Colossians / Question
Colossians says that since believers have been raised with Christ, they are to seek the things above, where Christ is seated Colossians 3:1. It adds, "Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth" Colossians 3:2.
In Colossians 3:1–4, Paul turns from criticizing earth-focused religious rules to urging a new direction for the Colossians’ desires and thinking. Because they have been “raised with Christ,” they should pursue what is “above,” where Christ is honored beside God. He explains why: they “died,” and their true life is currently hidden with Christ in God. This paragraph opens a major practical turn in the letter. Just before this, Paul argues that regulations and harsh treatments of the body look impressive but do not truly deal with fleshly impulses (Colossians 2:20–23).
Paul treats believers as already sharing in Christ’s story: they have been “raised with Christ” (verse 1) and also, in some real sense, “died” (verse 3). Those are explicit claims in the passage, not just images.
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Colossians 3:1, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
1If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.