SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2001 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 4:12

4:12a

Epaphras: This is the same Epaphras that Paul mentioned in chapter 1. See the note on Epaphras in 1:7a.

who is one of you: This is the same thing that Paul said about Onesimus in 4:9b. See the note there.

a servant of Christ Jesus: See the note on 1:7b.

4:12b

He is always wrestling in prayer for you: To be wrestling in prayer is a figure of speech. It means, “He prays earnestly/fervently.” Epaphras prayed so fervently because he cared deeply about his friends in Colossae.

4:12c

so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God: Scholars do not agree about how to connect the phrase in the full will of God to the rest of the verse. There are two main views:

(1) It should be connected to fully assured, as in the Berean Standard Bible. See SSA.

(Berean Standard Bible, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible).

(2) It should be connected to the verb stand mature. This is what the New International Version and Good News Translation have done.

(New International Version, Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) since it is the easiest way to understand the Greek text.

stand: This figure of speech means “to do something without changing or stopping.”

mature: The Greek word means, “to be full-grown, mature, complete, perfect.” Paul used the same word in 1:28c when he said, “so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” See the note on that verse. Here it means, “to be mature spiritually.” That is, Epaphras had been praying that the Colossians would become mature Christians, strong in their faith. If they were spiritually mature, the false teachers would not easily persuade them to believe the false teaching.

fully assured in the full will of God: Most scholars interpret this to mean, “very sure, completely confident, fully convinced.” In 2:2 Paul used the noun form of this same word. See the note about “full riches” in 2:2c. As stated above, these words are connected to the phrase in the full will of God. Epaphras had prayed that the Colossians would be “completely sure” about what God wanted them to do and believe.

© 2001 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:25

1:25a

I became its servant: The pronoun its refers back to “church” in 1:24. In 1:23 Paul had said that he had become a servant of the gospel. Here he said that he had become a servant of the church. Paul had become someone who worked to help the community of those who believed in Jesus.

1:25b–c

by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you: In the Greek text, the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates to you is in the middle of the verse. Therefore, scholars do not agree about how it is connected to the rest of the verse. There are two main ways to understand this phrase:

(1) It is connected to what precedes it, that is, God gave Paul a commission for the Colossians, that is, for their benefit, in order to help them.

(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) It is connected to what follows, that is, God gave Paul a commission to present the word of God to the Colossians.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) since most commentaries support it and it is the clearest way to understand the Greek structure.

the commission God gave: To give a commission to someone means to appoint him to do a job, to entrust him with a duty, and make him responsible to do it. The job/commission God entrusted to Paul was to serve the church in Colossae.

to fully proclaim to you the word of God: One of the ways that God wanted Paul to serve the church was to fully proclaim…the word of God. Paul’s job was to “fully proclaim God’s message,” or “to tell people about God’s message.”

the word of God: This refers to the message from God, the gospel. In this context it does not mean only the written word of God, the Scriptures.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 3:16

3:16a

the word of Christ: This can mean either:

(1) the word from Christ, that is, the words, or the message, which Christ taught.

(Good News Translation, God’s Word, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) the word about Christ, that is, the message about Christ.

(Contemporary English Version, SSA)

Actually there is little difference in meaning between the two. You can follow either interpretation in your translation.

richly: The Greek word plousiōs that the Berean Standard Bible translates richly is a form of a word that means “wealthy.” However, in this context, it means “lavishly, abundantly, completely, thoroughly.”

dwell within you: Paul used the word dwell figuratively. Just as a person lives in a house, so the Colossians were to allow the word of Christ to live in them. It means that they should think about the word of Christ often and let it influence the things they do and say. Find a natural way to say this in your language. For example:

Carry the message about Christ with you daily.

3:16b–c

In 3:16a, Paul commanded the Colossian believers to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly. In 3:16b–c he follows this command with three verbs: “teaching…counseling…singing.” These are specific ways in which the Colossians were to let the message dwell in them.

3:16b

teach and admonish one another with all wisdom: 1:28b was very similar to this part of the verse. See the note there.

admonish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates admonish means, “warn, admonish, instruct, advise.” Paul was still writing about “the word of Christ” from 3:16a. He was instructing the Colossians to warn each other to obey that message.

with all wisdom: Here the meaning is clear: “Teach and advise each other as wisely as you can.”

