Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX

Colossians 3:12-14 - "And, so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoevere has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

These verses list eight virtues which should characterize those who follow Christ. These virtues do not naturally exist inside of us. They actually run contrary to our basic human nature. We cannot produce them by human effort. These virtues are produced in us by the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives. Each of them is demonstrated in the life of Jesus and as we allow God to make us more like Jesus, then these virtues become evident in our lives as well.

BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER – The word translated “bearing with” in verse 13 has three nuances of meaning: 

• To lift up each other - This is the most noble use of the word. It means to take someone who is floundering, sinking, being overwhelmed, and in patience stand beside, encourage, and lift up that person.
• To put up with each other - This is not quite as noble as lifting someone up, but sometimes it is the best we can do. One writer says the failure of Christians to put up with things we dislike is “probably the most prolific cause of Christian division...” [Moulton quoted by Vaughn, p.100]
• To hold ourselves back from each other – This is the least noble use of the word. If we cannot life up others or put up with others, at least we should restrain from ripping others apart!