问安

照着神的旨意做基督耶稣使徒的保罗,以及弟兄提摩太

歌罗西的圣徒们,就是在基督里忠心的弟兄:

愿恩典与平安从神我们的父[a]临到你们!

感恩

我们为你们祷告的时候,总是感谢神我们主耶稣基督的父, 因为我们听说了你们在基督耶稣里的信仰,以及对所有圣徒所怀的爱—— 这信心和爱是藉着那为你们存留在天上的盼望,这盼望是你们在传到你们那里的福音真理之话语中所听过的, 正如它在全世界,不断地结果子和扩展[b][c];自从你们在真理中听见并了解神恩典的那一天起,在你们中间也像这一样, 正如你们从蒙爱的人,就是与我们同做奴仆的以帕弗拉那里所学到的;他为你们[d]做了基督忠心的仆人[e] 也把你们在圣灵里的爱告诉了我们。

为属灵增长祈求

为此,我们自从听到这事的那一天起,就不断地为你们祷告和祈求:愿你们藉着一切属灵的智慧和悟性,能被神旨意的真正知识所充满; 10 好让你们行事为人配得上主,凡事蒙他喜悦,在一切美善的工作中结出果子,在神的真正知识上不断长进。 11 愿你们按照他荣耀的权能,藉着一切能力得以刚强,好让你们凡事忍耐宽容,怀着喜乐的心 12 感谢父——他使你们[f]能够分享圣徒们在光明中的继业; 13 他救我们脱离了黑暗的权势,把我们迁入他爱子的国度; 14 在他里面,[g]我们得蒙救赎,罪得赦免。

基督为中心

15 爱子是那不可见之神的形像,
是一切被造之物的长子[h]
16 因为万有都是藉着他造的:
天上和地上的,看得见和看不见的,
无论王位或主权,统治的或掌权的,
一切都是藉着他造的,也是为他而造的,
17 他在万有之先,万有也藉着他而存在,
18 他是身体的头,就是教会的头,
他是元始,是从死人中首先复活的[i]
为要使他能在万有中居首位,
19 因为父[j]乐意使一切的丰盛完美都住在他里面,
20 又藉着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平,
就是藉着他使万有——无论地上的或天上的——
都与他自己和好了。

21 从前,你们在邪恶的行为中与神[k]隔绝,在意念中与他为敌; 22 但如今,神在基督的血肉之躯上,藉着死使你们与他自己和好了,并且使你们站在他面前,是圣洁、毫无瑕疵、无可指责的。 23 可是你们要持守信仰,立定根基,坚定不移,不要从你们所听到的福音盼望上被挪去。这福音是传给天下万人[l]的,我保罗也成了这福音的仆人[m]

保罗的服事

24 如今我为你们受苦难,感到欢喜;并且我为基督的身体,就是教会,要在我的肉体上补满基督患难的缺欠。 25 神为了你们的缘故赐给了我任务[n],我按照这任务成为教会的仆人[o],为要使神的话语[p]完全传开[q] 26 这话语就是历世历代被隐藏的奥秘,但如今已经显明给他的圣徒们。 27 神愿意在外邦人中,让他们明白什么是这奥秘的荣耀的丰盛;那就是:基督在你们里面,他是荣耀的盼望! 28 我们传扬基督,用一切的智慧劝诫所有人,教导所有人,好让我们使所有的人在基督[r]里成熟[s],能够献给神[t] 29 我也为此劳苦,藉着他在我里面的大能作为而争战。

Footnotes

  1. 歌罗西书 1:2 父——有古抄本作“父和主耶稣基督”。
  2. 歌罗西书 1:6 不断地结果子和扩展——有古抄本作“不断地结果子”。
  3. 歌罗西书 1:6 扩展——原文直译“生长”。
  4. 歌罗西书 1:7 你们——有古抄本作“我们”。
  5. 歌罗西书 1:7 仆人——或译作“执事”。
  6. 歌罗西书 1:12 你们——有古抄本作“我们”。
  7. 歌罗西书 1:14 有古抄本附“藉着他的血,”。
  8. 歌罗西书 1:15 长子——原文直译“首生者”。
  9. 歌罗西书 1:18 首先复活的——原文直译“首生的”或“长子”。
  10. 歌罗西书 1:19 父——原文直译“他”。
  11. 歌罗西书 1:21 与神——辅助词语。
  12. 歌罗西书 1:23 万人——原文直译“一切被造之物”。
  13. 歌罗西书 1:23 仆人——或译作“执事”。
  14. 歌罗西书 1:25 任务——或译作“管家的任务”。
  15. 歌罗西书 1:25 仆人——或译作“执事”。
  16. 歌罗西书 1:25 神的话语——或译作“神的道”。
  17. 歌罗西书 1:25 传开——辅助词语。
  18. 歌罗西书 1:28 基督——有古抄本作“基督耶稣”。
  19. 歌罗西书 1:28 成熟——或译作“完全”。
  20. 歌罗西书 1:28 神——辅助词语。

我是奉上帝旨意作基督耶穌使徒的保羅, 和提摩太弟兄寫信給歌羅西的聖徒,就是忠於基督的弟兄姊妹。

願我們的父上帝賜給你們恩典和平安!

