Colossians 3:11 (ASV)

Passage

where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings,

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Colossians 3:11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as God`s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

Colossians 3:13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "where", "greek", "circumcision", "uncircumcision", "barbarian", "scythian", "bondman", and "freeman". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "where" and "greek", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "and have put on the new man..." into verse 12's "Put on therefore as God s elect...", so "where" and "greek" belong inside that flow. In Colossians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "where" and "greek" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.