Colossians 1:4

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

Colossians 2:7

2:7 rooted ²  and built up in him and firm ³  in your ⁴  faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:12

2:12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your ⁵  faith in the power ⁶  of God who raised him from the dead.

Colossians 1:23

1:23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, ⁷  without shifting ⁸  from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.

Colossians 2:5

2:5 For though ⁹  I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see ¹⁰  your morale ¹¹  and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

[1:4]  ¹ 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).

[2:7]  ² tn Or “having been rooted.”

[2:7]  ³ 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).

[2:7]  ⁴ 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).

[2:12]  ³ tn The article with the genitive modifier τῆς πίστεως (th" pistew") is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[2:12]  ⁴ tn The genitive τῆς ἐνεργείας (th" energeia") has been translated as an objective genitive, “faith in the power.”

[1:23]  ⁴ tn BDAG 276 s.v. ἑδραῖος suggests “firm, steadfast.”

[1:23]  ⁵ tn BDAG 639 s.v. μετακινέω suggests “without shifting from the hope” here.

[2:5]  ⁵ tn The conditional particle εἰ (ei) together with καί (kai) here indicates a first class condition in Greek and carries a concessive force, especially when seen in contrast to the following phrase which begins with ἀλλά (alla).

[2:5]  ⁶ tn Grk “rejoicing and seeing.”

[2:5]  ⁷ tn The Greek word τάξις can mean “order,” “discipline,” or even “unbroken ranks” (REB).