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。

问安

奉 神旨意作基督耶稣使徒的保罗,和提摩太弟兄, 写信给在歌罗西的圣徒,和在基督里忠心的弟兄。愿恩惠平安从我们的父 神临到你们。

为歌罗西信徒感谢 神

我们为你们祈祷的时候,常常感谢 神我们主耶稣基督的父, 因为听见你们在基督耶稣里的信心,和对众圣徒的爱心。 这都是由于那给你们存在天上的盼望,这盼望是你们从前在福音真理的道上听过的。 这福音传到你们那里,也传到全世界;你们听了福音,因着真理确实认识了 神的恩典之后,这福音就在你们中间不断地结果和增长,在全世界也是一样。 这福音也就是你们从我们亲爱的、一同作仆人(“仆人”或译:“执事”)的以巴弗那里学到的。他为你们作了基督忠心的仆役, 也把你们在圣灵里的爱心告诉了我们。

保罗的祈祷

因此,我们从听见的那天起,就不停地为你们祷告祈求,愿你们借着一切属灵的智慧和悟性,可以充分明白 神的旨意, 10 使你们行事为人对得起主,凡事蒙他喜悦;在一切善事上多结果子,更加认识 神; 11 依照他荣耀的大能得着一切能力,带着喜乐的心,凡事忍耐宽容; 12 并且感谢父,他使你们有资格分享圣徒在光明中的基业。 13 他救我们脱离了黑暗的权势,把我们迁入他爱子的国里。 14 我们在爱子里蒙了救赎,罪得赦免。

基督在万有之上

15 这爱子是那看不见的 神的形象,是首先的,在一切被造的之上。 16 因为天上地上的万有:看得见的和看不见的,无论是坐王位的,或是作主的,或是执政的,或是掌权的,都是本着他造的;万有都是借着他,又是为着他而造的。 17 他在万有之先;万有也一同靠着他而存在。 18 他是身体的头,这身体就是教会。他是元始,是死人中首先复生的,好让他在凡事上居首位; 19 因为 神乐意使所有的丰盛都住在爱子里面, 20 并且借着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平,使万有,无论是地上天上的,都借着他与 神和好了。

21 虽然你们从前也是和 神隔绝,心思上与他为敌,行为邪恶, 22 但现今 神在爱子的肉身上,借着他的死,使你们与 神和好了,为了要把你们这些圣洁、无瑕疵、无可指摘的人,呈献在他面前。 23 只是你们要常存信心,根基稳固,不受动摇偏离福音的盼望。这福音你们听过了,也传给了天下万民;我保罗也作了这福音的仆役。

竭力传扬 神的奥秘

24 现在我为你们受苦,我觉得喜乐;为了基督的身体,就是为了教会,我要在自己的肉身上,补满基督苦难的不足。 25-26 我照着 神为你们而赐给我的管家职分,作了教会的仆役,要把 神的道,就是历世历代隐藏的奥秘,传得完备。现在这奥秘已经向他的众圣徒显明了。 27  神愿意使他们知道这奥秘在外族人中有多么荣耀的丰盛,这奥秘就是基督在你们里面成了荣耀的盼望。 28 我们传扬他,是用各样的智慧,劝戒各人,教导各人,为了要使各人在基督里得到完全。 29 我也为了这事劳苦,按着他用大能在我心中运行的动力,竭力奋斗。

Greeting

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the holy and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.[b]

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about this in the word of truth, the gospel that is present with you now. The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in the entire world, just as it also has been doing among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. You learned this from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your[c] behalf. He is the one who told us about your love in the Spirit.[d]

For this reason, from the day we heard about your love, we also have not stopped praying for you. We keep asking that you would be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord. Our goal is that you please him by bearing fruit in every kind of good work and by growing in the knowledge of God, 11 as you are being strengthened with all power because of his glorious might working in you. Then you will have complete endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

What the Father Did Through Christ

13 The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption,[f] the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and all things hold together in him.

18 He is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things he might have the highest rank. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself (whether things on earth or in heaven) by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Reconciled Through Christ’s Death

21 At one time, you were alienated from God and hostile in your thinking as expressed through your evil deeds. 22 But now Christ reconciled you in his body of flesh through death, in order to present you holy, blameless, and faultless before him— 23 if you continue steadfast and firm in faith, without being moved away from the hope of the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a minister.

Paul’s Service in Preaching the Gospel

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church. 25 I became a minister of the church for your benefit when God gave me the task of fully proclaiming the word of God, 26 namely, the mystery that was hidden for past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to his saints. 27 God wanted to make known to them what is the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles—this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 We proclaim him as we admonish and teach everyone with all wisdom, so that we might present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 This is the goal I am laboring to reach, striving with his strength, which is powerfully at work in me.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:2 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Some witnesses to the text add and our Lord Jesus Christ. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.)
  3. Colossians 1:7 Some witnesses to the text read our.
  4. Colossians 1:8 Or about the love the Spirit worked in you
  5. Colossians 1:12 Some witnesses to the text read you.
  6. Colossians 1:14 A few witnesses to the text add through his blood.