Colossians 1 (BHT-FTN)

“To: Those Who Are Set Apart to God as a Special Holy Possession in Colossae”

1 From: Paul, an apostle of Jesus the Messiah by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.

2 To: Those set apart to God as a special holy possession in Colossae,+ who are faithful+ brothers and sisters in union with the Messiah.

To all of+ ᵖyou+ grace,+ and peace, from God our Father.

“We Give Thanks to God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus the Messiah”

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, praying for you constantly,+ 4 because+ we have heard about your faith in Messiah Jesus and the love you have for all the Lord’s holy people,+, 5 on account of the hope that is stored away safely for you in the heavens, the hope+ of which you learned when you first heard+ the message of truth,+ the gospel 6 that has come to you—just as it is producing fruit and spreading, too,+ all over the world, in the same way it has done so among you since the day you first heard it and understood+ the gift of God in accordance with the truth,+ 7 just as you were instructed by Epaphras, our dear fellow slave, who is so+ faithful+ a servant of the Messiah on our behalf— 8 the one who also told us about your love through+ the Spirit. 9 That is the reason why we, too, since the day we first heard about this, have not stopped praying+ for you, asking God+ to fill you with the knowledge of his will through+ every kind of wisdom and understanding given by the Spirit, 10 so that you may live your lives in a manner befitting the Lord and in all respects desire to do what pleases him,+ producing fruit in good deeds of all kinds,+ and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened, out of his glorious might,+ with all power, so that you may have full endurance and patience, 12 joyfully+ giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance prepared+ for the Lord’s holy people+ in the light.+ 13 He+ has rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the sovereign authority+ of his beloved Son,+ 14 in union with whom we have experienced paid release from slavery,+ the forgiveness of our sins. 15 The Son+ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,+ 16 for through him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible. Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, in the case of all things it is+ through him and for him that they have been created. 17 He is before all things, and all things through him+ hold together in their assigned place. 18 He is the head of his body, the assembly; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and so, just as planned,+ has become supreme in indeed+ every respect.+ 19 For in his Son God gladly chose to have his full nature dwell,+ 20 and through him to reconcile the whole creation to himself, by+ making peace through his blood shed on the cross—through him,+ whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. 21 This includes you.+ Although at one time you were excluded and enemies in your minds, as shown by your evil deeds,+ 22 now he has reconciled you through the death the Messiah suffered while in his lowly and mortal body,+ in order to present you as a special holy possession+ and blameless and free from accusation in his presence+— 23 if indeed you continue in faith,+ firmly established and steadfast and unmoved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed all over the world,+ and of which I, Paul, became a servant.

“Messiah in You, the Hope of Glory”

24 At present I am full of joy because of the things I am suffering in order to help and serve+ you; as I serve on the Messiah’s behalf, his sufferings are represented in this weak and mortal body of mine+ for the sake of his body, the assembly,+ 25 of which I became a servant according to the stewardship that God entrusted to me with respect to you, namely, to fully proclaim the word of God,+ 26 the mystery kept hidden for ages+ and generations but now disclosed to his holy people, 27 to whom God chose to make known the glorious riches of this mystery concerning+ the Gentiles,+ which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim the message+ about him, warning people of all kinds+ and teaching people of all kinds with wisdom of all kinds, so that we may present people of all kinds blameless+ in union with the Messiah.+ 29 To this end I work my heart out, doing everything I possibly can+ through his strength, which is at work in me so powerfully.

