Since marks the transition to a new section; it is to be understood in the logical, not temporal, sense; “because,” “in view of the fact that.” Accepted translates the verb paralambanō, which is often used with personal objects in the sense of taking to oneself or along with oneself. It is also the verb which means to receive teachings or instructions as part of a “tradition” (the verb paradidōmi “to transmit” being the complement of paralambanō “to receive”). The verb is often used in this sense in Paul’s Epistles (1 Cor 11.23; 15.1, 3; Gal 1.9, 12; Phil 4.9; 1 Thes 2.13; 4.1; 2 Thes 3.6). Only here in Paul’s Epistles does the verb have a personal object, and so some see here the meaning “accept the Christian message about Christ Jesus” (A&G s.v. 2.b.γ; Lightfoot, Abbott, Moule). Translators have not attempted to bring this out explicitly, except Barclay: “the tradition you have received” (is that of Jesus as Messiah and Lord); compare Translator’s New Testament note on “receive.” A translation that attempts this should say something like, “because you have received the Christian confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, ….”
A literal rendering of you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord suggests in some languages that Jesus Christ was not actually Lord, that is to say, a person is accepted as something even though he is not that individual. Therefore, it may be important to change the expression in verse 6 to read something like “you have acknowledged Christ Jesus as your Lord,” or “you have stated, Christ Jesus is my Lord,” or “you have acknowledged the fact that Christ Jesus is your Lord.”
Christ Jesus as Lord: there is the widest possible diversity of opinion over the precise meaning of the Greek phrase: (1) Jesus as Christ and Lord (Moule, Barclay New English Bible); (2) Christ Jesus the Lord (Lohse; Revised Standard Version New American Bible Phillips); (3) Christ Jesus as Lord (Peake; Good News Translation Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Translator’s New Testament New International Version Bible en français courant); (4) the Christ, Jesus the Lord (Lightfoot, Abbott; Moffatt Jerusalem Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); (5) the Christ, Jesus, as (your) Lord (Goodspeed); (6) the Lord Jesus Christ (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).
Live in union with him: for the verb see 1.10; for the prepositional phrase see 1.2. It may be quite unusual in some languages to render live as an imperative, since a word such as “live” may suggest mere existence, and this is something which does not seem appropriate in a imperative form. Furthermore, the meaning of live in this context relates to behavior or the manner of life, and therefore, it may be preferable to translate “conduct yourself as one who is linked to him” or “… who is in union with him.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .