Colossians 1
New Catholic Bible
Introduction
Chapter 1
Address. 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints[a] and faithful brethren in Christ in Colossae. May God our Father grant you grace and peace.
A Community Pervaded by the Gospel.[b] 3 In all our prayers for you we always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. You had learned of this hope through the word of truth, the gospel,[c] 6 that has come down to you.
Just as it is bearing fruit and growing throughout the entire world, so it has been bearing fruit among you, ever since the day when you heard it and came to understand the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned this from Epaphras,[d] our beloved fellow servant and a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. 8 He was also the one who made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 That is why, ever since the day we first heard about it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we ask this so that you may live in a manner worthy of the Lord and become fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and continuing to grow in the knowledge of God.
11 May you be fortified with the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be granted patience and endurance, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.[e] 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of Christ
In Christ, through Him, and for Him[f]
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
16 For in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth,
whether visible or invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
all things were created through him and for him.
17 He exists before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
18 He is the head of the body,
that is, the Church.
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that in every way
he should be supreme.
19 For in him
it pleased God
to make all fullness dwell,[g]
20 and through him
to reconcile all things for him,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through his blood of the cross.
21 Christ among the Gentiles.[h]You yourselves were once alienated and hostile in your intent because of your evil deeds. 22 But now, through Christ’s death in his body of flesh, God has reconciled you to himself so that you may stand holy, blameless, and irreproachable in his presence.
23 However, you must persevere in the faith, firmly grounded and steadfast in your belief, and never allowing yourselves to drift away from the hope of the gospel that you accepted and that has now been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, the gospel of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Christ’s Suffering in His People. I find great joy at present in suffering for you, and in my own body I am completing the sufferings that still must be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church.[i] 25 I was made a minister of that Church, with the commission given to me by God to make fully known to you the word of God, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and from past generations but that now has been revealed to his saints.
27 To these God chose to make known how rich is the priceless glory that this mystery brings to the Gentiles—Christ in you, your hope of glory.[j] 28 It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom so that we may present everyone to Christ in a state of perfection. 29 For this I labor and struggle with all his energy working within me mightily.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:2 Saints: Christians are called saints because through Baptism they have been consecrated to God and are called to live accordingly.
- Colossians 1:3 The power of the Gospel to live and spread is extraordinary; it is God’s grace and action among human beings. In the vitality of a young Church, Paul recognizes this work of the Lord, and he prays that it will develop in all its richness. Thanksgiving and prayer succeed each other in this introduction and indicate the principal features of an authentic Christian life: to accept the truth of the Gospel; to grow in faith, love, and hope; and to know God more in order to be more faithful in the concrete.
Nonetheless, the initiative comes from the Lord. It is he who changes our life; it is he who frees us from the bondage of sin and leads us into a new world, the kingdom of Christ. Now he is extending to all the Gentiles the salvation formerly reserved for Israel—“the inheritance of the saints.” Such a text gives us the echo of what might have been the mystique of Baptism and the joy of the Christian in the early Church. - Colossians 1:5 This verse refers to the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, which also appear in Rom 5:2-5; 1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:5f; 1 Thes 1:3; 5:8; Heb 10:22-24. For the special nuance mentioned here, that hope gives rise to faith and love, see Tit 1:2.
- Colossians 1:7 Epaphras: a Colossian and founder of the Church of Colossae, who is now with Paul.
- Colossians 1:12 Light: this term is used to symbolize glory (Isa 60:1-3; 1 Tim 6:16), life (Jn 1:4), holiness (Mt 5:14; 6:23; Acts 26:18; 1 Jn 1:5), love (Jas 1:17; 1 Jn 2:9f), and truth (Pss 36:9; 119:105, 130; 2 Cor 4:6). Thus, the character of light is found in God (1 Jn 1:5), Christ (Jn 8:12), and Christians (Eph 5:8).
