SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2001

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:2

1:2a

saints and faithful brothers in Christ: The phrase saints and faithful brothers does not refer to two different groups of people. It refers to a single group: people who have dedicated themselves to God and who are faithful to Christ.

saints: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saints refers to all God’s people, that is, all true believers. It does not just refer to Christians who have done something special or whom the church today calls saints. Possible ways to translate saints in this verse are:

• you(plur) who are devoted to God

• you(plur) who are set apart for God

• you(plur) who belong to God

• God’s people.

See “holy,” sense A3a in Key Biblical Terms and meaning 1 in the glossary for more information.

faithful brothers: This referred to all the Christians in Colossae, both male and female. If the word you use in your language for brothers refers only to men, you should consider saying “brothers and sisters,” or using a neutral term like “relatives.” See also the note in 1:1c.

faithful: This does not mean that these people were faithful to Paul. It means that they were faithful and loyal to Christ.

in Christ: This is a phrase that Paul used in all his letters. It means “united to Christ” or “trusting completely in Christ.” It refers to the close relationship which Christians have with Christ and therefore with one another. It is often a difficult phrase to translate. Here “brothers in Christ” means “Christian brothers,” or “fellow believers in Christ.”

1:2b

Grace and peace to you from God our Father: In this greeting, Paul was expressing a strong desire or a prayer. In Greek, this part of the verse has no verb, but in your language you may need to supply a verb. For example:

I/We(excl.) pray/hope that you will receive…
-or-
May God our Father give you…

Grace: In many passages in the NT the Greek word usually translated Grace describes something that God does for sinful people. It means: “God helps people because he has compassion on them even though they do not deserve his help.” However in this verse it is part of a common Greek greeting and has a more general meaning. Therefore, you do not need to try and express the specific meaning of Grace that is described above. See “grace,” sense A1 in Key Biblical Terms and meaning 1 in the glossary for more information.

Some ways you could express this using a verb are:

May God our(incl.) Father treat you kindly
-or-
We(excl.) pray that God our(incl.) Father will help you in every way
-or-
We(excl.) ask God our(incl.) Father to bless you because of his kindness

peace: God causes his people to be at peace with him and with one another. The meaning of the Greek word includes not only inward peace of mind, but also good health and prosperity.

you: Throughout the letter the word you is always plural and refers to the Colossian believers. The only exception is in 4:17, where Paul was sending a personal message to Archippus.

© 2001 by SIL International®
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2:5

2:5a–b

although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit: Be careful that you do not translate this in a way that would cause your readers to think that Paul’s spirit had left his body and traveled to Colossae. When Paul said he was absent from you in body, he simply meant that he was physically far away from them, in a different city, hundreds of kilometers away. When he said he was present with you in spirit, he meant that he constantly thought about them and was concerned for them. In some languages it may be better to translate this as a simile. For example:

It is as if I am with you.

The Display shows some non-figurative ways to translate these phrases.

2:5c

and I delight to see: Paul could not literally see the Colossians, for he was in a different city. However, although he was far away from Colossae, he was thinking about the Colossians and it was as if he could see them. Paul knew about the Colossian believers because he had heard news from Epaphras and others. In your language it might be more natural to translate the verb see using another verb. For example:

I am happy to hear…
-or-
I am happy to know/learn ⌊from what I’ve heard⌋…

your orderly condition: Paul told the Colossian believers that he was pleased about two things. He was happy that they were orderly (2:5c), and that their faith was “firm” (2:5d). Both these words in Greek were used as military terms. The word translated orderly means “to stand together in orderly ranks,” like soldiers in a military parade. There are two ways to interpret it:

(1) The Colossian believers were united.

(SSA, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible)

(2) The Colossian believers were behaving in an orderly manner. For example:

I am glad to know you are living as you should (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1), since it fits the context better. Paul was happy to hear that the Colossian believers were united and that the false teachers had not divided them. He was happy that the Colossians had not divided into groups that believed different false teachings.

