Colossians 3:14 (DRB)

Passage

But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:12 Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:

Colossians 3:13 Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another. Even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also.

Colossians 3:14 But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly: in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "above", "things", "charity", "bond", and "perfection". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "above" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Bearing with one another and forgiving one..." into verse 15's "And let the peace of Christ rejoice...", so "above" and "things" 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 "above" and "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.