Colossians 3:6 (KJV)

What does Colossians 3:6 mean?

Colossians 3:6 says that God’s wrath, or anger, comes upon people described as disobedient because of the actions named just before this verse. The verse presents those actions as the reason for God’s response, not as matters of indifference.

The phrase “children of disobedience” describes people by a pattern of disobedience, not by their age or family. Following the list in verse 5, “which things” points back to the conduct Paul has just named.

The Greek behind Colossians 3:6

• “wrath” — ὀργή (orgē): The word carries the sense of anger. Here, Paul uses it for God’s response to the things he has just listed.
• “children” — υἱοί (huioi): The word often means “sons.” In the phrase “children of disobedience,” it helps describe people as characterized by disobedience rather than as literal members of a family.
• “disobedience” — ἀπείθεια (apeitheia): The word carries the sense of unwillingness to obey. It gives the quality by which the people in this phrase are described.

Why Colossians 3:6 matters

• Paul connects the warning to specific conduct. “For which things’ sake” looks back to the list in verse 5, which includes greed alongside sexual wrongdoing and other desires.
• The warning belongs within a contrast between an old way of life and a different one. In verse 7, Paul says his readers once walked among these things when they lived in them.