Colossians 3:13

NASB – bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 

NLT – Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 

VOICE – Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. 

Understanding Forgiveness

Within the early church, believers came from diverse backgrounds which often led to cultural and religious tensions. (think of the battles between the Jews and the Gentiles.) To bear or make allowance means to have patient endurance with others’ faults and differences and maintaining unity. It connects back to Christ’s mindset – to be patient and compassionate with each other. Regarding forgiveness, the Colossian church struggled with internal conflicts and grievances. Paul wants them to forgive those grievances, showing how necessary it is to forgive others. Jesus talks about this from the Jewish understanding of the Year of Jubilee, where you would release others from all debts or wrongs. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross became the foundation for all Christian forgiveness, because He took on our sins and offered reconciliation with God. 

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How have you handled forgiveness in the past? 

Be Kind and Bear Each Other

Let’s look at how we can bear with each other. Often when we get in a situation where forgiveness is an outcome, we tend to avoid reconciliation. Paul wanted the Colossian Christian to bear with each other and work towards a place of forgiveness. I think we need to reset what it means to bear with each other in this context. 

To “bear with / make allowance / put up” with and for others is the Greek verb anechó (an-ekh’-om-ahee). It describes an active, intentional willingness to hold up under people or pressures. It’s making the decision to stay present with weaknesses, oppositions, or immaturity, without surrendering truth or love. Paul’s usage of this term showcases this endurance happens through love, humility, and forgiveness. In the Greco-Roman world, endurance was viewed as a stoic virtue, but Paul and others transform it through faith, love, and Christ-like living. 

It’s a true reminder that no matter what happens to others, or what happens to you, that we stay in community together. No matter how frequent. No matter how mundane it feels to you. We stick with someone through their struggles to help them through to the other side of the valley. It requires patience with them above anything. We all feel things differently, through different methods, and in different ways. We can work to communicate those things with them to help understand what they’re feeling. We discuss what the reconciliation looks like, if reconciliation is possible. Forgiveness does not require ignoring abuse or pretending that harm didn’t happen. We learn how to do life together, and at the end of the day work towards living a life in community and in unity with each other. 

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When was the last time you bore someone in this capacity? How did it go? How did you feel? How did they feel?