歌罗西书 1
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
问安
1 奉 神旨意作基督耶稣使徒的保罗，和提摩太弟兄， 2 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
3 我们为你们祈祷的时候，常常感谢 神我们主耶稣基督的父， 4 因为听见你们在基督耶稣里的信心，和对众圣徒的爱心。 5 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。 6 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。 7 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， 8 也把你们在圣灵里的爱心告诉了我们。
保罗的祈祷
9 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。
歌羅西書 1
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
1 我是奉上帝旨意作基督耶穌使徒的保羅， 2 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。 5 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。 6 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。 7 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， 8 並把聖靈賜給你們的愛心告訴了我們。
9 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。
Colossians 1
Living Bible
1 From: Paul, chosen by God to be Jesus Christ’s messenger, and from Brother Timothy.
2 To: The faithful Christian brothers—God’s people—in the city of Colosse.
May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with his great peace.
3 Whenever we pray for you, we always begin by giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard how much you trust the Lord, and how much you love his people. 5 And you are looking forward to the joys of heaven, and have been ever since the Gospel first was preached to you. 6 The same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world and changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard it and understood about God’s great kindness to sinners.
7 Epaphras, our much-loved fellow worker, was the one who brought you this Good News. He is Jesus Christ’s faithful slave, here to help us in your place. 8 And he is the one who has told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
9 So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; 10 and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better.
11 We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord, 12 and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins.
15 Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all,[a] and, in fact, 16 Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. 17 He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. 18 He is the Head of the body made up of his people—that is, his Church—which he began; and he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead,[b] so that he is first in everything; 19 for God wanted all of himself to be in his Son.
20 It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him—all things in heaven and on earth—for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. 22 He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you—nothing left that he could even chide you for; 23 the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others.
24 But part of my work is to suffer for you; and I am glad, for I am helping to finish up the remainder of Christ’s sufferings for his body, the Church.
25 God has sent me to help his Church and to tell his secret plan to you Gentiles. 26-27 He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to those who love him and live for him, and the riches and glory of his plan are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.
28 So everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them. 29 This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:15 He existed before God made anything at all, literally, “He is the firstborn of all creation.”
- Colossians 1:18 he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, literally, “he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.”
Colossians 1
International Children’s Bible
Only Christ Can Save People
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted.
Also from Timothy, our brother.
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ that live in Colosse. Grace and peace from God our Father.[a]
3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We thank God because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. 5 You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is saved for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the true teaching, the Good News 6 that was told to you. Everywhere in the world that Good News is bringing blessings and is growing. This has happened with you, too, since you heard the Good News and understood the truth about the grace of God. 7 You learned about God’s grace from Epaphras, whom we love. Epaphras works together with us and is a faithful servant of Christ for us.[b] 8 He also told us about the love you have from the Holy Spirit.
9 Since the day we heard this about you, we have continued praying for you. We ask God that you will know fully what God wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things. 10 Then you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. 11 Then God will strengthen you with his own great power. And you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. 12 Then you will joyfully give thanks to the Father. He has made you[c] able to have all that he has prepared for his people who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid for our sins,[d] and in him we have forgiveness.
The Importance of Christ
15 No one has seen God, but Jesus is exactly like him. Christ ranks higher than all the things that have been made. 16 Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ. 17 Christ was there before anything was made. And all things continue because of him. 18 He is the head of the body. (The body is the church.) Everything comes from him. And he is the first one who was raised from death. So in all things Jesus is most important. 19 God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ. 20 And through Christ, God decided to bring all things back to himself again—things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace by using the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
21 At one time you were separated from God. You were God’s enemies in your minds because the evil deeds you did were against God. 22 But now Christ has made you God’s friends again. He did this by his death while he was in the body, that he might bring you into God’s presence. He brings you before God as people who are holy, with no wrong in you, and with nothing that God can judge you guilty of. 23 And Christ will do this if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must continue strong and sure in your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope that Good News gave you. That same Good News has been told to everyone in the world. I, Paul, help in preaching that Good News.
Paul’s Work for the Church
24 I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are many things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting my part of these things that must be suffered. I accept these sufferings in my body. I suffer for his body, the church. 25 I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you. My work is to tell fully the teaching of God. 26 This teaching is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone, but now it is made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious truth which he has for all people. This truth is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. 28 So we continue to preach Christ to all men. We use all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone. We are trying to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ. 29 To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
