Colossians 3:17 (DRB)

Passage

All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Nearby Context

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.

Colossians 3:17 All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatsoever", "word", "name", "lord", "jesus", "christ", "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 subject to your husbands as...", 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.