done only by the Believer understanding that everything he receives from the Lord comes strictly through the Cross, which must ever be the Object of our Faith, thus giving the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives); fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry (works of the flesh, which will in one way or the other show themselves, unless the Believer follows the pattern laid down by the Holy Spirit regarding Victory over the flesh, which is the Cross):

⁶For which things sake the Wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience (God cannot abide sin in any form, even in His Children, and especially in His Children; the Cross is the only solution for sin):

⁷In the which you also walked some time (in times past), when you lived in them (before coming to Christ).

⁸But now you also put off all these (can do so by evidencing Faith in Christ and His Cross); anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

⁹Lie not one to another (the Greek actually says, lie not to yourself, and speaks of accepting a way other than the Cross), seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds (the old man died with Christ on the Cross [Rom. 6:6]);

PUT ON

¹⁰And have put on the new man(in Christ, we are a New Creation [II Cor. 5:17]), which is renewed in knowledge (the learning of Christ [Mat. 11:28-30]) after the image of Him Who created him (mans re-created self is thus after the image of Christ):

¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, Circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free (in Christ, there is no distinction): but Christ is all, and in all. (Christ occupies the whole sphere of human life and permeates all its developments.)

¹²Put on therefore, as the Elect of God (refers to those who have been elected by God, because they elected to know God [Rev. 22:17]), Holy and Beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Fruit of the Spirit);

¹³Forbearing one another (exhibiting patience), and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you.

¹⁴And above all these things put on charity (Love), which is the bond of perfectness (complete growth).

¹⁵And let the Peace of God rule in your hearts (Sanctifying Peace), to the which also you are called in one body (the Church); and be ye thankful (show ones self thankful).

¹⁶Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom (the meaning of the New Covenant as given to Paul, which is the meaning of the Cross); teaching and admonishing one an other in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs (our songs of worship must proclaim the Word of God, thereby teaching us), singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (This presents the real purpose of Spirit-Anointed Music, which tells how important music and singing are as it refers to worship.)

¹⁷And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus (everything is to be done in the Name of our Lord, irrespective of what it is), giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. (If properly obeyed, everything will take on a brand-new complexion.)

DOMESTIC LIFE

¹⁸Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord (only as the husband functions in the sphere of the Lord).

HUSBANDS

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (The idea is that the husband loves the wife with the same type of love with which he loves God. Consequently, there will be no bitterness.)

CHILDREN

²⁰Children, obey your parents in all things (pertains to that which is Scriptural): for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (children properly obeying parents are taught thusly to obey the Lord).

FATHERS

²¹Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Childrens obedience must be fed on love and praise. Fear paralyzes activity and kills service.)

SERVANTS

²²Servants (slaves), obey in all things your masters according to the flesh (presents Christian slaves of that day working, for the most part, in the service of pagan masters); not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers (represents good work when the employer is watching, and the opposite otherwise); but in singleness of heart, fearing God (means a person has one heart, and that is to please God, which will render proper service whether the Master is watching or not):

²³And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (the Lord now becomes the Master, with everything taking on a brand-new complexion);

²⁴Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance (proclaims the fact that the Lord Who is being faithfully served will, at the same time, render just dues): for you serve the Lord Christ. (Everything we do, irrespective what it is, is to be done with the idea that it is for the Lord and the Lord Alone!)

²⁵But he who does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done (indicates the Law of Divine Retribution [Mat. 7:1-2]): and there is no respect of persons. (God looks at all alike, playing favorites with no one.)