Section 1:1–2

Paul greeted the Colossian believers

Paragraph 1:1–2

1:1a

Paul: Greek people usually began letters by just writing their name, as Paul did here. Then they would state the name of the person to whom they were writing. Today people do not usually start letters in this way, so you may need to use a greeting that is more natural in your language. For example, you could use a phrase in which Paul refers to himself in the first person. For example:

I, Paul, write this letter.
-or-

This letter is from me, Paul,

1:1b

apostle: An apostle was a person whom Jesus had appointed or commissioned to represent him and to teach his message with authority. See the term “apostle” in the glossary and in Key Biblical Terms. If the term you choose for apostle means simply “messenger,” make sure that it does not refer to a person who only delivers a message and then has no further responsibility for the message. An apostle not only taught the message about Christ, but he also had the authority to act on behalf of Christ. He was an ambassador for Christ.

Christ Jesus: In this letter Paul usually referred to Jesus by the name Christ Jesus or “Christ.” He used “Jesus Christ” only once (1:3). The Greek word christos, which is written “Christ” in English, means “Messiah.” However, by the time Paul wrote this letter, people were already using the word “Christ” as another name for Jesus, rather than a title. Most scholars, therefore, believe that there is no difference in meaning between the terms “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ.”

Most English versions (as well as other national language translations) translate “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” using the same order as the Greek text in each instance. Throughout the Display, the names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” follow the word order of the Greek text.

But if the people who read your translation would be confused by the different order of the names, you may decide to use the more familiar order “Jesus Christ” here and in the other places where the Greek text has “Christ Jesus.”

by the will of God: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates the will of God means what God wants and desires. Paul wanted to clarify that when he called himself an apostle, it was not because he had decided that for himself. It was God who had chosen him to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

Paul was emphasizing his authority by using the phrases “apostle of Christ Jesus” and by the will of God together. You should connect these two phrases in a way that shows this emphasis. The SSA has expressed the relationship between the two phrases as:

an apostle who represents/was-appointed-by Christ Jesus, because God chose ⌊me in order that I should be an apostle⌋

1:1c

Timothy: Timothy was with Paul when he was writing this letter. One possible reason his name was mentioned here may be that Paul dictated the letter to Timothy and Timothy wrote down what he said, but we do not know that for certain. Biblical scholars generally agree that Paul alone was the author of the letter and that Timothy did not contribute to the content.

One way you could translate this part of the verse to avoid implying that Timothy was a co-author would be to say:

I, Paul, together with our(incl.) brother Timothy, am sending this letter to you…

brother: Since God is the Father of all Christians, all Christians are like brothers and sisters. Therefore, people in the NT frequently use the word brother when referring to a fellow Christian. You should translate this term literally in your translation if possible. However, in some languages the word brother can only refer to a blood relative. If this is a problem in your language, you could use a term meaning “fellow Christian.”

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