Section 1:13–23
Jesus Christ is greater than everything
In this section, Paul stated these things: Jesus is equal to God in every way. He has always been with God and he (with God) created the world. God has freed Christians from the power of Satan and has placed them under the rule of his Son, Christ Jesus. God has accepted those who believe in Jesus as his own people. This was possible because Jesus died on the cross instead of them.
Paragraph 1:13–14
Theme: God has delivered Christians from the power of Satan and placed them under the protection of his Son.
1:13–14 are transitional verses. It is difficult to decide whether these verses should be the end of the previous section (1:9–12), or the beginning of the next section (1:15–20). In most English versions 1:13–14 are part of the same section as 1:9–12 (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004)). However, the SSA gives good reasons why a new section should begin at 1:13.
1:9–12 was Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. In 1:13–14 Paul was no longer praying, rather he was writing about how God had redeemed those who believed in Jesus. So it seems best to begin a new section at 1:13, not at 1:15. If the national language translation in your country has the section break at 1:15 and you feel you must follow that, you should at least start a new paragraph at 1:13.
1:13a
Some English versions add the word “For” to clarify the connection between verses 12 and 13. In 1:12, Paul said that God had made the Colossians worthy to share all that he had prepared for his people. In 1:13, Paul began to explain how God did this.
He has rescued us: A literal translation of the Greek is “who rescued us.” The “who” refers back to God the Father in 1:12.
the dominion of darkness: This contrasts with the phrase “in the light” in 1:12. Here darkness is a figure of speech for the evil power of Satan who rules over people who do not believe in Jesus. If darkness is not used as a figure of speech for evil in your language, here is another way to translate this verse part:
he delivered us from the ⌊evil⌋ power of ⌊Satan who is the ruler of⌋ evil/darkness
1:13b
brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates brought means “change, remove, move from one place to another.” When a person becomes a Christian, God removes him from the kingdom where Satan rules, to a different kingdom, the kingdom of His beloved Son.
kingdom of His beloved Son: This means the kingdom where Jesus rules. See meaning 1 of “kingdom” in the glossary.
His beloved Son: The phrase His beloved Son refers to Jesus. It is the short form of the title, “the Son of God.” This title was often used to refer to a savior who would be a descendant of King David. God would send this savior to rescue his people. This person was often referred to as the “Messiah” or “Christ.”
The title “the Son of God” also indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. The relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. The Son of God existed eternally as the Son with his Father.
In areas where people do not understand the title “the Son of God” in this way, you may want to include a footnote that explains the correct meaning. Here is a suggested footnote:
The title “the Son” or “the Son of God” refers to Jesus. It indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It does not mean that God the Father had a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. Mary became pregnant with Jesus in a miraculous way by the Holy Spirit of God.
In some languages, it is natural to speak of a son as a “child,” without specifying male or female. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general term, such as:
the Child
-or-
the Child of God
Other verses will usually make clear that Jesus was a male child. If you use a phrase such as “the male child,” be sure that it does not imply that God had another child who was female.
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