Colossians 2:2

Context
2:2 My goal is that¹ their hearts, having been knit together² in love, may be encouraged, and that³ they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,⁴

Colossians 2:19

Context
2:19 He has not held fast⁵ to the head from whom the whole body, supported⁶ and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.⁷

[2:2] ¹tn 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.

[2:2] ²tn 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.

[2:2] ³tn 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.”

[2:2] ⁴tc 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.

[2:19] ⁵tn The Greek participle κρατῶν (kratwn) was translated as a finite verb to avoid an unusually long and pedantic sentence structure in English.

[2:19] ⁶tn See BDAG 387 s.v. ἐπιχορηγέω 3.

[2:19] ⁷tn The genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of source, “from God.”