我是奉上帝旨意做基督耶稣使徒的保罗, 和提摩太弟兄写信给歌罗西的圣徒,就是忠于基督的弟兄姊妹。

愿我们的父上帝赐给你们恩典和平安!

感恩与祷告

3-4 我们听说了你们对基督耶稣的信心和对众圣徒的爱心,为你们祷告的时候,常常感谢我们主耶稣基督的父上帝。 你们能有这样的信心和爱心是因为那给你们存在天上的盼望,就是你们从前从福音真道中听到的盼望。 这福音不但传到了你们那里,也传到了世界各地,并且开花结果,信主的人数不断增长,正如你们当初听了福音,因为明白真理而认识上帝的恩典后的情形。 这福音是你们从我们亲爱的同工以巴弗那里得知的。他代表我们[a]做基督的忠仆, 并把圣灵赐给你们的爱心告诉了我们。

因此,从听到你们的消息那天起,我们便不断地为你们祷告,求上帝使你们在一切属灵的智慧和悟性上完全明白祂的旨意, 10 以便你们行事为人对得起主,凡事蒙祂喜悦,在一切良善的事上结出果实,对上帝的认识不断增加。 11 愿上帝以祂荣耀的权能使你们刚强,无论遇到什么事都能长久忍耐, 12 欢喜地感谢天父,因祂使你们有资格跟众圣徒在光明中同享基业。 13 祂把我们从黑暗的权势下拯救出来,带进祂爱子的国度里。 14 我们借着祂的爱子蒙救赎,罪过得到赦免。

基督超越一切

15 基督是那不能看见之上帝的真像,超越[b]一切受造之物。 16 因为万物都是借着祂创造的,天上的、地上的、有形的、无形的、做王的、统治的、执政的、掌权的,一切都是借着祂也是为了祂而创造的。 17 祂存在于万物之前,万物都靠祂而维系。 18 祂是教会的头,教会是祂的身体;祂是源头,是首先从死里复活的,这样祂可以在一切事上居首位。 19 因为上帝乐意让一切的丰盛住在祂里面, 20 又借着祂在十字架上所流的血成就了和平,使天地万物借着祂与上帝和好。

21 你们从前与上帝隔绝,行事邪恶,心思意念与祂为敌; 22 但现在上帝借着基督肉身的死使你们与祂和好了,让你们在祂面前成为圣洁无瑕、无可指责的人。 23 只是你们必须恒心持守所信的道,根基稳固,坚定不移,不要失去你们听到福音后所得到的盼望。这福音传给了天下万民。我保罗也做了这福音的使者。

保罗为教会受苦

24 现在我因能够为你们受苦而欢喜,并且我是为基督的身体——教会的缘故,在自己身上补满基督未受的苦难。 25 我受上帝的委派成为教会的仆人,要把上帝的道完整地传给你们。 26 这道是历世历代一直隐藏的奥秘,现在已经向祂的众圣徒显明了。 27 上帝要他们知道这奥秘在外族人中有何等丰富的荣耀,这奥秘就是基督在你们里面,使你们有荣耀的盼望。 28 我们传扬基督,用各样的智慧劝诫、教导众人,使他们在基督里长大成熟,好把他们带到上帝面前。 29 为此,我按着祂在我身上运行的大能尽心竭力,不辞劳苦。

Footnotes

  1. 1:7 我们”有古卷作“你们”。
  2. 1:15 超越”或译“先存于”,希腊文是“长子”,常用来指地位上的优越或时间上的优先。

Paul[a], an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints[b] and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We Thank God For Your Faith And Love

We are giving-thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always while praying for you, having heard-of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints because of the hope being reserved for you in the heavens, which[c] you previously-heard-of in the word of the truth— the good-news coming to you, just as also in[d] all the world it is bearing-fruit and growing, just as it is doing also in[e] you from which day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth[f], just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-slave who is a faithful servant[g] of Christ on your behalf, the one also having made-clear to us your love in[h] the Spirit.

May You Walk Worthily of God, Who Transferred Us Into The Kingdom of His Son

For this reason we also, from which day we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge[i] of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding[j], 10 so that you may walk worthily of the Lord, toward total[k] pleasing [of Him]— bearing-fruit in every good work and growing in[l] the knowledge of God; 11 being empowered with all power according-to[m] the might of [n] His glory, toward total[o] endurance and patience; with joy[p] 12 giving-thanks to the Father having qualified you for your part[q] of the share[r] of [s] the saints[t] in the light[u], 13 Who delivered[v] us out of the authority[w] of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of [x] His love, 14 in Whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins—

The Son Is The Preeminent Head of All Creation, Because He Created All Things

15 ... Who is the image[y] of the invisible God, the firstborn[z] of [aa] all creation[ab], 16 because all things were created by[ac] Him in the heavens and on the earth, the visible things and the invisible things— whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He Himself is before all things, and all things have existence[ad] in Him. 18 And He Himself is the head of the body, the church.

