Colossians 3:23 (GNV)

Passage

And whatsoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, least they be discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Seruants, be obedient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eye seruice as men pleasers, but in singlenes of heart, fearing God.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for ye serue the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:25 But he that doeth wrong, shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatsoeuer", "heartily", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatsoeuer" and "heartily", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Seruants be obedient vnto them that are..." into verse 24's "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall...", so "whatsoeuer" and "heartily" 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 "whatsoeuer" and "heartily" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.