Colossians 3:17 (ASV)

Passage

And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatsoever", "word", "deed", "name", "lord", "jesus", "giving", and "thanks". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatsoever" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Let the word of Christ dwell in..." into verse 18's "Wives be in subjection to your husbands...", so "whatsoever" and "word" 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 "whatsoever" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.