Colossians 1
1 I, Paul, [am writing this letter to you], and our fellow believer Timothy [is with me]. I am an apostle who represents Christ Jesus, because that is what God wanted.
Paulus, ein Apostel Jesu Christi durch den Willen Gottes, und Bruder Timotheus
2 [I am sending this letter] to you who are in Colossae [city], and who are God’s people, and our faithful fellow believers who have a close relationship with Christ. We pray that God our Father will be acting kindly towards you, and that he will cause you to have [inner] peace.
den Heiligen zu Kolossä und den gläubigen Brüdern in Christo: Gnade sei mit euch und Friede von Gott, unserm Vater, und dem HERRN Jesus Christus!
3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,
Wir danken Gott und dem Vater unsers HERRN Jesu Christi und beten allezeit für euch,
4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.
nachdem wir gehört haben von eurem Glauben an Christum Jesum und von der Liebe zu allen Heiligen,
5 You do that because you confidently expect to receive that which God is (reserving/keeping safe) for you in heaven, which you heard about previously when you heard the true message, that is, the message [about Christ].
um der Hoffnung willen, die euch beigelegt ist im Himmel, von welcher ihr zuvor gehört habt durch das Wort der Wahrheit im Evangelium,
6 [People] proclaimed it [PRS] to you, just like [people] have proclaimed it in many different countries [HYP, IDM]. The true message is changing more and more people’s lives, just like it changed your lives because you heard it and you truly experienced that God acts kindly towards us in ways we do not deserve.
das zu euch gekommen ist, wie auch in alle Welt, und ist fruchtbar, wie auch in euch, von dem Tage an, da ihr's gehört habt und erkannt die Gnade Gottes in der Wahrheit;
7 That is just what Epaphras taught you [would happen]. We love Epaphras. He serves Christ together with us and works for Christ faithfully for your benefit.
wie ihr denn gelernt habt von Epaphras, unserm lieben Mitdiener, welcher ist ein treuer Diener Christi für euch,
8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).
der uns auch eröffnet hat eure Liebe im Geist.
9 Because of what we heard about you, we have also been praying [LIT] very often to God for you [HYP], ever since we heard this report about you. We pray that you will truly know all that God wants you to do; that is, that you will become very wise, and that you will understand spiritual matters well.
Derhalben auch wir von dem Tage an, da wir's gehört haben, hören wir nicht auf, für euch zu beten und zu bitten, daß ihr erfüllt werdet mit Erkenntnis seines Willens in allerlei geistlicher Weisheit und Verständnis,
10 We have been praying like that in order that you will conduct yourselves as the Lord’s people should conduct themselves, in order that you will please the Lord in every way. Specifically, we have been praying like that in order that you will be doing every sort of good deed [IDM] and in order that you will be getting to know God truly, more and more.
daß ihr wandelt würdig dem HERRN zu allem Gefallen und fruchtbar seid in allen guten Werken
11 And we pray that [God] will greatly strengthen you [spiritually] with the mighty power that he has shown [to people], in order that you will always be steadfast and patient [when you experience difficulties], while [at the same time] you will be rejoicing.
und wachset in der Erkenntnis Gottes und gestärkt werdet mit aller Kraft nach seiner herrlichen Macht zu aller Geduld und Langmütigkeit mit Freuden,
12 And we pray that you will be thanking God our Father, because he has enabled you/us to receive the things that he will give to his people in heaven [SYN].
und danksaget dem Vater, der uns tüchtig gemacht hat zu dem Erbteil der Heiligen im Licht;
13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that the evil one no longer rules us [MET, MTY], and he caused us now to be ruled by his Son, whom he loves.
welcher uns errettet hat von der Obrigkeit der Finsternis und hat uns versetzt in das Reich seines lieben Sohnes,
14 That is, because of our relationship with his Son (OR, because of what the one who is also God did), God has redeemed/bought us; in particular, he has forgiven our sins.
an welchem wir haben die Erlösung durch sein Blut, die Vergebung der Sünden;
15 God’s Son reveals perfectly what God, his Father, is like, whom no one can see. God’s Son existed before and ranks above everything that God has created.
welcher ist das Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes, der Erstgeborene vor allen Kreaturen.
