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Colossians 3:5-9 – A Better Class of Sinners?
Having clothed yourself with Christ, do you feel superior to unbelievers? Admitting Christians still sin, are you in a “better class” of sinners? In putting on Christ, we are to put away sins. It is a command. It is a command that is never quite being finished obeying because of our disobeying.
Paul’s list here in Colossians 3:5-9 is similar to other lists and of course is complete. I doubt a complete list of sins could ever be made because that list includes being “inventors of evil” (Rom.1:30). Even in the more familiar “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5, Paul adds, “and things like these” (NASB) or “anything similar” (HCSB) (5:21) showing that the Holy Spirit inspired list is incomplete.
In Colossians 3, Paul actually has two lists. The first is mainly sexual – “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry” (3:5). The second list is: anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language and lying. The second list is, in some ways secondary, not because it is less serious, but rather maybe more difficult to put away. Much of the second list involves speech, and we know what James said about the tongue:
James 3:8 (HCSB) – but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Organizing sins into different categories is not unknown to Paul and does not suggest one list is more sinful than the other even if more egregious to the sentiments of some. In Romans 1-2, Paul lists what is generally considered “Gentile sins” and “Jewish sins.” Read as is, the first is more shocking to the polite company. It is not that the sins are never committed by the other group, but rather are general classifications.
Paul hints that the sins of verse 5 are more commonly associated with unbelievers while verses 8-9 are “Christian sins” if I am use an oxymoron. This is suggested by Paul’s use of “but now.”
In looking at the sins and comparing them, I see certain contrasts that are not to our advantage.
- V.5 are mostly sexual; Vv.8-9 are mostly social.
- V.5 are committed more by unbelievers; Vv.8-9 are associated more with believers.
- V.5 are committed more with unbelievers; Vv.8-9 commonly occur by believers with believers. The point in this last comparison is that Christians are sinning with other Christians, becoming a stumbling block to those who are trying to live holy from the inside out.
- V.5 are committed with others often by consent; Vv.8-9 are committed against others. So many sins are sins against one another and not against God directly. This should comfort and warn us how much God is concerned about how we treat one another.
After looking at these contrasts, does anyone feel better about our “Christian sins?”
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