Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Greek that is translated as a form of “teach” is translated with some figurative phrases such as “to engrave the mind” (Ngäbere) or “to cause others to imitate” (Huichol). (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Noongar it is translated as karni-waangki or “truth saying” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Colossians 1:28:
Uma: “So, the news of Kristus is what we (excl.) spread to all people, according to all clearness of our (excl.) heart [i.e., wisdom]. We(excl.) advise them and teach them, and lead-by-the-hand each one of them, so that when we (excl.) arrive before God, we can bring each of them to Him with no lacks, for they are connected with Kristus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “That’s why we (excl.) do not proclaim/preach anything different only/except about Isa Almasi. We (excl.) instruct people and we (excl.) teach them all that we (excl.) know about Isa Almasi so that they each one believe and that their trust in Isa Almasi becomes very firm.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For He desires that as for us (incl.), those who belong to Him, we (incl.) might come to know about the very good things that He is going to do for all people. He now wants us to know that Christ lives with us and because of this, we can know that we will be made immortal in the future.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore Cristo is the one we (excl.) are preaching-about to all people. We (excl.) use all our (excl.) wisdom to advise and to teach all people in order that their faith would come-to-have no fault/lack in God’s sight but rather they would be mature/full-grown in their being joined to Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This Cristo is whom we (excl.) are teaching about to all people. According to the big-size of understanding/wisdom that God has given to us we are teaching and warning about everything, so that we can cause all of them to come into the presence of God as complete/mature people of his, in which he will not have anything to criticise in them because of their being united/tied-together with Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “We speak about Christ. We give counsel to all people. We teach all people the word in order that they will understand it well. We want the people who walk with Christ to walk in all that is good in order that God will look well on them.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
In Nicholas King’s English translation of the New Testament (2004), the translator decided to use bullet point lists in some case in the Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus. “There are elaborate groups of nouns strung together, and the sentences are rather long. I have tried, not entirely successfully, to make these long sentences more manageable by the use of bullet points.” One such list is Colossians 1:24-28:
Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf; and I fill up what is lacking in the affliction of Christ-in-my-flesh, on behalf of his Body, which is the Church,
of which I became a servant according to God’s arrangement,
which was given me for you, to bring God’s word to completion,
the mystery that was hidden from the ages and from the generations
but now has been revealed to his saints,
to whom God wished to make known what is the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ among you, the hope of glory,
whom we proclaim, admonishing everybody, and teaching everybody in all wisdom,
that we may present everybody as perfect in Christ — that is the goal towards which I am labouring,
struggling in accordance with his action that is active in me in power.
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
Again Paul reverts to the task he and his colleagues perform: it is that of “announcing” or “proclaiming” Christ; the verb here (kataggellō) is different from the verb in 1.23 (kērussō), but describes the same activity (compare its use in 1 Cor 2.1, 9.14, Phil 1.17). In a number of languages, one cannot speak literally of “preaching Christ”; one can “announce about Christ” or “proclaim the truth about Christ,” but it is structurally impossible in a number of languages to “preach a person.” In such cases, this first sentence may be most aptly rendered as “and so we tell everyone about Christ.”
We warn and teach represent participles in Greek; the first verb is fairly rare in the NT (8 times in all); it means “to admonish,” “to warn,” usually implying an act or conduct which is being condemned (compare Acts 20.31, 1 Cor 4.14, 1 Thes 5.14, 2 Thes 3.15, and see the noun in Titus 3.10). Here there is no statement of what this might be, but probably refers to the warning in the Christian message about the consequences of rejecting it. “Teaching” probably refers to the moral and ethical principles of the gospel. Others, however, understand that the “warning” is against errors (on the part of the new Christians) and that the “teaching” is the advanced instruction.
Since warn and teach are in a sense negative and positive respectively, their being placed together in this short phrase may seem rather strange and even awkward. It may, therefore, be necessary to indicate something of the content of warn and teach. Thus one may translate “we warn them about what they should not do and teach them what they should do.”
