What Does Colossians 3:13 Mean?
Holding up one another, and releasing one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, just as the Anointed One released you, so also you do.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.THE KEY
The Greek word translated “forgiving” belongs to the word family of “favor”: what the reader receives as favor becomes what is extended across the quarrel.
THE MEANING
Forbearance bears with another; forgiveness releases the quarrel’s claim. The reader stands now in the movement named here: favor received through Christ becomes favor extended across another person’s offense. The offense is acknowledged, while it no longer has to govern the bond.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that another’s offense must keep its claim until repayment: the measure here is the favor already received, not the offender’s ability to earn it.
THE ROOT
χαριζόμενοι
charizomenoi
GROWS FROM
χάρις
Favor or goodwill freely bestowed; χαρίζομαι (charizomai) means to grant or show favor.
The Greek word for “forgiving” is built on the word for favor. This links releasing another’s offense with the favor already extended to the reader through Christ: received favor becomes favor given.
ALSO GROWS
charis: Favor, goodwill freely bestowed.
χάρις
This is the base word behind the verb translated “forgiving,” giving the act a sense of favor extended.
charisma: A gift or gracious endowment.
χάρισμα
This related word names something received from favor, echoing the verse’s movement from favor received to favor extended.
ἀνεχόμενοι
anechomenoi
GROWS FROM
ἔχω
To have or hold; ἀνέχομαι (anechomai) carries the sense of bearing with or enduring.
“Holding up” in this verse is anechomenoi. The word translated “forbearing” carries the sense of bearing with another. Beside the word for forgiveness, it shows two movements together: bearing with the person and releasing the grievance.
ALSO GROWS
echō: To have or hold.
ἔχω
This is the underlying word in ἀνέχομαι, preserving the sense of bearing or enduring.
anochē: Forbearance or tolerance.
ἀνοχή
This related word names the capacity to bear with another, illuminating the first half of the verse.
THE PATTERN
Another person’s offense need not retain its claim when it is met with pardon rather than repayment.
The insight of a man is slow to flare, and it is his adornment to pass over rebellion.For if you release people's false steps, your heavenly Father will also release yours.And be useful to one another, tender in the inward parts, releasing one another, just as God in the Anointed One has released you.THE THREAD
And be useful to one another, tender in the inward parts, releasing one another, just as God in the Anointed One has released you.Ephesians uses the same Greek word family, χαρίζομαι (charizomai; to grant or show favor), for “forgiving.” Its pairing of forgiveness with kindness makes visible the favor already present in Colossians: what is received through Christ is extended across the offense.
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