3:10a
The phrases in 3:10a are parallel to 3:9b. They describe what happened to the Colossians when they became Christians. 3:9b described the old nature the Colossians had put off or taken off, and 3:10a described the new nature they had put on instead.
have put on the new self: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates have put on is parallel to “have taken off” in 3:9b. It normally refers to putting on clothes. Here Paul used it as a figure of speech to mean that the Christian has “put on” (started) a new way of behaving, just as a person “puts on” clothes.
the new self: This means the new life and new way of behaving that a person has once he trusts in Christ.
Paul was saying: “you have started being a new person.”
3:10b
which: This refers back to the “new self” in 3:10a.
is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator: God is the one who is doing the “renewing.” The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates is being renewed is present tense in Greek. This means that God is continually renewing believers, that is, he is constantly changing them and causing them to be more like himself.
in knowledge: Most scholars think that Paul was writing about knowing God. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
in order that you might get to know God truly (SSA)
-or-
in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself (Good News Translation)
its Creator: God, the Creator, was the one who created this new nature/self, and he is the one who gives new life to everyone who trusts in Christ. Here Paul was not referring to God creating the world or physical bodies, but to God creating a new nature for each Christian. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10.)
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