Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Colossians 3:8

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

But against others he advanceth his discourse. Under the head of "passion and railing" he means revilings, just as under "wrath" he means wickedness. And in another place, to shame them, he says, "for we are members one of another." He makes them out to be as it were manufacturers of men; casting away this one, and receiving that. He spoke of a man's "members"; here he saith, "all." He spoke of his heart, wrath, mouth, blasphemy, eyes, fornication, covetousness, hands and feet, lying, the understanding itself, and the old mind.

Homily on Colossians 8 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

How is this? He just said: "you once walked," showing by this that they no longer live that way, and suddenly he says again: put off all these things! How can they put off what they no longer have? To this one can answer that the phrase "you once walked" serves for the understanding of what is now being said. …

Commentary on Colossians ↗

Desert Fathers

A hermit said, 'A monk ought not to listen to disparagement; he ought not to be disparaging, and he ought not to be scornful.'

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle warned the faithful about sins of the flesh; here he warns them about spiritual sins. First, he lays down a general admonition; and secondly, he divides it into parts. So he says: At one time you walked in sins, but now put them all away, not only sins of the flesh, but all sin: "So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander" (1 Pet. 2:1). He divides the spiritual sins into two groups: first, into sins of the heart, secondly, into sins of the mouth, spoken sins. …

Commentary on Colossians ↗