Paul speaks of his sufferings on behalf of the Colossians, which can be understood only in a general sense of his hardships and troubles in his work as the apostle to the Gentiles, since he has had no personal contact with the Christians in Colossae.

Since the relationship between sufferings and being happy is essentially one of cause and effect, it may be important to make this quite explicit, for example, “my sufferings on your behalf have caused me to be happy” or “I am happy that I may now suffer for you.” This may be far more meaningful than to say “happy about my sufferings.”

By means of my physical sufferings may be expressed in some languages by a clause introduced by “because,” for example, “because I suffer in my body” or simply “because I am suffering,” in which case a verb for “suffering” should indicate physical suffering.

Now … my sufferings denotes his situation as a prisoner (4.10, 18). The relationship between Paul’s sufferings and what still remains of Christ’s sufferings is not easily understood. I am helping to complete translates a double compound verb (antanaplēroō), found only here in the NT. The simple verb plēroō means “fill, fulfill,” and the single compound anaplēroō is an emphatic form, “fill completely.” The added preposition anti “in the place of” or “on behalf of” indicates that this is done in the place of or on behalf of someone else. So here it means “complete, on Christ’s behalf” or “in the place of Christ.”

The expression Christ’s sufferings may be understood more in a qualitative than in a literal sense; that is to say, these are “the kinds of suffering which Christ endured.” In this way, one may avoid the impression that what Christ suffered was inadequate for atonement. One may, therefore, translate I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings as “I am helping to complete the suffering which must be endured in the way Christ suffered” or “there is much suffering which people must endure and I am suffering in the way in which Christ suffered in order to complete the suffering which is necessary.”

Christ’s sufferings: the Greek for sufferings is here a different word from the one Paul uses for his own sufferings; it is possible that this word (thlipsis) was a technical term for the “tribulation” of the Messianic era, which would precede the end. What still remains translates a plural noun, literally, “the things lacking,” “the deficiencies,” and the plural, as such, states that there are sufferings still to be endured by Christ. In no sense, does Paul mean that Christ’s suffering and death for the redemption of mankind was not sufficient; what is meant is that in the service of Christ his servants are called upon to suffer as he did; suffering is an integral part of the ministry of Christ’s servants, as it was of Christ himself. Barclay translates “the uncompleted sufferings which the work of Christ still entails.”

Paul’s sufferings are physical (lit. “in the flesh”), and they are on behalf of the church. There are two different ways of construing the phrase: (1) Paul’s physical sufferings are on behalf of the church: Revised Standard Version Twentieth Century New Testament New International Version Translator’s New Testament New English Bible Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; (2) Christ’s sufferings are on behalf of the church: Good News Translation Moffatt Goodspeed Phillips Jerusalem Bible New American Bible. Although it is impossible to state dogmatically which is intended, it seems more probable that the former is meant. It should be mentioned that some commentators and translations connect the phrase “in my flesh” to the immediately preceding “the afflictions of Christ”; they take this to mean that the afflictions of Christ are in the body of Paul; so Abbott; Moffatt “all that Christ has to suffer in my body,” and as an alternative rendering in Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; this, however, does not seem very probable.

If one wishes to make clear that it is Paul’s suffering in this context which is on behalf of the church, it may be necessary to introduce a separate clause, for example, “this suffering of mine is on behalf of the church, which is Christ’s body.”

For his body, the church, see verse 18.

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 .

The phrase at one time must not be interpreted as reference to a specific time but a way of speaking of former time, equivalent in many languages to “previously” or “at an earlier time.”

You yourselves is a possible translation of the Greek kai humeis; or it could be “you, also (as well as other Gentiles)” (see Translator’s New Testament). An equivalent of the emphatic you yourselves may be expressed in some languages as “you are the very ones who.” For live see 1.10, 2.6.

According to such desires represents the Greek “in these” (see Revised Standard Version), the pronoun being read as neuter, referring to the sins or vices of verses 5-6. Some, however, contend that if the longer text of verse 6 is read (that is, with the clause “upon those who do not obey him”), then the pronoun is demonstrably masculine, meaning “among such people you once lived,” but this does not necessarily follow (see Lightfoot, Beare, and others).

Used to live according to such desires must often be restructured so as to read “such desires controlled you,” or “such desires caused you to live as you did,” or “because you had such desires, you lived as you did.”