- Colossians 1:15 This great hymn to Christ and his universal primacy was probably a baptismal hymn. It draws upon the most beautiful motifs of the Old Testament on Divine wisdom (see Prov 8:1-9, 12; Wis 7:21—8:12; Sir 24). In the perspective Paul adopts here, he contemplates Christ as the image of the invisible God and clearly asserts his Divine preexistence (see 2 Cor 4:4; Phil 2:6; Heb 1:3).
Christ is before all and above all; whether we consider the universe or the History of Salvation, he is both the reason for being and the explanation of everything in them. If we seek the origin of, the rationale for, or the end of creation, he is the one we must name. All the heavenly forces and hierarchies so prized in certain Jewish or Christian circles in Colossae—in a word, everything that claims to rule the universe—are subject to him as the Creator.
He alone is Lord of the world. He alone is the power giving life to the Church, that is, his Body. He alone is the Mediator who reconciles all beings with one another and with God. We experience a universe disordered by sin; it is re-created and transformed in him. Hence, for the Christian, history has a movement and a meaning: it is oriented toward Christ, directed by him, and consummated in him.
Paul wants to enunciate a hope that is infinitely more than merely human, a hope founded in faith (see Rom 8:19-22; 1 Cor 15:22-28; Phil 3:21): the risen Christ is the center in whom two worlds are united, the Divine and the created. - Colossians 1:19 All fullness (plêrôma): the fullness of deity (see Col 2:9) or, better, the universe full of the creative and redemptive presence of God. According to Paul, the risen Christ rules the whole of creation, what has been raised from sinfulness to salvation.
- Colossians 1:21 By dying on the cross, Christ has accomplished the reconciliation of all human beings. The Gospel changes their condition before God, provided that they accept it with faith. Paul rejoices in suffering to announce such a message, for he knows that the ordeal of a missionary is united with the Passion of Christ and contributes to the life and growth of the Church. He is captivated by the “mystery” of God. This term frequently means, depending on the context, Christ as prophesied, Christ who has come into this world, Christ continuing his work in the Church, Christ in his triumphal return.
Here, in this grand perspective of unity, Paul focuses his attention on the present aspect of the mystery. Today, Jews and Gentiles are admitted into the same inheritance, they are members of the same body, and they benefit from the same promise; today, even the multitudes of the Gentiles whom Israel regarded as excluded from the Covenant are called to the embrace of the Church. This is the wonderful mystery that the Apostle is charged to reveal. - Colossians 1:24 For the sake of his body, the Church: nothing is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, but believers who form a single reality with him (his body) prolong and complete his Paschal Mystery of Death and Resurrection by their trials and sufferings.
- Colossians 1:27 Christ dwells in us when we are regenerated (see Eph 3:17). We partake of the divine nature by feeding on him (Jn 6:56) and by having his word abide in us, and we grow in grace and bear fruit as we abide in him (Jn 15:5f).
Colosenses 1
Palabra de Dios para Todos
1 1-2 Estimado pueblo santo de Dios que es fiel a Jesucristo y vive en la ciudad de Colosas.
Un cordial saludo de Pablo, apóstol de Jesucristo por voluntad de Dios, y de Timoteo, nuestro hermano en Cristo.
Que la paz y las bendiciones de nuestro Padre Dios estén con ustedes.
3 Siempre que oramos damos gracias por ustedes a Dios, Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, 4 porque nos hemos enterado de la fe que tienen en Jesucristo y del amor que muestran por todo el pueblo santo de Dios. 5 Su fe y amor están basados en la esperanza de recibir lo que Dios les tiene guardado en el cielo. Ustedes conocieron esa esperanza a través del mensaje verdadero, o sea, las buenas noticias de salvación 6 que llegó hasta ustedes. Ese mensaje se está anunciando por todo el mundo y está dando una buena cosecha en todas partes. Lo mismo está sucediendo entre ustedes. El mensaje está creciendo entre todos desde el primer día en que oyeron las buenas noticias de Dios y entendieron la verdad sobre el generoso amor que él tiene. 7 Eso les enseñó nuestro buen amigo y compañero Epafras, quien es fiel servidor de Cristo para ayudarnos.[a] 8 Él nos contó del amor que ustedes tienen gracias al Espíritu Santo.
