In Colossians 3:13 it is written, "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." This was a message for all "the saints and faithful brethren in Christ" in the city of Colosse (Colossians 1:2). This instruction applies to all Christians of every generation. Let us look at three points that we see in this great text.

The Reality – The text mentions "quarrel." You mean there can be quarrels among members of the church? It happens. And, the fact that we are called upon to forgive one another indicates that we will make mistakes, even sinful ones. We must not hide our face from or try to cover up this reality. God’s people are the best folks in the world, yet none of us can live totally without doing wrong (1 John 1:7-10).

The Right Action – God calls upon each one of us to forbear ["bear(ing) with," NKJV] and forgive others. It is not enough for one specific group in the church to do this. God wants every one of us to do it! You and I must learn to, shall we say, put up with our brothers and sisters, just as we hope that they can find the mercy to put up with our little quirks or not-so-appealing mannerisms. When offenses and sin are involved, we must learn to forgive others, just as we would want them to forgive us if we sought their forgiveness (Luke 17:3,4).

The Model Forgiver – ". . . even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." We are to forgive like/how/in the same manner that Jesus forgave us. And, we are to forgive because He forgave us. Jesus taught, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36).

As our title indicates, Christians are people that forbear and forgive one another. It takes great effort to maintain peace and harmony in a local church, within an eldership, and in our homes. Whether or not we are willing to forbear and forgive one another will go a long way in determining just how united a congregation, eldership, or family will remain. Let us all strive to apply what Colossians 3:13 tells us to do.

-- Roger D. Campbell