Kolose 3:12

Exhortation to Unity and Love

3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, ¹  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

Kolose 3:2

3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth,

1 Tesalonika 2:13

2:13 And so ²  we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, ³  you accepted it not as a human message, ⁴  but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.

¹ tn If the genitive construct σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ (splancna oiktirmou) is a hendiadys then it would be “compassion” or “tenderheartedness.” See M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 161.

² tn Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”

³ tn Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”

⁴ tn Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.