5:1 So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you:
1:1 From Paul, 8 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, 10 kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
1 tn Grk “whom,” referring to the devil in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
2 tn Grk “knowing,” a participle that usually denotes a reason for the related action.
3 tn Grk “your brotherhood.” The Greek term “brotherhood” is used in a broad sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 19 s.v. ἀδελφότης 1). Another alternative translation would be “your fellow believers,” though this would weaken the familial connotations. This same word occurs in 2:17; there it has been translated “family of believers.”
4 tn Grk “your brotherhood in the world,” referring to the Christian community worldwide.
5 tn This verb carries the nuance “to accomplish, complete,” emphasizing their faithful endurance in suffering. The verb is passive in Greek (“suffering is being endured by your brotherhood”), but has been translated as an active to give a smoother English style.
6 tn Grk “the same things of sufferings.”
7 tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).
8 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
9 tc Certain
10 tn If the genitive construct σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ (splancna oiktirmou) is a hendiadys then it would be “compassion” or “tenderheartedness.” See M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 161.