Colossians 3:9 Meaning and Explanation
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →A lie can seem small when it protects comfort, reputation, money, or control. Paul treats it as inconsistent with the old life being laid aside. His command reaches everyday conversation as well as deliberate deception, because trust between people depends on a shared commitment to truth.
Colossians 3:9 forbids lying within Christian fellowship because believers have put off the old man and his deeds. Truthful speech belongs to the new life God is forming.
The Context of Colossians 3:9
Paul has just told the Colossians to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication. Verse 9 continues the same clothing image with a direct command about lying. The reason follows immediately: they have put off the old man with his deeds. Verse 10 completes the contrast by saying they have put on the new man, renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator. Verse 11 describes the unity created in that new humanity, and verses 12-17 unfold its visible clothing in mercy, forgiveness, charity, peace, thanksgiving, teaching, singing, and deeds done in the Lord Jesus' name.
What Does Colossians 3:9 Mean?
"Lie not one to another" is plain and personal. Paul is concerned with the words exchanged among people who belong to the same body. Lying includes false statements, yet the command also presses us toward sincerity in our dealings, promises, reports, and attempts to present ourselves. A false word fractures trust and makes fellowship harder to sustain. The phrase "one to another" prevents us from treating truthfulness as an abstract virtue. We speak before God and in relation to neighbors whose welfare matters to him. Paul gives the reason in the next clause: the old man, together with his deeds, has been put off. Deception belongs to that former pattern.
The old man is the humanity marked by sin's dominion, expressed through deeds such as the practices Paul has been naming. In the chapter, putting off is joined to putting on. The language presents a change of allegiance and life that has happened in connection with Christ, while Paul's commands call the Colossians to live faithfully within it. Truthfulness therefore belongs to the renewed knowledge of verse 10. As people learn the Creator more truly, they are being restored toward his image. Verse 11 then places this renewal in a diverse community. Honest speech matters especially where inherited divisions, social rank, and differing backgrounds could otherwise become occasions for fear, concealment, or manipulation.
The command has a strong canonical echo in the prophet Zechariah's call for restored Jerusalem to speak truth with one another. The New Testament also identifies Christ as full of grace and truth, and he speaks truthfully even when his words expose sin. His death and resurrection establish a people whose life is hid with him in God. In that life, truth is more than factual accuracy; it is faithfulness before the One who sees the heart. When we tell the truth, repent of falsehood, and repair harm we have caused, our common life can more clearly reflect the Creator whose image renews the new man.
Bible Verses Related to Colossians 3:9
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
- Ephesians 4:25
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:”
- Zechariah 8:16
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:14
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
- Colossians 3:10
Where Colossians 3:9 Echoes in Scripture
Ephesians 4:25 gives a close later parallel: believers are instructed to put away lying and speak truth with their neighbor because they are members one of another. That reason illumines Colossians 3:9. Falsehood harms more than an individual exchange; it injures the shared body to which Christ joins his people. Truthful speech strengthens the bonds that anger, malice, and corrupt speech seek to tear apart.
How to Apply Colossians 3:9 Today
Truthfulness often asks for quiet courage. We can resist the habit of shading a story to gain sympathy, hiding a mistake to avoid embarrassment, making promises we do not intend to keep, or passing along claims we have not checked. When a falsehood has been spoken, an honest correction and a request for forgiveness can begin to rebuild trust. There are times when wisdom requires discretion about private matters; discretion guards what ought to be protected, while deceit seeks to mislead. In daily relationships, we can ask whether our words enable others to rely on us before God.
Reflection & Prayer
Where might fear of consequences be making truthful speech difficult for us? Consider a conversation, record, or promise that needs honest attention. Pray: "God of truth, give us courage to speak faithfully, humility to correct falsehood, and love that protects our neighbors from the harm of deception."