2:5d

firm faith in Christ: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates firm means “to maintain a firm position, to be unmoved.” Although there was false teaching in Colossae, the majority of the Christians had continued to trust firmly in Christ. You can translate firm faith in Christ as:

⌊I am happy to hear⌋ that your faith in Christ is strong and not changing,

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 3:14

3:14a

And over all these virtues put on love: There is no verb in this part of the verse in the Greek, so many English versions repeat the verb put on from 3:12b or use a verb with a similar meaning. Paul was continuing his figure of speech of putting on clothes. Paul was saying that love was like another piece of clothing that a believer was to put on over his other clothes to “bind them all together.” If you cannot use this figure of speech in your translation, you could say:

And above everything else, be truly loving…. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
As well as all this, the most important thing is that you should love one another…

these virtues: A virtue refers to a correct way of behaving and in this case refers back to the kinds of behavior in 3:12b–13c.

3:14b

which is the bond of perfect unity: There are two opinions about what love binds together:

(1) It is the bond between Christians. For example:

Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), SSA)

(2) The bond of perfect unity is the virtues that Paul had just mentioned. Most English versions imply this by saying something like this:

binds everything together (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). In 3:11 Paul stressed the fact that God accepts all Christians even though they come from different social classes or nations. Therefore, it seems that here in 3:14b also he was emphasizing that people with these differences can only be perfectly united if they truly love one another.

is the bond of: This may also be expressed: “you will become one group,” or “you will live in harmony with each other.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:13

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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2:16

Paragraph 2:16–19

Theme: Paul told the Colossians not to believe the teachings of those people who wanted them to obey their rules. They should trust only in Christ.

2:16a

Therefore: The same Greek word oun that Paul used at the beginning of 2:6a is used here. It shows that Paul was beginning again to urge the Colossians to do something based on what he had just said. If you need to clarify this connection to the previous paragraph, you could begin this paragraph: “So then, based on what I have said, I urge you…”

let no one judge you: Apparently there were people in Colossae who believed and taught that Christians must obey certain laws and customs. If a Christian did not obey these rules, these people criticized/condemned him and said that he was not behaving as a Christian should. Another way to say this is “Do not pay attention to people who criticize you…”

no one: In some languages it may be better to translate this using a plural: “Do not let any people criticize you…” Paul was referring to any person or group of people that was criticizing the believers in Colossae and trying to make them believe that they needed to do more than just believe in Christ in order to be saved.

2:16b

by what you eat or drink: These false teachers were saying that people should not eat certain foods or drink certain drinks. These rules may have been those that the Jews followed (for example, the Jews were not allowed to eat blood or the meat from pigs and certain other animals), or other general rules similar to the Jewish rules. If you have words in your language for these kind of food taboos, you may be able to use those terms here.

2:16c

or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath: The false teachers also taught that, in order to be holy, people must obey rules about what they could do on certain days. These again were probably like the Jewish customs.

a feast: The Jews celebrated several yearly festivals, for example, Passover, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul was probably referring to annual celebrations like these.

a New Moon: The Jews also had special ceremonies each month when the New Moon appeared. The new moon is the term for the moon on the night after the moon is completely dark, when a small piece of the moon begins to be bright again.

a Sabbath: Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath (day of rest). It was a special day for the Jews; they did not work that day and had special ceremonies. See “Sabbath” in Key Biblical Terms and the glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 3:25

3:25a

Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong: In this verse Paul was warning slaves who might be lazy or try to steal from their masters or do other wrong things. Since Paul was still speaking directly to the slaves, in some languages it may be more natural to use the second person (“you”) here. For example:

But if any of you do wrong deeds, you will be repaid for your wrong.

be repaid: This is a passive, but Paul meant that God would repay them. This means that God would punish these people because of the wrong things they had done.

3:25b

and there is no favoritism: Paul said almost the same thing in Romans 2:11. (The same Greek word for favoritism is also used in Luke 20:21 and James 2:9.) Paul meant that God does not favor one person more than another. This means that he does not distinguish unjustly between people by treating some people better than others. He will judge every person fairly/impartially.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:24

Section 1:24–2:5

Paul told about the way he worked hard to tell the gospel to the non-Jews

Theme: Paul willingly suffered and worked hard so that the Colossians, most of whom were not Jews, would understand the true message about Christ so thoroughly that no one would be able to deceive them.

Paragraph 1:24–29

Theme: Paul willingly suffered so that the Colossians, most of whom were not Jews, would know the message about Christ.

1:24a

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you: Paul was writing about what he had suffered. Here is another way to translate this clause:

And now I am happy about my sufferings for you (Good News Translation)

I rejoice: Paul was not saying that he enjoyed suffering. Rather he was saying that he was willing to suffer for the Christians in Colossae and other places.

for you: The words for you mean “in order to help you,” or “to benefit you.” In this section, 1:24–2:5, Paul spoke mainly about his work to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (those who were not Jews), and so the pronoun you means, “you Gentile Christians.”