感恩與禱告

3-4 我們聽說了你們對基督耶穌的信心和對眾聖徒的愛心,為你們禱告的時候,常常感謝我們主耶穌基督的父上帝。 你們能有這樣的信心和愛心是因為那給你們存在天上的盼望,就是你們從前從福音真道中聽到的盼望。 這福音不但傳到了你們那裡,也傳到了世界各地,並且開花結果,信主的人數不斷增長,正如你們當初聽了福音,因為明白真理而認識上帝的恩典後的情形。 這福音是你們從我們親愛的同工以巴弗那裡得知的。他代表我們[a]作基督的忠僕, 並把聖靈賜給你們的愛心告訴了我們。

因此,從聽到你們的消息那天起,我們便不斷地為你們禱告,求上帝使你們在一切屬靈的智慧和悟性上完全明白祂的旨意, 10 以便你們行事為人對得起主,凡事蒙祂喜悅,在一切良善的事上結出果實,對上帝的認識不斷增加。 11 願上帝以祂榮耀的權能使你們剛強,無論遇到什麼事都能長久忍耐, 12 歡喜地感謝天父,因祂使你們有資格跟眾聖徒在光明中同享基業。 13 祂把我們從黑暗的權勢下拯救出來,帶進祂愛子的國度裡。 14 我們藉著祂的愛子蒙救贖,罪過得到赦免。

基督超越一切

15 基督是那不能看見之上帝的真像,超越[b]一切受造之物。 16 因為萬物都是藉著祂創造的,天上的、地上的、有形的、無形的、作王的、統治的、執政的、掌權的,一切都是藉著祂也是為了祂而創造的。 17 祂存在於萬物之前,萬物都靠祂而維繫。 18 祂是教會的頭,教會是祂的身體;祂是源頭,是首先從死裡復活的,這樣祂可以在一切事上居首位。 19 因為上帝樂意讓一切的豐盛住在祂裡面, 20 又藉著祂在十字架上所流的血成就了和平,使天地萬物藉著祂與上帝和好。

21 你們從前與上帝隔絕,行事邪惡,心思意念與祂為敵; 22 但現在上帝藉著基督肉身的死使你們與祂和好了,讓你們在祂面前成為聖潔無瑕、無可指責的人。 23 只是你們必須恆心持守所信的道,根基穩固,堅定不移,不要失去你們聽到福音後所得到的盼望。這福音傳給了天下萬民。我保羅也作了這福音的使者。

保羅為教會受苦

24 現在我因能夠為你們受苦而歡喜,並且我是為基督的身體——教會的緣故,在自己身上補滿基督未受的苦難。 25 我受上帝的委派成為教會的僕人,要把上帝的道完整地傳給你們。 26 這道是歷世歷代一直隱藏的奧祕,現在已經向祂的眾聖徒顯明了。 27 上帝要他們知道這奧祕在外族人中有何等豐富的榮耀,這奧祕就是基督在你們裡面,使你們有榮耀的盼望。 28 我們傳揚基督,用各樣的智慧勸誡、教導眾人,使他們在基督裡長大成熟,好把他們帶到上帝面前。 29 為此,我按著祂在我身上運行的大能盡心竭力,不辭勞苦。

Footnotes

  1. 1·7 我們」有古卷作「你們」。
  2. 1·15 超越」或譯「先存於」,希臘文是「長子」,常用來指地位上的優越或時間上的優先。

Greeting

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving for the Colossian Believers

We give thanks always to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we[a] pray for you, since we[b] heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, which you have heard about beforehand in the word of truth, the gospel, that has come to you, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as also among you from the day you heard about and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it[c] from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,[d] who also made clear to us your love in the Spirit.

Prayer for Maturity Based on Christ’s Preeminence

Because of this also we, from the day we heard about it,[e] did not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual insight, 10 so that you may live in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please him in all respects[f], bearing fruit in every good deed and increasing in the knowledge of God, 11 enabled with all power, according to his glorious might, for all steadfastness and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13 who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us[g] to the kingdom of the Son he loves[h], 14 in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins, 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all[i] creation, 16 because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things were created through him and for him, 17 and he himself is before all things, and in him all things are held together, 18 and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything, 19 because he was well pleased for all the fullness to dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by[j] making peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

21 And although you were formerly alienated[k][l] and enemies in attitude, because of your evil deeds, 22 but now you have been reconciled[m] by his physical body[n] through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul’s Suffering and Stewardship

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of his body which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister, according to God’s stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to his saints, 27 to whom God wanted to make known what is the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, 28 whom we proclaim, by[o] admonishing every person[p] and teaching every person[q] with all wisdom, in order that we may present every person[r] mature in Christ, 29 for which purpose also I labor, striving according to his working which is at work powerfully in me.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“pray”) which is understood as temporal
  2. Colossians 1:4 Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard about”) which is understood as causal
  3. Colossians 1:7 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts have “on your behalf”
  5. Colossians 1:9 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Colossians 1:10 Literally “to all pleasing”
  7. Colossians 1:13 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  8. Colossians 1:13 Literally “of his love”
  9. Colossians 1:15 Translated as a genitive of subordination (Wallace, GGBB, 104)
  10. Colossians 1:20 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“making peace”) which is understood as means
  11. Colossians 1:21 Literally “and you formerly being alienated”
  12. Colossians 1:21 Here the participle (“being”) is understood as concessive
  13. Colossians 1:22 Some manuscripts have “he has reconciled you
  14. Colossians 1:22 Literally “the body of his flesh”
  15. Colossians 1:28 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“admonishing”) which is understood as means
  16. Colossians 1:28 Literally “man,” used here in a generic sense to refer to persons of either gender
  17. Colossians 1:28 Literally “man,” used here in a generic sense to refer to persons of either gender
  18. Colossians 1:28 Literally “man,” used here in a generic sense to refer to persons of either gender