2 Corinthians 4:17

4:17 For our momentary, light suffering ¹  is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

Acts 20:23-24

20:23 except ²  that the Holy Spirit warns ³  me in town after town ⁴  that ⁵  imprisonment ⁶  and persecutions ⁷  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ⁸  worth anything ⁹  to myself, so that ¹⁰  I may finish my task ¹¹  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹²  of God’s grace.

Colossians 1:24

1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹³  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 3:3

3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:2

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

Colossians 1:8

1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Colossians 3:11-12

3:11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave ¹⁴  or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Exhortation to Unity and Love

3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, ¹⁵  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

Colossians 4:5

4:5 Conduct yourselves ¹⁶  with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities.

¹ tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”

² tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”

³ tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn” (BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “solemnly urge, exhort, warn…w. dat. of pers. addressed”), and this meaning better fits the context here, although BDAG categorizes Acts 20:23 under the meaning “testify of, bear witness to” (s.v. 1).

⁴ tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).

⁵ tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

⁶ tn Grk “bonds.”

⁷ tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.

⁸ tn Grk “soul.”

⁹ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

¹⁰ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

¹¹ tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

¹² tn Or “to the gospel.”

¹³ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

¹⁴ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

¹⁵ 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.

¹⁶ tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).