In Colossians 3:12-17, Paul urges believers, as God's chosen and dearly loved people, to clothe themselves with virtues such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love, which binds everything together in unity. He encourages letting the peace of Christ rule in their hearts, being thankful, and allowing the message of Christ to dwell richly among them through teaching, admonishing, and grateful singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Ultimately, whatever they do in word or deed should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:12-17 begins by reminding believers of their identity as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, which serves as the foundation for adopting a new way of living. Paul instructs them to "put on" essential Christian virtues—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience—while bearing with one another and forgiving grievances, just as the Lord has forgiven them. The crowning virtue is love, described as the bond that holds all these qualities together in perfect unity, emphasizing that these traits are not optional but reflective of their transformed lives in Christ.

The passage then shifts to the inner life and community practices of believers, calling for the peace of Christ to rule in their hearts and for gratitude to characterize their attitude, as they are part of one body called to peace. Paul exhorts them to let the message of Christ dwell richly within the community, expressed through wise teaching, mutual admonition, and heartfelt worship via psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. This culminates in a comprehensive principle: everything done in word or deed should be carried out in the name of the Lord Jesus, with ongoing thanksgiving to God the Father, ensuring that daily life and actions glorify Christ.

I. The Call to Christian Virtues (vv. 12-14)
A. Identity of believers: God's chosen, holy, and dearly loved (v. 12a)
B. Virtues to put on: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (v. 12b)
C. Practice of forbearance and forgiveness, modeled after Christ's forgiveness (v. 13)
D. Supremacy of love as the binding force of unity (v. 14)

II. The Rule of Christ's Peace and Word (vv. 15-16)
A. Letting Christ's peace rule in hearts and being thankful (v. 15)
B. Allowing the message of Christ to dwell richly (v. 16a)
C. Mutual teaching and admonishing with wisdom (v. 16b)
D. Worship through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude (v. 16c)

III. Living All of Life in Christ's Name (v. 17)
A. Principle for words and deeds: Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus
B. Attitude of thanksgiving to God the Father through Him