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And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
  • BSB Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
  • NKJV And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
  • NASB Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful.
  • NLT And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Christ's peace should govern their hearts as members of one body, and they should be thankful. Peace and gratitude mark the unified church.

Overview

The 'peace of God' (of Christ) is to 'rule'—to act as arbiter—in their hearts and among them. They were 'called in one body' to this peace, so it has a corporate, unifying purpose. Paul again adds the refrain 'be thankful,' a recurring keynote of the letter's vision of life in Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 33

  • Phil 4:6–7Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
  • John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
  • Isa 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
  • Rom 15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
  • Ps 29:11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
  • 1 Th 5:18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
  • Col 3:17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
  • Rom 5:1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
  • John 16:33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
  • Eph 5:20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
  • Rom 14:17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
  • 1 Tim 2:1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
  • Ps 116:17I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
  • Col 2:7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
  • 2 Cor 9:11Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
  • Eph 4:4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
  • Eph 2:12–18That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
  • Isa 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
  • Ps 107:22And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
  • Eph 5:1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
  • 2 Cor 4:15For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
  • Heb 13:15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
  • Rev 7:12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
  • Luke 17:16–18And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
  • Eph 4:16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
  • Jonah 2:9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
  • Ps 100:4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
  • 1 Cor 7:15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
  • Col 1:12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
  • 2 Cor 5:19–21To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
  • Rom 1:21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
  • Isa 57:19I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
  • Isa 27:5Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Colossians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Colossians 3:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ColossiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, in whom all things hold together and all the fullness of God dwells bodily — supreme over every power.

How Colossians 3:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.