Colossians 3:12
King James Version
28 Jul 2026
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
σκάφη
The small vessel carries everyone, not just the ones who deserve rescue — in the same way, compassion in this verse is the capacity to hold another person's pain as if it were your own, refusing to abandon ship on them.
ἐνδύω
do put on
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ἐνδύω
Deliberately dress yourself in compassion and humility the way you'd choose an outfit — these qualities don't appear on their own, you have to intentionally put them on every day.
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ἐκλεκτός
Chosen
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ἐκλεκτός
Those who have been personally chosen and called by God, not because they earned it, but because He claimed them as His own.
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χρηστότης
Kindness
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χρηστότης
Genuine warmth and goodness toward others — the same quality in God who draws people to repentance not through force, but through irresistible, tenderhearted care.
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οὖν
therefore,
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οὖν
Because God has already chosen you, made you holy, and lavished his love on you, these qualities aren't something you earn — they're something you wear.
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ἅγιος
Holy
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ἅγιος
Set apart and deeply loved by the God who chose you, you carry his character into every relationship.
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ἔλεος
Mercy
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ἔλεος
Choosing not to give someone what they deserve — withholding judgment, holding back harsh words, letting an offense go — because God who is rich in mercy has done the same for you.
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ταπεινοφροσύνη
Humility
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ταπεινοφροσύνη
Choosing to see others as more important than yourself, not out of weakness, but as a deliberate act of someone who knows they are loved and chosen by God.
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θεός
of God
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θεός
You are chosen by the very One who created everything and knows you personally — which means this call to compassion and kindness isn't a religious checklist, but a reflection of whose you are.
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σπλάγχνον
hearts
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σπλάγχνον
God's compassion isn't cold or calculated — it rises from deep within him, and you're being called to put on that same gut-level, felt tenderness toward others.
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οἰκτιρμός
of compassion,
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οἰκτιρμός
A gut-level, visceral ache for others that moves you to act — the kind of tender mercy that reflects the heart of a God who feels deeply toward those who suffer.
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πρᾳότης
gentleness,
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πρᾳότης
Choosing patience and kindness over retaliation, not because you lack the power to strike back, but because God who called you holds that power in check through love.
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μακροθυμία
and] patience;
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μακροθυμία
Choosing to stay calm and kind toward difficult people, rather than snapping or giving up on them, is how God's chosen ones actually live out love in community.
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