1 Corinthians 14:31

14:31 For you can all prophesy one after another, so all can learn and be encouraged.

1 Corinthians 14:2

14:2 For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands; he is speaking mysteries by the Spirit.

Colossians 1:4

1:4 since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

Colossians 2:7

2:7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Ephesians 6:22

6:22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

Colossians 4:8

4:8 I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

Colossians 4:1

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Colossians 2:11

2:11 In him you also were circumcised – not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, 10  that is, 11  through the circumcision done by Christ.

Colossians 3:2

3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth,

Colossians 4:18

4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand. 12  Remember my chains. 13  Grace be with you. 14 

Colossians 1:11-14

1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of 15  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share 16  in the saints’ 17  inheritance in the light. 1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 18  1:14 in whom we have redemption, 19  the forgiveness of sins.


tn Or “with the spirit”; cf. vv. 14-16.

tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).

tn Or “having been rooted.”

sn The three participles rooted, built up, and firm belong together and reflect three different metaphors. The first participle “rooted” (perfect tense) indicates a settled condition on the part of the Colossian believers and refers to horticulture. The second participle “built up” (present passive) comes from the world of architecture. The third participle “firm [established]” (present passive) comes from the law courts. With these three metaphors (as well as the following comment on thankfulness) Paul explains what he means when he commands them to continue to live their lives in Christ. The use of the passive probably reflects God’s activity among them. It was he who had rooted them, had been building them up, and had established them in the faith (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-15 for the use of mixed metaphors).

tn The Greek text has the article τῇ (th), not the possessive pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn), but the article often functions as a possessive pronoun and was translated as such here (ExSyn 215).

tn Grk “the things concerning us.”

tn Grk “the things concerning us.”

tn The terms “however” and “but” in this sentence were supplied in order to emphasize the contrast.

tn The articular noun τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (th apekdusei) is a noun which ends in -σις (-sis) and therefore denotes action, i.e., “removal.” Since the head noun is a verbal noun, the following genitive τοῦ σώματος (tou swmatos) is understood as an objective genitive, receiving the action of the head noun.

10 tn Grk “in the removal of the body of flesh.” The genitive τῆς σαρκός (th" sarko") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “fleshly body.”

11 tn The second prepositional phrase beginning with ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ (en th peritomh) is parallel to the prepositional phrase ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (en th apekdusei) and gives a further explanation of it. The words “that is” were supplied to bring out this force in the translation.

12 tn Grk “the greeting by my hand, of Paul.”

13 tn Or “my imprisonment.”

14 tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (א2 D Ψ 075 0278 Ï lat sy), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the external evidence for the omission is quite compelling (א* A B C F G 048 6 33 81 1739* 1881 sa). The strongly preferred reading is therefore the omission of ἀμήν.

15 tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

16 tn BDAG 473 s.v. ἱκανόω states, “τινὰ εἴς τι someone for someth. Col 1:12.” The point of the text is that God has qualified the saints for a “share” or “portion” in the inheritance of the saints.

17 tn Grk “the inheritance of the saints.” The genitive noun τῶν ἁγίων (twn Jagiwn) is a possessive genitive: “the saints’ inheritance.”

18 tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

19 tc διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ (dia tou {aimato" autou, “through his blood”) is read at this juncture by several minuscule mss (614 630 1505 2464 al) as well as a few, mostly secondary, versional and patristic witnesses. But the reading was prompted by the parallel in Eph 1:7 where the wording is solid. If these words had been in the original of Colossians, why would scribes omit them here but not in Eph 1:7? Further, the testimony on behalf of the shorter reading is quite overwhelming: {א A B C D F G Ψ 075 0150 6 33 1739 1881 Ï latt co as well as several other versions and fathers}. The conviction that “through his blood” is not authentic in Col 1:14 is as strong as the conviction that these words are authentic in Eph 1:7.