Colossians 3:17 (KJV)

Passage

And 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.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:15 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 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:17 And 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.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit 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 submit yourselves unto your own 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.