20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging 12 them and saying farewell, 13 he left to go to Macedonia. 14
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. 1:25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship 15 from God – given to me for you – in order to complete 16 the word of God, 1:26 that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. 1:27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious 17 riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 22 we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 23
1 sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.
2 tn Or “to accomplish.”
3 tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.
4 tn Or “task.”
5 tn The verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) has been translated as an iterative imperfect, since John undoubtedly said this or something similar on numerous occasions.
6 tn Literally a relative clause, “of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his feet.” Because of the awkwardness of this construction in English, a new sentence was begun here.
7 tn Grk “soul.”
8 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’).”
9 tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”
10 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.
11 tn Or “to the gospel.”
12 tn Or “exhorting.”
13 tn Or “and taking leave of them.”
14 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
15 tn BDAG 697 s.v. οἰκονομία 1.b renders the term here as “divine office.”
16 tn See BDAG 828 s.v. πληρόω 3. The idea here seems to be that the apostle wants to “complete the word of God” in that he wants to preach it to every person in the known world (cf. Rom 15:19). See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 82.
17 tn The genitive noun τῆς δόξης (ths doxhs) is an attributive genitive and has therefore been translated as “glorious riches.”
18 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.
19 tn Grk “But this one thing (I do).”
20 tn Grk “according to the goal.”
21 tn Grk “prize, namely, the heavenly calling of God.”
22 tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”
23 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.