The reason Paul had been suffering was that when he preached the gospel, especially to the Gentiles, his enemies had often persecuted him and put him in prison.

1:24b

I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions: This is a difficult expression to understand and scholars disagree about what it means. It is not possible in these notes to explain all the different possibilities. Because of this, these notes present one major view among the many. For other views, you need to consult commentaries.

I fill up: The Greek verb antanaplērō that the Berean Standard Bible translates I fill up means, “I complete (something) by adding what is lacking.” Here it means, “I am completing what Christ has appointed for me to suffer,” or “I am completing my responsibility to suffer [on behalf of Christ].” Paul did this willingly (see the note on 1:24a).

in my flesh: This means that Paul was writing about physical suffering (see Good News Translation).

what is lacking: This clause implies what Christ taught, that is, that all Christians will suffer persecution. So here Paul meant that he was suffering what still needed to be suffered.

in regard to Christ’s afflictions: The Greek word thlipsis that the Berean Standard Bible translates afflictions is not used in the NT to refer to what Christ suffered when he died on the cross. It refers to the persecution, difficulties, and other physical and emotional hardships that Christians suffer. For example, it is used in Matthew 24:9, John 16:33, and Revelation 7:14.

Biblical scholars have different opinions about what the phrase Christ’s afflictions means in this context. The three most common opinions are as follows:

(1) “⌊I am suffering⌋ on behalf of Christ.”

(2) “⌊I am suffering⌋ the sufferings of Christ”—that is, “through my suffering, as a member of the body of Christ, it is as if Christ himself were suffering.”

(3) “⌊I am suffering⌋ in the same way Christ suffered.”

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Since Paul was writing about his own sufferings, it seems more likely that he was saying that he was suffering on behalf of Christ, that is, for the sake of Christ. (See Acts 9:16.)

Paul was not saying that what Christ suffered on the cross lacked something. This would imply that Jesus’ death was not sufficient to save those who believe in him. Your translation should be worded carefully to avoid suggesting this.

1:24c

His body, which is the church: See the notes on body and church in 1:18a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 3:4

3:4

Paul contrasts 3:4 with 3:3. He was saying that now (while we are living on earth), the new life that we have because we are united with Christ is hidden (people cannot see it). But in the future, “when Christ…appears,” then our new life will no longer be hidden, everyone will be able to see it.

3:4a

Christ, who is your life: In many languages, a literal translation of this phrase will not provide the correct meaning to readers. This phrase contains the following ideas:

(a) Christ is the source of your new, spiritual life.

(b) Christ is the one who causes you to have this new life.

(d) Christ alone causes your life to have real meaning.

The first two are probably the best ways to translate the central meaning. If you need to include this implicit information, you could translate:

When Christ who ⌊gives you real/new⌋ life…
-or-
When Christ who is ⌊the source of⌋ your spiritual life

your life: There is a textual problem with this phrase:

(1) Some Greek texts say “your life.”

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts say “our life.”

(Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, King James Version, Revised English Bible)

The first option has the best support (1) and it is recommended that you translate this “your life.”

appears: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates appears can also be translated “be revealed.” Paul was referring to the future when Jesus will return to earth and show/reveal his power and glory.

3:4b

you also will appear with Him: In the future, when Christ returns to earth and is revealed to everyone, all believers will be with him and everyone will see them—their life that is united to Christ will no longer be hidden.

in glory: This is a difficult phrase to understand. There are two main interpretations:

(1) It refers to the state of Christ and his followers when they appear, that is, they will all have “glorious” bodies, perfect and free from sin.

(2) It refers to the manner in which Christ and his followers will appear. When Christ returns, he will come with all God’s visible glory—the brightness and light of heaven. The believers who are with him will share this glory.

In Colossae the false teachers were teaching that the only way for Christians to be perfect was to obey all the rules they were taught. It seems that Paul was saying that when believers appear with Christ, everyone will see that they are perfect and free from sin. The perfection is because they have died with Christ and were raised with him (3:1,3), not because of any rules they have obeyed. Therefore, it is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

It probably will not be possible to include the complete meaning of this phrase in your translation. One way to include both interpretations is to say, “share his glory” (Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004)). Also, see “glory” in Key Biblical Terms and meaning 3 in the glossary for more information.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2001