Chapter
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Verse

Colossians 3:13

ESV bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
NASB bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.
CSB bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.
NLT Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
KJV Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
NKJV bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

What does Colossians 3:13 mean?

In Colossians 3:9, Paul emphasized the importance of honesty among fellow believers. There, he advises believers not to lie to one another. In this verse, he suggests a positive trait believers ought to express toward each other: "bearing with one another." Believers are family and should treat one another with kindness and grace. This includes forgiveness, as well as tolerance. Instead of demanding perfection in others, we need to be willing to endure other believers' quirks and oddities. And, when they fail, we need to be ready to forgive and help them heal.

For the saved believer, this should come naturally. Those who accept Christ for salvation have been forgiven of their sins; as a result, we ought to be inclined to forgive other people (Matthew 6:14–15; Ephesians 4:32). Paul directly supports his command to forgive one another by appealing to this forgiveness from God. How did the Lord forgive them? He forgave them of all sins, with no room for wrath or vengeance. Believers are to likewise forgive one another without holding a grudge or bringing the matter up again in order to hurt the other person.
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