Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
{Or, to those that are at Colossae, holy and faithful brethren in Christ}to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,
because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel,
which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on {Many ancient authorities read your.}our behalf,
who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
to walk worthily of the Lord {Or, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit and increasing &c.}unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing {Or, by}in the knowledge of God;
{Greek: made powerful.}strengthened {Or, in}with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all {Or, stedfastness}patience and longsuffering with joy;
giving thanks unto the Father, who made {Some ancient authorities read you.}us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
and he is before all things, and in him all things {That is, hold together.}consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; {Or, that among all he might have &c.}that in all things he might have the preeminence.
{Or, For the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him}For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
and through him to reconcile all things {Or, into him}unto {Or, him}himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
yet now {Some ancient authorities read ye have been reconciled.}hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;
whereof I was made a minister, according to the {Or, stewardship See 1 Corinthians 9:17}dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
even the mystery which hath been hid for {Or, from all the ages &c. Greek: from the ages and from the generations.}ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,
to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me {Or, in power}mightily.
Querverweise zu Kolosser 1,28 Kol 1,28
and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus:
To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it.
O ye simple, understand prudence;And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
yet now {Some ancient authorities read ye have been reconciled.}hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to {Greek: bring good tidings of. See chapter 13:32; 14:15}preach Jesus as the Christ.
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.
Behold, the day, behold, it cometh: thy doom is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
For I am jealous over you with {Greek: a jealously of God.}a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, {Or, both rightousness and sanctification and redemption}and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.
then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come, and take any person from among them; he is taken away {Or, for}in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die {Or, for}in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die {Or, for}in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he {Or, gave ear}pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.
that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preached unto him Jesus.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming {Or, for baptism}to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you {Greek: all the days.}always, even unto {Or, the consummation of the age.}the end of the world.
We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, nor of the rulers of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, who are coming to nought:
till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.
For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.
And he came forth and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
But he that is spiritual {Or, examineth}judgeth all things, and he himself is {Or, examined}judged of no man.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
{Many ancient authorities read He sent the word unto.}The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching {Or, the gospel}good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all.) —
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you {Or, overseers}bishops, to feed the church of {Some ancient authorities, including the two oldest manuscripts read God.}the Lord which he {Greek: acquired.}purchased with his own blood.
And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
make you perfect in every good {Many ancient authorities read work.}thing to do his will, working in {Many ancient authorities read you.}us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory {Greek: unto the ages of the ages.}for ever and ever. Amen.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the {Many ancient authorities read Grecian Jews. See chapter 6:1.}Greeks also, {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching the Lord Jesus.
Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.
The {Or, overseer}bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins:
I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
And the Lord's {Greek: bondservant.}servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.
that no man {Or, overreach}transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we {Or, told you plainly}forewarned you and testified.
in meekness {Or, instructing}correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth,
And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of {Or, foreign divinities}strange {Greek: demons.}gods: because he {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preached Jesus and the resurrection.
But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all.
{Some ancient authorities omit verse 25-27. Compare the end of chapter 14.}Now to him that is able to establish you according to my {See marginal note on chapter 1:1}gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal,
but we preach {Or, a Messiah}Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;
Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your {Greek: bondservants. Compare 1 Corinthians 9:19.}servants {Some ancient authorities read through Jesus.}for Jesus' sake.
For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we {Or, were the first to come}came even as far as unto you in the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 2:12.}gospel of Christ:
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to {Greek: bring good tidings of the &c. Compare chapter 2:17.}preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
{Or, they that are moved by love do it, knowing &c.}the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, but they that are factious proclaim Christ, not &c.}but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; {The word God, in place of He who, rests on no sufficient ancient evidence. Some ancient authorities read which.}He who was manifested in the flesh,Justified in the spirit,Seen of angels,Preached among the {Or, Gentiles}nations,Believed on in the world,Received up in glory.