Three times the Greek has “every man” (Revised Standard Version), in order to stress not only the universal nature of the gospel but also the equality of all believers, without any distinction or discrimination: “warning everyone and teaching everyone … in order that we might present everyone….”
With all possible wisdom qualifies the manner in which the activity is carried out. Some take “in all wisdom” to indicate the content of the teaching (as MoffattGoodspeedPhillips; see also BarclayNew English Bible); others, as Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version, as the way in which the apostle and his colleagues do their work. As Abbott says, the object of the verb “to teach” in the NT is always in the accusative, not a dative phrase with the preposition “in.” Wisdom here may be God-given (so Translator’s New Testament) as opposed to human wisdom, but the context does not require this.
Since with all possible wisdom probably qualifies the manner in which Paul sought to warn and teach everyone, it is possible to introduce wisdom as a part of a preliminary participial phrase, for example, “being as wise as possible” or “by using all the wise words possible.”
In order to bring … into God’s presence translates the Greek verb paristēmi (see 1.22). The verb may imply a legal setting, with reference to the Judgment Day; others see it as a cultic term, both here and in 1.22. In order to bring … into God’s presence may simply be translated as “in order to cause to come before God.”
As a mature individual translates the Greek adjective “perfect,” “complete.” In mystery cults it described the minority who had been initiated into the secrets and rituals of the religion; Paul here again emphasizes the universal nature of the gospel. Everyone is to be “perfect,” not meaning sinless perfection, but spiritual development and maturity, that is, a full knowledge of God’s will and a devotion to follow it. It appears elsewhere in Paul’s letters in 1 Cor 2.6, 14.20, Phil 3.15, and Col 4.12 (compare also Eph 4.13).
A literal rendering of as a mature individual may mean nothing more than “as an adult,” and this is, of course, not the meaning of the phrase in this context. Since the term “mature” may refer only to an age or height, it may be better to emphasize “completeness,” for example, “as a complete person” or “as a person who is not lacking in anything,” but one must avoid an expression which suggests no lack of physical resources or possession. Accordingly, one may wish to translate this phrase as “not lacking in any understanding.”
In union with Christ: see 1.2. New English Bible “a mature member of Christ’s body.” In this context in union with Christ may be well translated as “one who is linked with Christ.”
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 .
We: Paul was referring to himself and other people who preached the message about Christ.
proclaim Him: The pronoun Him refers back to Christ in 1:27. In some languages it is not possible to say that a person “proclaims a person.” What Paul meant was that he proclaimed the message about Christ.
1:28b
admonishing…everyone: This means “warning everyone, instructing them not to do something, because it is wrong.”
teaching everyone: When Paul “admonished” people, he was warning them about what they should not do. When he taught them, he was telling them what they should do as Christians.
everyone: In the Greek text Paul emphasized the word everyone. He used it three times: “we warn everyone and we teach everyone… so that we may present everyone complete in Christ.” Paul was probably emphasizing that he did not distinguish between one Christian and another. Every Christian needs to be warned and taught so that they all will become perfect in Christ.
with all wisdom: The Greek says, “in all wisdom.” This type of grammatical construction in Greek usually refers to the manner in which something is done, so most English versions and commentators believe that Paul was saying here that he taught very wisely. You could also translate this:
teaching as wisely as we(excl.) can -or-
teaching using all the wisdom God has given us(excl.)
1:28c
so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ: Paul wanted this to happen as a result of his teaching—that everyone he told about Christ would believe, grow as a Christian, and so become perfect in Christ.
present: This is the same verb that Paul used in 1:22c. See the note there.
perfect: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perfect can also mean “complete, mature, grown-up,” and many English translations use that meaning (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Century Version, Revised English Bible). Here Paul meant that he wanted everyone to whom he preached to become a mature (strong) believer in Christ.
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