John Calvin Commentary Colossians 3:17

"And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." — Colossians 3:17 (ASV)

And whatever you do. We have already explained these things, and what precedes them, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, where the same things are said almost word for word.

Since he had already begun to discuss different aspects of the Christian life and had briefly touched upon only a few precepts, it would have been too tedious to address the rest individually. Therefore, he summarizes by stating that our lives must be regulated in such a way that whatever we say or do is entirely governed by the authority of Christ and aims at His glory as the ultimate goal.

For we will rightly understand by this term the following two things: that all our endeavors should begin with calling upon Christ, and that they should serve His glory. From this invocation follows the act of blessing God, which gives us reason for thanksgiving. It should also be noted that he teaches that we must give thanks to the Father through Christ, since it is through Him that we receive every good thing God gives us.