When your life was dominated by them: the Greek is literally “when you lived in them” (Revised Standard Version), but more would appear to be involved than merely an exact repetition of the first part of the sentence. Though the expression when your life was dominated by them does seem to involve more than what is expressed in the previous statement, it is essentially a means of emphasizing the previous clause, and accordingly it may be possible to coalesce the two statements into a single one by making the combined statement more emphatic. This may be done in some cases by adding adverbial expressions such as “completely” or “entirely.”

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 .

With this verse Paul asks the Colossians to extend his greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, and also to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. It must be assumed that Nympha and the Christians associated with her are also in Laodicea, which would mean that besides the Christian group in Laodicea addressed as “the brothers,” there is also this other Christian community. Beare suggests that Nympha and her group were possibly the church at Hierapolis or a rural congregation in the neighborhood.

It is uncertain whether the person named is a woman, Nympha or a man, “Nymphas.” The decision rests on whether the pronoun to be read is “his” or “her”; the name itself in the Greek text can be accented either as a feminine or a masculine noun. Most commentators and translations prefer the feminine (Moule prefers the masculine). There is another variant reading, “their house,” which Lightfoot prefers and explains as the house of Nymphas and his friends. For other examples of home-groups, see Rom 16.5 and 1 Cor 16.19 (Priscilla and Aquila); Philemon 2 (Philemon). Early Christians had no special houses of worship and met for worship in homes.

Give our best wishes to the brothers in Laodicea may be rendered as “tell the brothers in Laodicea how much we wish the best for them.”

In this context the rendering of church must obviously refer to a group of believers. It cannot refer to a building. However, the church as a group of believers implies worshiping together, and therefore by redistributing some of the meaningful components of this term, it is possible to translate the church that meets in her house as “the believers who regularly worship God in her house.”

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 .

In some languages it may be quite impossible to begin a document with the phrase “from Paul,” especially when Paul is himself the writer of the letter, that it to say, it may not be possible for an author to speak of himself in the third person. The identification of the writer may require a first person singular pronoun followed by a verb indicating “writing,” for example, “I Paul write to….”

Paul’s status as an apostle of Christ Jesus is the result of God’s doing; it was God who made Paul an apostle (2 Cor 1.1, Eph 1.1, and 2 Tim 1.1 have the identical phrase; Rom 1.1 has “a called apostle,” and 1 Cor 1.1 “a called apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God”). Apostle is literally “messenger” and has the meaning of a representative, with the commission and authority to act in the name and on behalf of the one who has sent him; he is not simply one who delivers a message and nothing else.

The phrase by God’s will may be rendered in some languages as “this is what God wanted” or “this is what God planned.” In other instances, it may be better to restructure God’s will as a causative, for example, “God caused me to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.”

The relationship between apostle and Christ Jesus must be expressed in some languages as “an apostle sent by Christ Jesus” or “an apostle especially commissioned by Christ Jesus.” Though the term apostle may be rendered by a word meaning simply “messenger,” it is important to avoid the connotation of “errand boy.” The importance of the message communicated by the apostle, as well as the special relationship between the apostle and the one who sent him, must be appropriately reflected. Sometimes this can be done by a phrase, “one who is sent with a special message.”

Since the role of our brother Timothy is secondary in the writing of this letter, it may be useful to indicate this fact by some such phrase as “our brother Timothy joins me in greeting you” or “… in sending this letter to you.”

It may be essential to avoid a word such as brother, since this might refer only to individuals of the same family. An appropriate equivalent is sometimes “our fellow Christian Timothy” or “Timothy who is also a Christian together with us.” The rendering of our would of course be an inclusive first person plural if a distinction is made between so-called inclusive and exclusive first person plurals.

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 .

The verse is built on four participles which modify the main verb “live” (in verse 6). To imitate the Greek construction of the sentence (verses 6-7) makes it intolerably long and difficult to follow; so it is better to break it up, as Good News Translation has done, and start a new sentence in verse 7. Since these participial constructions introduce essentially the means by which one may live in union with Christ, it is possible to begin verse 7 by saying “you can do this by keeping your roots deep in him and by building your lives….”

Paul uses two figurative expressions: (1) “to be rooted in” (only here and Eph 3.17), the figure of a tree or plant; (2) “being built upon” (compare 1 Cor 3.10, 12, 14; Eph 2.20; 1 Peter 2.5; Jude 20), the figure of a building. Christ is the “soil” into which the roots sink and also the “foundation” upon which the building stands.

