Colossians 3:22 (DRB)

Passage

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh: not serving to the eye, as pleasing men: but in simplicity of heart, fearing God.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh: not serving to the eye, as pleasing men: but in simplicity of heart, fearing God.

Colossians 3:23 Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Colossians 3:24 Knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance. Serve ye the Lord Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "servants", "obey", "masters", "flesh", "serving", "pleasing", and "simplicity". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "servants", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Fathers provoke not your children to indignation..." into verse 23's "Whatsoever you do do it from the...", so "all things" and "servants" 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 "all things" and "servants" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.