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, ¹  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ²  to fill ³  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Colossians 1:13

1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ⁴ 

Ephesians 3:14-19

Prayer for Strengthened Love

3:14 For this reason ⁵  I kneel ⁶  before the Father, ⁷  3:15 from ⁸  whom every family ⁹  in heaven and on the earth is named. 3:16 I pray that ¹⁰  according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, 3:18 you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹¹  3:19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to ¹²  all the fullness of God.

Philippians 1:9-11

1:9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight 1:10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul ¹³  and Timothy, slaves ¹⁴  of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, ¹⁵  with the overseers ¹⁶  and deacons.

Philippians 3:10-13

3:10 My aim is to know him, ¹⁷  to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, ¹⁸  and to be like him in his death, 3:11 and so, somehow, ¹⁹  to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Keep Going Forward

3:12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. ²⁰  3:13 Brothers and sisters, ²¹  I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: ²²  Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,

Philippians 3:2

3:2 Beware of the dogs, ²³  beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! ²⁴ 

Philippians 2:16-17

2:16 by holding on to ²⁵  the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

Philippians 2:2

2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, ²⁶  by having the same love, being united in spirit, ²⁷  and having one purpose.

Philippians 1:3

Prayer for the Church

1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. ²⁸ 

[1:9]  ¹ 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.

[1:9]  ² 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.

[1:9]  ³ 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.

[1:13]  ⁴ tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

[3:14]  ⁵ sn For this reason resumes the point begun in v. 1, after a long parenthesis.

[3:14]  ⁶ tn Grk “I bend my knees.”

[3:14]  ⁷ tc Most Western and Byzantine witnesses, along with a few others (א² D F G Ψ 0278 1881 Ï lat sy), have “of our Lord Jesus Christ” after “Father,” but such an edifying phrase cannot explain the rise of the reading that lacks it, especially when the shorter reading is attested by early and important witnesses such as Ì⁴⁶ א* A B C P 6 33 81 365 1175 1739 co Or Hier.

[3:15]  ⁸ tn Or “by.”

[3:15]  ⁹ tn Or “the whole family.”

[3:16]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that.” In Greek v. 16 is a subordinate clause to vv. 14-15.

[3:18]  ¹¹ sn The object of these dimensions is not stated in the text. Interpreters have suggested a variety of referents for this unstated object, including the cross of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem (which is then sometimes linked to the Church), God’s power, the fullness of salvation given in Christ, the Wisdom of God, and the love of Christ. Of these interpretations, the last two are the most plausible. Associations from Wisdom literature favor the Wisdom of God, but the immediate context favors the love of Christ. For detailed discussion of these interpretive options, see A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians (WBC), 207-13, who ultimately favors the love of Christ.

[3:19]  ¹² tn Or “with.”

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ sn The overseers (or “church leaders,” L&N 53.71) is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in Titus 1:6-7 and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between Titus 1:6-7 and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

[3:10]  ¹⁷ tn The articular infinitive τοῦ γνῶναι (tou gnwnai, “to know”) here expresses purpose. The words “My aim is” have been supplied in the translation to emphasize this nuance and to begin a new sentence (shorter sentences are more appropriate for English style).

[3:10]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “to know him, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.”

[3:11]  ¹⁹ tn On εἰ πῶς (ei pws) as “so, somehow” see BDAG 279, s.v. εἰ 6.n.

[3:12]  ²⁰ tn Grk “that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” The passive has been translated as active in keeping with contemporary English style.

[3:13]  ²¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[3:13]  ²² tn Grk “But this one thing (I do).”

[3:2]  ²³ sn Dogs is a figurative reference to false teachers whom Paul regards as just as filthy as dogs.

[3:2]  ²⁴ tn Grk “beware of the mutilation.”

[2:16]  ²⁵ tn Or “holding out, holding forth.”

[2:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “and feel the same way,” “and think the same thoughts.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated “and be of the same mind” to reflect its epexegetical force to the imperative “complete my joy.”

[2:2]  ²⁷ tn The Greek word here is σύμψυχοι (sumyucoi, literally “fellow souled”).

[1:3]  ²⁸ tn This could also be translated “for your every remembrance of me.” See discussion below.