3:16c

and as you sing: This instruction from Paul is parallel to 3:16b. This was another specific example of how the Colossians were to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly.

psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs: Paul was describing three types of songs. It may not be easy to make a clear distinction between them.

psalms: Most scholars agree that psalms refer to parts of the book of Psalms in the OT.

hymns: This Greek word, according to ancient Christian writings, refers to songs of praise to God and to Christ.

spiritual songs: This is where there is most disagreement. Some people say that these were songs emphasizing some point of Christian doctrine, others say they were unwritten songs that a person sang as the Holy Spirit inspired him .

It is probably best if you avoid being too specific in making a difference between these terms. If you do not have three different terms, you could combine two or more of these terms in your translation. For example:

Sing all sorts of songs to praise God.

with gratitude in your hearts to God: The word gratitude means being grateful/thankful. In this verse, Paul was instructing the Colossians to “sing” with gratitude, that is, to be singing songs that express their thankfulness to God.

in your hearts: This phrase can be connected to the rest of the verse in two ways:

(1) It is connected to “sing.” So Paul was instructing the Colossians to “sing” in their hearts. This probably does not mean to sing silently, but rather to sing sincerely, to express in their songs how they really felt.

(God’s Word, Revised English Bible, SSA)

(2) It is connected to “gratitude.” This is how many English versions translate this part of the verse.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

The word order in the Greek text supports the first interpretation. Many commentaries support this also. So although many English versions follow the second interpretation, it is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:4

1:4a

because: Here Paul gave some specific reasons why he thanked God for the Colossian Christians.

we have heard: In 1:8 Paul wrote that it was Epaphras who had told him about the Colossian Christians. He had probably heard about the church in Colossae from other people also. In some languages it is necessary to say who had told Paul about the Colossians. If this is necessary in your language, you could say “Epaphras has told us…” based on 1:8.

faith in Christ Jesus: In many languages it is necessary to translate faith as a verb. One way to do this is:

you trust/believe in Christ Jesus

1:4b

your love for all the saints: There are several Greek words that can be translated “love” in English. The one in this verse is agapē. It was a word that the Greeks who lived when the New Testament was written did not often use. However, the early Christians began to use it to mean the sort of love about which Jesus taught. Agapē is more than a purely emotional feeling or attraction (which is often what people who speak English mean when they talk about “love” in a non-biblical context). It means loving people the way God does: caring for them, helping them, and encouraging them, without expecting them to respond in the same way or repay the kindness.

In many languages it is necessary to translate the noun love as a verb. One way to do this is:

that you love all the saints.

saints: This is the same word as in 1:2a. See the note there. One way to translate it here is “God’s people.” Many modern English versions translate it in this way (see Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible).

General Comment about 1:4

In some languages, people use direct quotes when writing about what someone else said. If this is true in your language, you may want to do this in 1:4. For example:

⌊We(excl.) thank God for you,⌋ because ⌊people⌋ have told us: “The believers in Colossae really believe in Christ Jesus, and they love all God’s people.”

General Comment about 1:3–4

In some languages it may be more natural to put 1:4 before 1:3. One way to do this would be:

4a We have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus 4b and that you love all of God’s people. 3 Therefore, when we pray for you, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⌊for you⌋.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2:7

2:7

In 2:6 Paul gave his main command in this paragraph—“continue to walk in him.” In 2:7 Paul used three phrases to explain how the Colossians should “walk in Christ.” He told them to be “rooted and built up in Him” (2:7a), “established in the faith” (2:7b), and “overflowing with thankfulness” (2:7c).

2:7a

rooted…in Him: This is the first of two figures of speech in this part of the verse. The form of this verb once more shows that this was an action that had been completed. When the Colossians believed the gospel, they became like a plant that has its roots deep in the soil and stays firmly in place. Paul was telling them to continue to believe firmly all the main teachings about Christ, and not to begin to believe different teachings.

built up in Him: This is the second figure of speech in this part of the verse. Paul was telling the Colossians that in the same way that a building is larger when it is built higher/taller, so their relationship with Christ should grow larger. Paul did not specify exactly what he meant by this. He may have meant that he wanted the Colossians to continue to know more about Christ, or he may have meant that they should continue to trust more in Christ.