The Son Is First In Everything, Because God Reconciled All Things Through Him

... Who is the beginning[ae], the firstborn from the dead, in order that He Himself might come-to-be holding-first-place in all things, 19 because the Father[af] was well-pleased that all the fullness[ag] should dwell in Him 20 and that He should reconcile all things through Him to Himself, having made-peace through the blood of His cross— through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

Indeed, You Yourselves Were Reconciled By Him

21 Indeed you were formerly being excluded, and were enemies[ah] in the mind in-connection-with evil works. 22 But now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh[ai] through His death, that He might present you holy and without-blemish and blameless in His presence— 23 if indeed[aj] you continue in the faith, having been founded, and steadfast, and not being moved-away from the hope of the good-news which you heard, the one having been proclaimed in[ak] all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister[al].

I Am Suffering To Fulfill My Stewardship of God’s Now Revealed Mystery: Christ In You

24 Now I am rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling-up-in-turn[am] the things lacking from the afflictions of Christ[an], for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according-to[ao] the stewardship[ap] of God having been given to me for you, that I might fulfill[aq] the word of God— 26 the mystery having been hidden from the past ages and from the past generations. But now it was revealed to His saints, 27 to whom God willed[ar] to make-known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles— which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, 28 Whom we are proclaiming, admonishing every person, and teaching every person with all wisdom, in order that we may present every person mature[as] in Christ, 29 for which[at] I also am laboring, struggling[au] according to His working being at-work[av] in me with power.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:1 On when this book was written, see Acts 28:30.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Or, holy and.
  3. Colossians 1:5 That is, which hope.
  4. Colossians 1:6 That is, in the sphere of.
  5. Colossians 1:6 Or, among you.
  6. Colossians 1:6 That is, in reality, heard and truly understood. Or, the grace of God in its true form, as opposed to the false teaching; the true grace of God.
  7. Colossians 1:7 Or, minister.
  8. Colossians 1:8 That is, in the sphere of, in connection with, in union with.
  9. Colossians 1:9 Or, full-knowledge.
  10. Colossians 1:9 Or, wisdom and spiritual understanding.
  11. Colossians 1:10 Or, for pleasing [Him] in every respect.
  12. Colossians 1:10 Or, by.
  13. Colossians 1:11 That is, based on, in accordance with.
  14. Colossians 1:11 That is, belonging to; or, characterized by (His glorious might).
  15. Colossians 1:11 Or, for endurance and patience in every respect.
  16. Colossians 1:11 Or, patience with joy; giving thanks to.
  17. Colossians 1:12 Or, share, portion.
  18. Colossians 1:12 Or, allotment, lot.
  19. Colossians 1:12 That is, belonging to.
  20. Colossians 1:12 Or, holy ones.
  21. Colossians 1:12 That is, your share of the allotted inheritance... found in the kingdom or realm of light; or, having qualified you... by the light; or, of the saints who are in the light (heaven).
  22. Colossians 1:13 Or, rescued.
  23. Colossians 1:13 Or, jurisdiction, dominion.
  24. Colossians 1:13 That is, the Son who is the object of His Love, and thus, His beloved Son.
  25. Colossians 1:15 Or, likeness, form. That is, the visible expression; or, the personal eternal likeness.
  26. Colossians 1:15 That is, the one having first status, holding first place; the preeminent one.
  27. Colossians 1:15 That is, before; or, in-relation-to.
  28. Colossians 1:15 Or, every created thing.
  29. Colossians 1:16 Or, in, in relation to.
  30. Colossians 1:17 Or, hold-together.
  31. Colossians 1:18 Or, beginner (cause, source, founder); ruler.
  32. Colossians 1:19 Or, because all the fullness was well-pleased to dwell in Him and to reconcile.
  33. Colossians 1:19 That is, God in all His fullness.
  34. Colossians 1:21 Or, hostile.
  35. Colossians 1:22 That is, His fleshly body.
  36. Colossians 1:23 That is, assuming that.
  37. Colossians 1:23 That is, in the sphere of.
  38. Colossians 1:23 Or, servant.
  39. Colossians 1:24 That is, filling-up-on-my-part, in contrast to Christ’s part. Or, filling-up.
  40. Colossians 1:24 That is, lacking from the afflictions belonging to the Christ (Messiah’s full measure of sorrows, suffered personally while He was on earth, and by His people now); or, lacking from Christ’s afflictions (which He is now experiencing in union with His people); or, lacking from my afflictions for Christ.
  41. Colossians 1:25 Or, based on, by way of.
  42. Colossians 1:25 That is, position of management responsibility.
  43. Colossians 1:25 Or, complete.
  44. Colossians 1:27 Or, wanted, wished.
  45. Colossians 1:28 Or, perfect, full-grown, finished.
  46. Colossians 1:29 That is, to which end.
  47. Colossians 1:29 Or, striving, fighting.
  48. Colossians 1:29 Or, in operation.