In the previous verses (Colossians 3:12-13), Paul has urged us to “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” asking us to “bear with” and “forgive” one another. In theory, doing all these things could be managed with a certain degree of self control and discipline. Somehow though, this sounds eerily similar to obeying the law, and we’ve seen how that ends. Knowing this, Paul caps off his exhortation with:
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14
It is interesting to consider that when working with concrete it is vital for the mixture to adhere to the surface on which it is applied. To ensure a tight bind, latex or an epoxy is mixed in with the concrete. This practice is an example of how love acts in the practical application of Christianity. It is the “bond” (in the Greek, sundesmos; bond, sinew, fetter) that holds it all together. The idea of a sinew or ligament in our bodies or a manacle or chain to hold a prisoner are similar concepts, but the most applicable in my mind is a “bonding agent.”
Another similar and worthwhile example is the use of tar to apply or “stick” shingles to roofs. This natural sticky “substance” known as bitumen, was used as far back as Bible times.
If you want these characteristics to “stick” in the church, they must be activated, held together, and sustained by love, which is in fact, “beyond all these things.”
So Paul’s use of the word “bond” is understandable in this context, especially qualified by the word “perfect” (in the Greek, teleiotēs, which means “perfection”). With all these traits present in the church, capped off with love, you have perfection!
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:23
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