The form of the verb shows that this is a continuous action, that is, that Paul wanted the Colossians to continue to be built up in Christ more each day.

If it is not possible for you to use these figures of speech in your language, you could:

• translate the meaning with no figures of speech,

• use a figure of speech from your language which has the same meaning.

One way you could translate this with no figures of speech is:

You have firmly believed and trusted in him, so continue to do this and continue to grow in your relationship with him.

2:7b

established in the faith as you were taught: There are two ways to understand the faith here:

(1) It refers to all the true teachings about Christ. So Paul wanted the Colossians to grow stronger and more convinced about the true Christian message. SSA and many commentaries support this view.

(2) It refers to personal faith in Christ. So Paul wanted the Colossians to grow stronger in their own faith. For example:

become ever stronger in your faith (Good News Translation)

(Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, NET Bible, UBS Handbook Handbook).

Most English versions translate this phrase ambiguously. Because the phrase as you were taught follows the words the faith, the first option (1) is probably correct in this context. Paul wanted the Colossians to become more and more convinced that the faith they had been taught was true.

established: The Greek word bebaioō that the Berean Standard Bible translates established means “to make sure, to confirm.” So 2:7b means, “Continue to be convinced/sure that the things you have been taught are true.”

as you were taught: Paul mentioned in 1:7 that Epaphras was one of the people who taught the Colossians about Christ. If is it not possible in your language to use a passive (you were taught), you could say:

like ⌊people⌋ taught you
-or-
like ⌊Epaphras and others⌋ taught you

2:7c

overflowing with thankfulness: This means being very thankful to God. Paul was not writing about being thankful in a general sense.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 4:2

Section 4:2–6

Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him, and told them how to speak to unbelievers

In 3:18–4:1 Paul had given instructions to different groups of believers (wives, husbands, children, parents, slaves, and masters). Here in 4:2 Paul began to speak again to all the Colossian believers. He told them to continue praying, especially for him, and to speak wisely and kindly to those who did not believe in Christ.

Paragraph 4:2–4

Theme: Paul told the Colossians to continue praying to God, and he asked them to pray for him (Paul) while they were praying.

4:2a

Devote yourselves to prayer: The Greek verb proskartereō that the Berean Standard Bible has translated Devote yourselves to can also mean, “to persist in doing something.” For example:

Be persistent in prayer (Good News Translation)

The meaning of both translations is similar. Paul was instructing the Colossians to continue to pray faithfully, no matter what happened.

4:2b

being watchful and thankful: The Greek literally says “being watchful in it in thanksgiving.” The words “in it” refer back to “prayer” in 4:2a. So Paul meant, “When you pray, be watchful and thankful.”

being watchful: It means “staying alert, and not becoming tired of praying.”

thankful: It may be necessary in your translation to say “thankful to God.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 1:15

Paragraph 1:15–20

Theme: Jesus Christ has shown exactly what God is like. He is the great ruler over everything that he, with God, created.

In this paragraph Paul was emphasizing how great Jesus is. This was in order to oppose the following things that the false teachers were teaching the Colossian Christians.

(a) The Greek people believed that evil spirits created and then controlled the world. A summary of Paul’s response to that false teaching is: No, Jesus, who is equal to God, created the world and now controls it.

(b) The Greeks also said that God’s Messiah would never live in a human body. A summary of Paul’s response is: When Jesus, God’s Messiah, became a man, he retained all the character and power of God.

1:15a

The Son: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The Son is literally the pronoun “he,” as in the New International Version. It refers back to “His beloved Son” in 1:13b. See the note in 1:14a about Paul’s use of pronouns in this section. Refer to Jesus in a way that is natural in your language.

the image of the invisible God: When Jesus, who is God, became a man, he retained all the characteristics of God, yet people could see him. Therefore, when people saw Jesus they saw exactly what God is like, that is, they saw the character of God. This is why Paul called Jesus the image of God. Be sure that your translation does not cause your readers to think that Jesus merely showed people what God looked like.

1:15b

the firstborn over all creation: This does not refer to when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, nor does it mean that Jesus was the first person that God created. No one created Jesus. He has always existed with God and is one with God.

