Colossians 3:8
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →But now they must put away all such things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy talk from their mouths.
What Does Colossians 3:8 Mean?
Paul pivots from the past to the present with a decisive but now. The old life is over; therefore ye also put off all these -- strip them away like discarded clothing, leaving nothing of the former self in place.
This second list turns from sins of desire to sins of speech and temper: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication. These social sins poison relationships and tear at the unity Paul prizes for the church. The image of putting off suggests a deliberate, total removal -- not trimming these faults but taking them off entirely. For the Colossians, holiness includes how they treat one another in word and mood, not only private morality. The community of the risen Christ should be marked by clean speech and controlled tempers. What belonged to the old wardrobe is to be laid aside completely, making room for what Paul will tell them to put on.