Colossians 3

During my recent week of teching at Camp Barakel (teching is volunteering for the week and working and having a blast :]), we memorized Colossians 3:1-4. Memorizing scripture is not one of my strong points, and having the daily encouragement and accountability of the other techs was a great help to me. Anyway, I recently realized that since my AWANA years, I have slacked off in the memorizing department and have decided to get back on the bandwagon. My first chapter was Psalm 91, and I've decided to follow it with Colossians 3. When I memorize Scripture, I like to read it in several different versions of the Bible, to try to begin to understand the full meaning of the words. Now, I'm obviously not a Bible scholar, but I find a lot of clarification in reading from versions other than my good old NIV. One of my favorites is KJV, which I think masterfully captures the original text. I was reading Colossians 3 in KJV, and I came across verse 2. In my NIV, it says "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." For some reason, I was able to just breeze over this in my NIV memorizing, but when I read it in KJV, it really captured my attention. It says, "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." The word "affections" really grabbed me- it made me realize that not only are we to think of things of God and dwell only on things that are pleasing to Him, we are also to love the things of Him, not the things of this world.

Here's the whole passage, so you can  read it for yourselves:

Colossians 3

 ¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
 ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
 ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
 ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
 ⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
 ⁶For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
 ⁷In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
 ⁸But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
 ⁹Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
 ¹⁰And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
 ¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
 ¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
 ¹³Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
 ¹⁴And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
 ¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
 ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
 ¹⁷And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
 ¹⁸Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
 ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
 ²⁰Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
 ²¹Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
 ²²Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;
 ²³And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
 ²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
 ²⁵But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.