Scholars interpret this phrase in one of three ways:

(1) Some biblical scholars believe that the word firstborn in this verse means, “the one who has the authority that the firstborn son has.” Therefore, the firstborn over all creation means, “the one who has supreme authority over all creation.” The word firstborn is used this way in Psalm 89:27:

And I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

(2) Other scholars believe that the firstborn over all creation means, “the one who existed before anything was created.”

(3) The other main interpretation is that it means both, that is, “the one who existed from the beginning of time and who has supreme authority over all creation.”

Throughout this section Paul was emphasizing that Christ rules over everything, so the first interpretation is the most likely. The Good News Translation clarifies this by saying:

He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. (Good News Translation)

Here are some other ways you could translate this part of the verse:

He is more important than everything God created.
-or-
He is higher in rank/authority than everything God created.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2:18

2:18a

anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels: There are several problems with this part of the verse.

anyone who delights in: There are two ways to understand the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates delights in:

(1) It means, “insists on.” Paul was referring to people who insisted that other people must also show this false humility and must worship angels, like they did. That is, “these people insist that you humble yourselves…”

(Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, SSA)

(2) It means, “enjoys” or delights in, as in the Berean Standard Bible. Paul was referring to people who enjoyed making themselves humble and worshiping angels.

(New International Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

In 2:16 Paul had already discussed the religious rules these people were telling the Colossians to obey, so it is likely that he was continuing to write about this in 2:18. Therefore it is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

false humility: The Greek word literally means “humble-minded.” The word can also be used about true humility (see Acts 20:19), but here in 2:18 Paul used it with a negative meaning. These people said that they were humble, but in fact, they were very proud of all they did.

It may also imply that they practiced strict fasting and denying themselves luxuries to make their bodies suffer. In 2:23 the same Greek word is used, and it clearly means this. They thought that they could make themselves acceptable to God by their own efforts.

the worship of angels: Apparently in Colossae some people in the church believed they should worship angels and were telling other Christians that they should do so also.

2:18b

disqualify you: This phrase in the Berean Standard Bible is translated from a single Greek word that has two meanings:

(1) It means, “to deprive someone of their rights or of the prize they deserve.” So Paul meant, “Do not let anyone cheat/rob you and take away your prize”.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, King James Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) It means, “to pass judgment on.” So Paul meant: “Do not let anyone act as your judge and say that you are not worthy to get the prize,” or more simply, “Do not let anyone condemn you.”

(Good News Translation, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

The Display uses the first meaning (1), although the second meaning is also possible. If you want to follow the second meaning in your translation, you could translate 2:18a–b like this:

Do not allow anyone to condemn you because you do not humble yourselves and worship angels ⌊like they do⌋.

2:18c

with speculation: The Greek word embateuō that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with speculation does not occur anywhere else in the NT. Its primary meaning is “to step on” or “to frequent.” However, it can also mean:

(1) “To take a stand on.” That is, these people claimed that they had authority to teach these things because of the visions they had seen. For example:

anyone who claims to be superior because he has seen special visions (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, SSA)

(2) “To investigate,” and therefore to continue to give many details about what they had seen.

(New International Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Revised Standard Version)

Both these meanings are possible. The Display uses the first option (1), which fits the context well.

about what he has seen: Paul was referring to the visions that these false teachers said they had seen.

2:18d

Such a person: As he did in 2:16a and 2:18a, Paul was not writing about only one person, but about any person or group of people who taught these false teachings. You can use either a singular or a plural here, whichever is natural in your language.

is puffed up: This means “to be proud” but in a negative way, that is, it means “to think of oneself as better than other people.”

without basis: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates without basis means “at random, for no purpose/reason.” It means these people were proud even though there was no reason for them to be proud.

his unspiritual mind: Paul said that this kind of person became proud because of his unspiritual mind (literally: “the mind of his flesh”). This can be interpreted in two ways:

(1) The phrase his unspiritual mind means “his human way of thinking”. In other words, these people were proud because of ideas they thought up themselves.

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) “Flesh” means “sinful nature.” So this phrase means that these people were proud “because of their sinful thoughts”.

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), SSA)

Both these interpretations are acceptable. The Display follows the first one (1). Paul’s point was that these people were proud because of their own thoughts, thoughts that came from their own worldly minds, not from God.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Colossians 2001