Romans 2:4

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ¹  that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

Romans 9:23

9:23 And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects ²  of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory –

Romans 9:2

9:2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ 

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁴  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁵  to fill ⁶  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Ephesians 1:7

1:7 In him ⁷  we have redemption through his blood, ⁸  the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Ephesians 2:4

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,

Ephesians 2:7

2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages ⁹  the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward ¹⁰  us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:8

3:8 To me – less than the least of all the saints ¹¹  – this grace was given, ¹²  to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ

Ephesians 3:16

3:16 I pray that ¹³  according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

Philippians 4:19

4:19 And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches ¹⁴  in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:27

1:27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious ¹⁵  riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 2:2-3

2:2 My goal is that ¹⁶  their hearts, having been knit together ¹⁷  in love, may be encouraged, and that ¹⁸  they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ¹⁹  2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

¹ tn Grk “being unaware.”

² tn Grk “vessels.” This is the same Greek word used in v. 21.

³ tn Grk “my sorrow is great and the anguish in my heart is unceasing.”

⁴ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

⁵ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

⁶ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

⁷ tn Grk “in whom” (the relative clause of v. 7 is subordinate to v. 6). The “him” refers to Christ.

⁸ sn In this context his blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, refers to the price paid for believers’ redemption, which is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.

⁹ tn Or possibly “to the Aeons who are about to come.”

¹⁰ tn Or “upon.”

¹¹ sn In Pauline writings saints means any true believer. Thus for Paul to view himself as less than the least of all the saints is to view himself as the most unworthy object of Christ’s redemption.

¹² sn The parallel phrases to proclaim and to enlighten which follow indicate why God’s grace was manifested to Paul. Grace was not something just to be received, but to be shared with others (cf. Acts 13:47).

¹³ tn Grk “that.” In Greek v. 16 is a subordinate clause to vv. 14-15.

¹⁴ tn Or “according to the riches of his glory.” The phrase “of his glory” is treated as an attributive genitive in the translation.

¹⁵ tn The genitive noun τῆς δόξης (ths doxhs) is an attributive genitive and has therefore been translated as “glorious riches.”

¹⁶ tn Verse two begins a subordinate ἵνα (Jina) clause which was divided up into two sentences for the sake of clarity in English. Thus the phrase “My goal is that” is an attempt to reflect in the translation the purpose expressed through the ἵνα clauses.

¹⁷ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβιβάζω 1.b reads “unite, knit together.” Some commentators take the verb as a reference to instruction, “instructed in love.” See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 93.

¹⁸ tn The phrase “and that” translates the first εἰς (eis) clause of v. 2 and reflects the second goal of Paul’s striving and struggle for the Colossians – the first is “encouragement” and the second is “full assurance.”

¹⁹ tc There are at least a dozen variants here, almost surely generated by the unusual wording τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ (tou qeou, Cristou, “of God, Christ”; so Ì⁴⁶ B Hil). Scribes would be prone to conform this to more common Pauline expressions such as “of God, who is in Christ” (33), “of God, the Father of Christ” (א* A C 048^vid 1175 bo), and “of the God and Father of Christ” (א² Ψ 075 0278 365 1505 pc). Even though the external support for the wording τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ is hardly overwhelming, it clearly best explains the rise of the other readings and should thus be regarded as authentic.