+1:2ἐν Κολοσσαῖς ( en kolossais) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:2πιστοῖς ( pistois) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:2“All of” is drawn from the plural “you” here.+1:2Unless otherwise marked (through superscript—ˢyou), all second person pronouns are in the second person plural.+1:2χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη ( charis kai eirēnē) is in a split focal position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and thus commas and inversion have been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:3πάντοτε ( pantote) is in P2 (see BART Display), and has therefore been placed in clause-final for extra focus and stress.+1:4The participle has been interpreted as an adverbial participle of cause. This is reflected in the translation. Cf HCSB, ISV, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT, TEV.+1:4Lit the holy ones/saints.+1:5The antecedent has been restated in the translation for clarity.+1:5Or previously heard.+1:5Or the hope of which you learned when you previously heard the word of the truth. Lit which you first heard/heard previously in/through the word of the truth. ME (see UBSHS [Col], 9).+1:6καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ( kai en panti tō kosmō) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore καὶ has been used as a spacer to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:6Or came to know.+1:6Or in truth, or truly.+1:7πιστὸς ( pistos) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display; note, though, that the BART Display is marked for focal ambiguity), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:7Or trustworthy.+1:8Or in, or by.+1:9προσευχόμενοι ( proseuchomenoi) is in a DFE position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has therefore been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:9IT. Cf CJB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT, TEV.+1:9Or in, or with.+1:10Lit to all desire to pleasing. ME (see BDAG, 129, sv ἀρεσκεία).+1:10ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ ( en panti ergō agathō) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an a comma has been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:11ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει ( en pasē dunamei) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore κατὰ τὸ κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ( kata to kratos tēs doxēs autou) has been used as a spacer to give extra focus to this element.+1:12Μετὰ χαρᾶς ( meta charas) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give extra focus and emphasis to this element.+1:12Cf TEV. “Prepare,” “to be received by,” “promised to” are all valid candidates for the verbal information compressed in the genitive here. Cf Mt 25:34; Ga 3:18; Eph 1:11; Col 3:24; Heb 6:12.+1:12Lit the holy ones/saints.+1:12Cf Ac 26:15-18.+1:13Lit who.+1:13Or to the kingdom. The contrast with ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους ( ek tēs exousias tou skotous) indicates that βασιλεία ( basileia) here is referring to the Messianic authority described in passages like Mt 28:18 and Eph 1:20-23 (exercised to prepare the saints to inherit the coming Kingdom of the Messiah), rather than to the Messianic Kingdom somehow being “realized.”+1:13Cf Mt 28:18-20; Eph 1:20-23; Php 3:20.+1:14Lit in whom we have the redemption. Maintaining consistency in translation with Eph 1:7.+1:15Lit who. “Son” is the antecedent here.+1:15Cf Ps 89:27; Rm 8:29; Heb 1:6; Re 1:5.+1:16δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ( di’ autou kai eis auton) are in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:17Or in him.+1:18The ἵνα ( hina) clause here is interpreted as functioning on the level of both purpose and result (see notes at Mt 1:22). This is reflected in the translation.+1:18ἐν πᾶσιν ( en pasin) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:18Or in everything. Cf Mt 28:18.+1:19Lit For in him he gladly chose all the fullness to dwell, or in him all the fullness gladly chose to dwell. ME (see BDAG, 829, sv 3.b.; UBSHS [Eph], 88; UBSHS [Col], 27). Cf TEV.+1:20The participle here has been interpreted as an adverbial participle of means. This is reflected in the translation. Cf LEB, HCSB, NET, NIV, NRSV.+1:20For a brief discussion of the manuscript variants here, see NET Bible Notes, Col 1:20.+1:21Lit and you, or including you. Cf NLT. Καὶ ( kai) here indicates that the information in this verse is to be processed in connection with what precedes (see ESS [Eph], 103; ESS [Col], 69).+1:21Or resulting in evil deeds, or because you did evil things. Cf NET, REB.+1:22Lit in the body of the flesh of him through death. ME (see FBT Chart C, F, G, I, M, N; notes at Rm 8:3; UBSHS [Col], 32). The first preposition is interpreted as signaling accompanying circumstance (see ESS [Col], interpretation 2; cf NASB, NJB, NLT, NRSV). This is also reflected in the translation. Cf Rm 8:3; Php 2:6-11; Heb 2:9.+1:22Lit holy. ME/IT (see Timothy Miller, “Paul’s Priestly Mission and Salvation from the Coming Wrath: A Missiological Probe of Romans 15:16 and the Question of Divine Anger through the Worldview of Leviticus” [PhD diss., Columbia International University, 2024]).+1:22Or in his sight, or before him.+1:23Or continue in the faith, or continue in your faith.+1:23Lit in all creation under the sky. ME (see BDAG, 572, sv κτίσις 2.a.; Ibid, 737, sv οὐρανός, 1.b.; UBSHS [Col], 34). Cf NLT.+1:24Here ὑπὲρ ( huper) is interpreted as a marker of benefaction. This is reflected in the translation. Cf translation and notes at 1 Th 1:5 (where a different preposition [διά ( dia)] is used, but with the same function).+1:24Lit and I fill up what is lacking/absent of the of the afflictions of the Messiah in my flesh. ME (see BDAG, 1044, ὑστέρημα 1; ESS [1 Co], 373). Cf translation and notes at 1 Co 16:17 and Php 2:30. “Flesh” is translated according to “Flesh” C, G (see FBT Chart). Cf 2 Co 2:12-17, 4:7-18.+1:24Cf 1 Co 4:6, 11:1.+1:25Or to make the word of God fully known.+1:26Or kept hidden from the spiritual powers. Maintaining consistency in translation with Eph 3:9.+1:27Or among.+1:27Cf Eph 3:6.+1:28IT (see UBSHS [Col], 41).+1:28Because of the mention of the mission to the Gentiles in the immediately preceding context (see v 27), πᾶς ( pas) here is most likely signaling a “totality of kinds or sorts” ( L-N, 58.28; cf BDAG, 784, sv πᾶς 5).+1:28Or mature.+1:28Cf Rm 1:14; 2 Co 11:2; Eph 4:13.+1:29Translating ἀγωνίζομαι ( agōnizomai) in the same way as it is translated at Lk 13:24 (see translation and notes there).