What Does Colossians 3:1 Mean in the King James?
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Your seeking above begins from a life already raised with Christ.
THE MEANING
“Risen with Christ” names the reader’s present footing: shared life with Christ is already the premise. From there, attention turns toward what is above, where Christ sits at God’s right hand. The verse presents seeking as the expression of that shared placement.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that you must climb toward God to earn a place with Christ: the seeking begins after the verse names you as raised with him.
THE ROOT
συνηγέρθητε
synēgerthēte
GROWS FROM
ἐγειρ-
To wake, rouse, or raise.
“risen with” in this verse is synēgerthēte. The verb joins σύν (syn, “together with”) to ἐγείρω (egeirō, “wake, rouse, raise”), so the raising is shared with Christ. The verse treats that shared raising as the ground for seeking what is above.
ALSO GROWS
egeirō: To wake, rouse, or raise.
ἐγείρω
This root gathers waking from sleep and raising from death into one image.
synegeirō: To raise together with another.
συνεγείρω
This is the compound verb used here: the raising joins the reader’s life with Christ’s.
egersis: A rising or resurrection.
ἔγερσις
This noun carries the same rising into the language of resurrection.
THE PATTERN
In Scripture, being raised by God establishes a new place from which life is lived.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:THE THREAD
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:“Raised us up together” translates συνεγείρω (synegeirō), the same word family as “be risen with” here. Ephesians adds the image of shared seating, showing that the raised life is already positioned with Christ.
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