Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Paul describes the inward and communal life of a Christ-filled people: the word of Christ at home in them, expressed through mutual teaching and grateful song addressed to the Lord.
What Does Colossians 3:16 Mean?
Paul tells believers to let the message of Christ live abundantly within them, shaping how they teach one another and how they worship in song. The word "dwell" means to take up residence, to be at home -- not a guest who visits occasionally but a permanent resident. And it is to dwell "richly," in fullness and abundance, filling the believer's life rather than occupying a small corner of it. When the word of Christ is at home in us in this way, it produces "all wisdom," the practical skill of living rightly before God.
Paul then shows two channels through which this indwelling word overflows. The first is mutual instruction: "teaching and admonishing one another." Believers are not only taught by leaders; they minister the word to each other, both instructing in truth and gently warning where correction is needed. The second is worship: "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Music becomes a vessel for the word, carrying truth into the heart and lifting it back to God. Paul notes that this singing is "with grace in your hearts to the Lord" -- worship that is heartfelt and directed to Him, not mere performance. A community soaked in the word of Christ will naturally teach, encourage, and sing its way into deeper devotion.
In the Original Language
The Greek "enoikeitō" (dwell) means to live in or inhabit as a permanent resident. "Plousiōs" (richly) means abundantly. "Nouthetountes" (admonishing) means to warn or counsel, putting sense into the mind.
Cross References
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
- Ephesians 5:19
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
- Psalms 119:11
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:”
- Deuteronomy 6:6
Application
Saturate your life with the teaching of Christ so it shapes how you encourage others and how you worship, letting Scripture and song carry His truth deep into your heart.