Short answer: Colossians 3:12 says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (KJV). Paul uses the image of getting dressed: because believers have already been given a new identity in Christ, they are to deliberately put on five specific qualities — compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience — the way a person puts on clothing each morning.
The context: taking off and putting on
Colossians 3 turns from doctrine to daily life. Verses 1–4 establish the ground: you were raised with Christ, your life is hid with Christ in God. Everything that follows is a consequence of that, not a route to it.
Then Paul gives a sequence of clothing metaphors. Verses 5–9 are about removal: put to death fornication, uncleanness, evil concupiscence, covetousness; put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, "seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (3:9, KJV). Verse 10 says you "have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Verse 11 removes the ethnic and social categories — "there is neither Greek nor Jew... but Christ is all, and in all."
Verse 12 is where the new wardrobe gets specific. It is not enough to strip off the old; something must go on.
The letter itself was written to a congregation Paul had not personally founded, facing teachers pushing rules, visions, and ascetic practices (2:16–23). Against that, Paul's ethic is not a rulebook — it is a wardrobe drawn from Christ's own character.
What it means, phrase by phrase
"Put on therefore." The therefore points back to verses 1–11. This is response, not prerequisite. And "put on" is deliberate action — clothing does not appear on you.
"As the elect of God, holy and beloved." Three terms, all previously used in the Old Testament for Israel, now applied to a mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles. Elect — chosen. Holy — set apart. Beloved — loved. Note that all three are already true before any command is given. Paul grounds the behavior in the identity.
"Bowels of mercies." Modern ears find this jarring. In ancient usage the inner organs were the seat of deep feeling, the way we say "heart." The phrase means visceral compassion — pity felt in the gut, not merely approved in the mind. Most modern translations render it "compassion" or "tender mercies."
"Kindness." Practical goodness toward others; the same Greek root Paul uses of God's kindness in Romans 2:4.
"Humbleness of mind." Lowly thinking about oneself. In Greek culture this word often carried a negative sense of servility; the New Testament reclaims it as a virtue, most fully in Philippians 2:3–8.
"Meekness." Not weakness. It describes strength under control — the word was used of a horse trained to the bridle. Jesus applies it to himself in Matthew 11:29.
"Longsuffering." Literally long-tempered; the patience that endures provocation without retaliating. It is listed among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.
Verses 13–14 complete the outfit: forbearing and forgiving one another, "even as Christ forgave you," and above all putting on charity, "which is the bond of perfectness" (KJV).
Where faithful Christians differ: the meaning of "elect." Reformed traditions read it as God's unconditional choice of individuals; others read it corporately, as the church chosen in Christ, with individuals belonging through faith. Paul's pastoral use here is the same under either reading — the point is that the qualities flow from a status God gave.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 4:22–24, 32 — put off the old man, put on the new; be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving.
- Galatians 5:22–23 — the fruit of the Spirit.
- Philippians 2:3–8 — in lowliness of mind esteem others better; the mind of Christ.
- Matthew 11:29 — "I am meek and lowly in heart" (KJV).
- Colossians 3:13–14 — forbearing, forgiving, and charity above all.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 — charity suffereth long, and is kind.
- Romans 13:14 — put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
How to apply it today
Take the clothing image seriously as a daily discipline. Nobody dresses accidentally. Paul is describing a decision made before the day starts, not a personality you either have or lack.
Then notice the list's target. Every one of the five is relational and every one shows up under pressure. Compassion matters when someone's trouble is inconvenient. Meekness matters when you have the power to retaliate. Longsuffering matters on the fourth time, not the first.
Read verse 12 with verse 11. Paul had just erased the categories that divided that church. The virtues in verse 12 are precisely what a genuinely mixed congregation requires to hold together.
And keep the order right. If you attempt the wardrobe without the identity, it becomes exhausting performance. Paul says you are already chosen, already holy, already loved. The clothes match who you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "bowels of mercies" actually mean? In ancient usage, the internal organs were regarded as the seat of strong emotion — much as English speakers say something is felt "in the heart" or "in the gut." The phrase describes deep, visceral compassion rather than detached goodwill. Modern translations usually render it as "compassion" or "a heart of mercy."
Is Colossians 3:12 telling me to try harder to be a better person? The verse frames these qualities as a response to an identity already given: elect, holy, and beloved. Paul spends verses 1–11 establishing what is already true of believers before issuing the command. The effort is real, but it flows from status rather than earning it.
What is the difference between meekness and weakness? The Greek word describes power that is restrained rather than power that is absent. It was used of animals trained to accept the bridle — strength brought under control. Jesus calls himself meek in Matthew 11:29, and he was not a passive figure.
Who are "the elect of God" in this verse? Paul applies to the Colossian church three titles used of Israel in the Old Testament. Christians differ on whether election refers to God's unconditional choice of individuals or to the corporate people chosen in Christ. In this verse the pastoral function is the same either way: the virtues that follow rest on a standing God gave, not one believers achieved.