9 Por lo tanto, desde que supimos todo eso no hemos dejado de orar por ustedes. Pedimos a Dios
que los llene de conocimiento para entender su voluntad, y que les dé toda clase de sabiduría y entendimiento espiritual 10 para que así vivan de una manera que dé honor al Señor y para que le agraden en todo. Que puedan dar una cosecha de toda clase de buenas obras y que crezcan en el conocimiento de Dios. 11 Que les fortalezca el poder glorioso de Dios para que puedan resistir todo con paciencia.
Con alegría 12 darán gracias al Padre por considerarnos dignos de compartir la herencia que tiene preparada para todos los que pertenecen al pueblo de Dios y viven en la luz. 13 Dios nos rescató del poder de la oscuridad y nos hizo entrar al reino de su Hijo amado, 14 quien pagó el precio de nuestra libertad y así tenemos el perdón de nuestros pecados.
Cuando miramos a Cristo vemos a Dios
15 Nadie puede ver a Dios,
pero Cristo es Dios en forma visible.
Él existe desde antes de la creación
y es supremo Señor[b] de toda ella.
16 Con su poder creó todo lo que hay en el cielo y en la tierra,
lo que se ve y lo que no se ve,
ya sean ellos seres espirituales, poderes, autoridades o gobernantes.
Todo ha sido creado por él y para él.
17 Cristo existió antes que todas las cosas,
y todo el universo sigue su curso gracias a él.
18 Cristo es la cabeza de la iglesia,
que es su cuerpo.
Él dio comienzo a todo
y fue el primero en resucitar de la muerte.
Entonces él es el más importante en todo sentido.
19 A Dios le agradó que todo lo que él es
habitara plenamente en Cristo.
20 Y con gusto decidió reconciliar consigo todas las cosas,
tanto las que están en el cielo,
como las que están en la tierra.
Dios hizo las paces con nosotros
a través de la sangre que Cristo derramó en la cruz.
21 Antes, ustedes estaban alejados de Dios y su manera de pensar los hacía enemigos de Dios porque practicaban la maldad. 22 Pero ahora Dios, por medio de la muerte física de Cristo, los ha convertido en sus amigos. Cristo murió para presentarlos santos ante Dios, es decir, sin ninguna mancha ni maldad que pueda ser juzgada por Dios. 23 Cristo hará esto si siguen creyendo en la buena noticia que escucharon. Tengan una buena base y manténganse firmes en su fe. No se alejen de la esperanza que les da la buena noticia, que se ha contado en todas partes del mundo y que como siervo yo, Pablo, ayudo a anunciar.
Lo que hace Pablo por la iglesia
24 Me alegro en medio de mis sufrimientos por ustedes, pues lo que sufro en mi propio cuerpo completa lo que falta de los sufrimientos de Cristo por su cuerpo, que es la iglesia. 25 Dios, según su plan, me hizo un siervo de la iglesia, y mi trabajo es presentarles el mensaje de Dios en forma completa,[c] 26 que es el plan secreto que ha estado oculto para todos desde el comienzo del mundo. Pero ahora Dios lo ha dado a conocer a su pueblo santo 27 porque quiso que su pueblo entendiera esa grandiosa y maravillosa verdad para todas las naciones, que antes no les había mostrado. El plan secreto es Cristo que vive en ustedes, que les da la esperanza de disfrutar la gloria. 28 Nosotros damos a conocer a Cristo a todos, aconsejándoles y enseñándoles con toda la sabiduría que Dios nos da, pues queremos presentarlos a todos ante Dios espiritualmente maduros en Cristo. 29 A tal fin trabajo con mucho empeño gracias al poder de Cristo que actúa en mí y me fortalece.
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International