The more or less unusual nature of these figurative expressions may require in a number of languages the introduction of similes instead of metaphors, for example, “you should have, as it were, your roots deep in him, and you should build, as it were, your lives on him….” The introduction of an expression such as “as it were” will immediately alert the reader to understand the expression in a figurative sense. If neither a metaphor or a simile can be employed, it may be possible to render keep your roots deep in him as “remain firmly united to him,” and one may render build your lives on him as “as you develop in your life you should be more dependent on him” or “how you live should depend more and more on what he tells you to do.”

Become stronger: the verb bebaioō (be or make firm, strong) is used by Paul elsewhere only in 1 Cor 1.6, 8; 2 Cor 1.21, and emphasizes constancy, firmness, solidity. In your faith does not refer to a body of doctrines or belief, but to a living relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. Some (compare Lightfoot, Beare) take tē pistei as instrumental, “by means of your faith” (so Phillips); Jerusalem Bible has “held firm by the faith” (similarly Barclay).

Rather than saying become stronger in your faith, it may be more appropriate to render this expression as “believe more and more firmly” or “put your confidence in Christ all the more.” The strength of confidence may, in some instances, be expressed negatively as “become completely unmovable in your confidence.”

As you were taught: most take this to modify the three preceding participles (“being rooted … being built upon … being firm”); some, however, take it to modify only the immediately preceding one “becoming stronger in the faith.” Some join it to the noun “faith”: “the faith that you were taught” (Jerusalem Bible New English Bible Barclay), but this does not seem very likely. The teacher here would be Epaphras (see 1.7). In order to relate as you were taught to the three preceding imperatives, it may be possible to state “you were taught all this,” or “this is what you were taught,” or “you were taught to do just this.”

Be filled with thanksgiving: a typical Pauline stress on joy or thanksgiving as the hallmark of genuine Christian faith (see 3.16-17).

Some good manuscripts have here “abounding en autē (“in it,” feminine) in thanksgiving,” which gives the meaning “abounding in the faith in thanksgiving” (so King James Version); others have “abounding en autō (in him) in thanksgiving,” which means “abounding in Christ in thanksgiving” (so Vulgate). The vast majority of commentators and translations prefer the text as in United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament.

Though in both Greek and Hebrew it is quite common to speak of being “filled” with a particular emotion or experience, this is a relatively rare figurative expression in many languages. The abundance of thanksgiving may, however, be expressed by saying “be very thankful indeed,” or “express your thankfulness much,” or “show very much how thankful you are.”

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 .

Love (compare 3.14). Though in this context love relates to the relationship between husband and wife, it should not focus upon sexual attraction but upon “tender care for,” equivalent in some languages to “show tender appreciation for.” As in the case of wives, it may also be important to address husbands as “you men who are married.”

Unless the translation is carefully worded, it may in some languages suggest that a husband should have more than one wife (the same type of problem may also occur in verse 18); therefore, it may be necessary to translate husbands, love your wives as “each of your husbands should love his wife.” Similarly, then, in the second part of the sentence the translation should read, “do not be harsh with her.”

Be harsh translates the verb pikrainō, “to make bitter,” used literally in Rev 8.11, 10.9, 10. Here it is used figuratively “be embittered against, be cruel to, be harsh with” (so most translations). Do not be harsh may be rendered idiomatically as “do not treat her like a maid” or “do not make a slave of her.”

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 .

To be condemned translates the Greek katabrabeuō (compare brabeuō in 3.15, see brabeion, “prize,” in 1 Cor 9.24, Phil 3.14), which appears only here in the NT. It means “to give an adverse decision” or “to deprive of the rightful prize,” and is formed from brabeus, the judge or umpire at athletic contests. This expression has been handled in several ways: “disqualify you for the prize” (New International Version), “rob you of your reward” (Translator’s New Testament), “cheat you out of your joy” (Phillips), “do not allow yourselves to be deprived of victory” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

In view of the figurative meaning of the Greek katabrabeuō, one can readily see why and how a number of different English translations have employed quite different figures of speech, in contrast with the Good News Translation which reads Do not allow yourselves to be condemned. One might also employ “do not permit anyone else to take away from you what is rightfully yours,” or “… what really belongs to you,” or “… what should be your reward.”

