The first part of this verse is the concluding part of the sentence begun with verse 23, and further reinforces the command to Christian slaves to render genuine service to their human masters. The participle “knowing” (Revised Standard Version) can be translated “because you know” or “since you know.” In English the verb remember does not mean in this type of context that one has necessarily forgotten and later needs to have this called to mind. Rather, it suggests that the person should continue to bear something in mind. Therefore, one may begin verse 24 with the imperative “bear in mind” or “constantly realize.”

The Lord will give you (Good News Translation) has transformed the passive structure in Greek (Revised Standard Version “from the Lord you will receive”) into an active form.

As a reward what he has kept for his people translates the Greek “the reward of the inheritance,” in which the genitive “of the inheritance” defines what “the reward” is. For the word “inheritance” see in 1.12 the discussion of klēros “lot.” The reward consists of those blessings which God will bestow on his people; so instead of kept the meaning could be expressed by “promised.”

In some languages, a reward is “a special payment,” or “a payment over and above,” or “an unexpected payment,” that is to say, something which the person will receive in addition to the food and lodging which he receives as a slave.

For Christ is the real Master you serve translates a text which is variously interpreted: (1) the verb “to serve” may be read as an indicative, “you are serving” (so Lightfoot, Beare; Translator’s New Testament New International Version Barclay Phillips Goodspeed Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Bible en français courant Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or as an imperative, “you are to serve” (Moule, Lohse, Abbott, Peake; New English Bible); or (2) the Greek text (literally “to the Lord Christ”) can be read “the Lord Christ” (Revised Standard Version), which is an unusual expression (Rom 16.18 “our Lord Christ” is not identical). Most take “Christ” here as being in apposition to “the Lord,” so that the phrase means “Christ is the Lord (or Master) you serve”: so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Bible en français courant Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Goodspeed New English Bible Barclay; or else “Christ the Lord” (Jerusalem Bible New American Bible).

In this context, the translation of master depends largely upon the way in which masters is rendered in verse 22. If, for example, masters in verse 22 is rendered as “those to whom you belong,” then in verse 24 master may be rendered as “the one to whom you belong.” The entire clause may then be stated as “for Christ is the one to whom you really belong and whom you serve” or “… and the one whom you work for.”

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 .