complete verse (Colossians 3:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Colossians 3:2:

  • Uma: “That means: we consider/think-about our new life that is connected with Kristus in heaven, let’s not any longer constantly think only of our life in the world.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “What we (incl.) now ought to always think of is the things there in heaven, not the things here on earth.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Let’s always think about these things and let us not think about the evil behavior here on earth,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That’s what you ought to be thinking about, not what is on this earth.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Yes indeed, always be-thinking-about pertaining-to-heaven things, not the things here in the world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Above all other things let there fill your heart the things which are in heaven. Do not consider the things here on this earth as of greater value.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Colossians 3:1-11 as a bullet list

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 3:1-11:

 

So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at God’s right hand;

  • think of the things that are above, not of things on earth.
  • For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
  • When Christ appears, [who is] your life, then also you will appear with him in glory-
  • So put to death your earthly parts: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry);
  • through these things the anger of God is coming on the children of dis¬obedience;
  • among them you once walked, because you lived among them;
  • now, however, you have also put everything aside: anger, rage, evil, blasphemy, filthy talk from your mouth;
  • don’t tell lies to others,
  • having put off the old person, with all its practices, and
  • having put on the new person who is made new in knowledge, in accordance with the likeness of the one who created him,
  • where there is no ‘Greek and Jew’, circumcision and uncircumcision’, ‘barbarian’, ‘Scythian’, ‘slave’, ‘free’,
  • but Christ is all in all.

Translation commentary on Colossians 3:1 – 3:2

With you have been raised to life with Christ (see 2.12) Paul begins a new series of “with Christ” expressions, stressing the complete identification of the believers with their Lord; in dying, their life “is hidden with Christ,” and at his coming they “will appear with him.” As in 2.20 the affirmation that they have been raised to life with Christ is formulated as a condition (see Revised Standard Version), but there is no doubt in Paul’s mind that they have, in fact, been raised. The form of the conditional clause in Greek (ei) implies that the condition has been fulfilled. In translating the first part of verse 1, it is almost always better to use a statement of fact rather than a conditional clause, since a condition can be so readily misinterpreted as something hypothetical rather than real.

You have been raised to life may be rendered as “you have been caused to live again,” but there may be serious complications involved in the phrase with Christ, for a literal translation of life with Christ might suggest “living with Christ” or “having one’s life in union with Christ.” In this context, however, the emphasis seems to be that in the raising of Christ from the dead, the Christian is symbolically himself given new life. Therefore, it may be necessary in some languages to translate “when Christ was raised from death, you likewise were, so to speak, raised from death” or “… caused to have new life.” In other instances the phrase with Christ may perhaps be best expressed as a kind of means, for example, “by God raising Christ to life, he in a sense also raised you to life.”

The connective particle so is particularly important in this context and may require some expansion, for example, “and therefore,” “and as a result of this.”

Set your hearts translates the Greek “seek” (Revised Standard Version), which is further expanded in verse 2 by keep your minds fixed. No hard and fast distinction is intended: desires and thoughts, wishing and thinking, the whole of the emotional and intellectual energy is to be directed toward the above, that is, heaven, where Christ reigns at God’s right side. It is evident that Paul is not advocating an attitude of utter disregard for everyday responsibilities and duties which are laid upon believers; he is saying that their ultimate concern is with heavenly realities and values, determined by the presence and power of the risen Christ, who shares in the sovereign power of God.

Set your hearts on the things that are in heaven may be rendered as “desire what is in heaven” or “desire what God has for you in heaven.” Again it may be necessary to avoid a translation of things which would suggest only material objects.

In many languages, throne may be rendered as “chair of authority” or “place from which judgement takes place.”

Normally the expression at the right side of God is interpreted correctly, that is to say, on the favored side or the side of honor. However, in some parts of the world the right side is not the favored side but suggests demotion. It may, therefore, be important to translate at the right side of God as “on the honored side of God” or “in an honored position beside God.” Some translators have thought that it might be useful to change completely the figurative language with regard to his throne at the right side of God, but such expressions are so frequent in the Scriptures that their complete loss or substitution by non-figurative expressions would probably result in a considerable measure of distortion.

Keep your minds fixed on things there may be rendered as “keep thinking about those things there.” It may even be useful to combine the concepts of both thought and desire by saying “think about and desire what is there” or “… what is in heaven.” By introducing “heaven,” one may then mark even more clearly the contrast between “what is in heaven and not what is here on earth.” In rendering things, it is important to have the focus upon experiences rather than upon objects.

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 .