The description that follows of these “umpires” is not easy to understand, and several interpretations are possible. It is expressed by three participial clauses, “insisting … taking his stand … being puffed up.” The first clause is translated by Revised Standard Version “insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels.” The verb used here (thelō) ordinarily means “to wish,” but here, with the preposition en “in,” it is taken to be the Greek equivalent of a Hebrew expression meaning “to take pleasure in” (so Lohse, A&G 4b, Lightfoot, Moule; compare Translator’s New Testament New International Version Barclay Bible en français courant Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); others translate “of his own will” (Abbott, so Beare “as he wills,” not as God wills); Goodspeed has “persisting,” and Revised Standard Version Good News Translation New American Bible have “insist on.”

There may be complications involved in a translation of who insists on, since this could mean “insists on for his own use” or “insists on other persons being involved in something.” Since Paul is here condemning false teachers, it is important to indicate that these are individuals who “insist on others displaying false humility and worshiping angels.”

The word “humility” is here used in a bad sense, that is, humility which is only superficial, not genuine; so Good News Translation Phillips New International Version have false humility; some take the word as a technical term for “fasting” (Moule, Moffatt); Translator’s New Testament Barclay have “asceticism” and New English Bible “self mortification.”

The worship of angels: in this phrase angels are the object of worship. The worship of angels may be expressed as “bowing down before angels,” or “praying to angels as though they were gods,” or “treating angels as though they are gods.”

Claims to be superior because of special visions translates a relative clause for which there are the most varied explanations possible. (Later manuscripts add the negative adverb; so King James Version “intruding into those things which he hath not seen.”) Commentaries should be consulted for possible meanings and suggested emendations of the text. Many base their interpretation on the use of the verb embateuō (see A&G for four meanings) in the mystery rites, which refers to entering the sanctuary after initiation, and so in this passage it describes those false teachers at Colossae as people who pride themselves on their superior status by virtue of the visions they had had. Lohse understands it to mean “as he has had visions of them (that is, the angels) during the mystery rites,” Moffatt “presuming on his vision,” Translator’s New Testament “insists on the importance of his visions,” Jerusalem Bible “are always going on about some visions they have had.” Following this line of interpretation, it would seem that these false teachers were claiming superior status as the result of mystical visions in which they had apprehended reality, something which is denied to those who have not been similarly initiated into the cult.

Claims to be superior may be rendered as “says that he is better than other people,” or “says that he is more important than others,” or perhaps “says that he knows more then others.”

In some languages, no distinction is made between dreams and visions, but in general there is a distinction between those particular visual forms which appear at night and those which come in the daytime or as the result of some particular ecstatic experience. Sometimes visions are spoken of as “dreams in the daytime.” In other instances, they may be called “dreams which reveal” or “dreams which have truth.” At any rate, one must avoid a term which simply suggests a nightmare.

Puffed up (see also 1 Cor 4.6, 18, 19; 5.2; 8.1; 13.4) is used metaphorically, “to puff up with pride,” that is, “to be vain, conceited, proud.” For no reason at all, such a person is all puffed up may be rendered as “such a person is all puffed up, but he has no reason for being so” or “… he cannot justify his being puffed up.” In general, however, one cannot reproduce the figurative expression “puffed up,” since this may very well be taken literally. However, one can often employ an equivalent type of idiom, for example, “they beat their breasts” (an expression often used in Africa to express pride and conceit), or “they pat themselves on the back,” or even “they say they are great.”

Human way of thinking is literally “the mind of his flesh.” New English Bible has “worldly minds,” New International Version “unspiritual mind,” Moule “his materialistic or sensuous outlook,” Beare “a mind which lacks spiritual enlightenment.” By his human way of thinking may be rendered as “because of the way he thinks just like all other people” or “because he is just like everyone else in the way in which he thinks.” The unspiritual aspect of such thinking may be expressed in some languages as “because in his thinking he never thinks about God.” In some instances, it may be important to indicate quite clearly the fact that the phrase by his human way of thinking is essentially an aspect of means, and this may be introduced sometimes as the subject of a verb of cause, for example, “his thinking just like all other people think causes him to be very proud, but there is no real reason at all for him being proud.” This type of restructuring of relationships within the sentence may seem rather radical, and yet it expresses clearly the meaning of the underlying text.

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 .