16 When God created everything that is on the earth, he did it by having his Son do it. He created everything that [people] can see, and also everything which is in heaven that [people] cannot see. In particular, his Son created all ranks of important spirit beings. [And his Son ranks above everything], because God by the work of had his Son, and because by his Son all things were created {because [God] had his Son create everything} in order that everything might praise his Son,
Denn durch ihn ist alles geschaffen, was im Himmel und auf Erden ist, das Sichtbare und das Unsichtbare, es seien Throne oder Herrschaften oder Fürstentümer oder Obrigkeiten; es ist alles durch ihn und zu ihm geschaffen.
17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].
Und er ist vor allem, und es besteht alles in ihm.
18 And [God’s Son ranks above everything], because it is his Son who [rules over his people] [MET] [as a person’s] head [controls his physical] body, because his Son causes his people to live [spiritually]. [God’s Son] is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.
Und er ist das Haupt des Leibes, nämlich der Gemeinde; er, welcher ist der Anfang und der Erstgeborene von den Toten, auf daß er in allen Dingen den Vorrang habe.
19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.
Denn es ist das Wohlgefallen gewesen, daß in ihm alle Fülle wohnen sollte
20 [God our Father caused his Son to rule us], because he decided to reconcile with himself everything that is on earth and that is in heaven by what his Son did, in order that everything might honor his Son; that is, God our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself as a result of his [Son’s] blood [flowing when he died] on the cross. [The chiastic material is rearranged below so that the directly related propositional clusters are joined together.] 13 God our Father rescued us [spiritually] so that we are no longer ruled by the evil one, and God our Father caused us now to be ruled by his Son (OR, the man who is also God) whom he loves. 14a That is, by means of what his Son did, we have been redeemed by God, our Father. 14b In particular, our sins have been forgiven by God, our Father. 20 God, our Father, has done this because he decided to reconcile to himself, by means of his Son, everything that is on earth and that is in heaven, in order that his Son might be honored; that is, God, our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself by means of God’s Son’s blood [flowing out when he died] on the cross. 15b God cannot be seen by anyone, 15a but his Son reveals perfectly what God—his Father—is like, 19a because it is in his Son that the Father chose 19b that he himself would dwell completely. 15c God’s Son ranks above everything 15d that has been created, 16 because it was by means of God’s Son that God created everything that is on the earth and that can be seen by people, and also everything that is in heaven and that cannot be seen by people. In particular, all types of important spirit beings were created by means of him, since everything has been created by God by means of God’s Son. And his Son ranks above everything, because everything has been created by God, in order that God’s Son might be honored by everything, 17 and because it is he who existed before anything else existed, and since everything is sustained by God by means of God’s Son. 18 And God’s Son ranks above everything because it is he who [rules over all believers, just like a person’s] head [controls his physical body, because he causes all believers to live spiritually]. His Son is the first one who rose from among those who have died, in order that he should become more important than everything and everyone.
und alles durch ihn versöhnt würde zu ihm selbst, es sei auf Erden oder im Himmel, damit daß er Frieden machte durch das Blut an seinem Kreuz, durch sich selbst.
21 As for you, [although] formerly God [considered you his] enemies (OR, [God considered you] as alienated [from him]) and [although] you were formerly hostile [to God] because you thought evil thoughts and because you did evil deeds,
Und euch, die ihr weiland Fremde und Feinde waret durch die Vernunft in bösen Werken,
22 nevertheless, God our Father has now reconciled you [with himself. He did that] as a result of his Son dying physically. He did it in order that you should be completely holy when he brings you into his presence.
hat er nun versöhnt mit dem Leibe seines Fleisches durch den Tod, auf daß er euch darstellte heilig und unsträflich und ohne Tadel vor ihm selbst;
23 He wants you to continue [DOU] to believe the message about Christ; specifically, he wants you to continue to be stable/steadfast and to continue to confidently expect to receive that which you heard about when you heard that message. That message has been proclaimed {They have proclaimed that message} to people in very many places [HYP]; and I, Paul, also become someone who tells it to people.
so ihr anders bleibet im Glauben, gegründet und fest und unbeweglich von der Hoffnung des Evangeliums, welches ihr gehört habt, welches gepredigt ist unter aller Kreatur, die unter dem Himmel ist, dessen Diener ich, Paulus, geworden bin.
24 At the present time I am rejoicing that I am suffering for your benefit; that is, I am completing what Christ [decided] that I should suffer physically for the benefit of all believers, [who are as dear to him as] his own body.
Nun freue ich mich in meinem Leiden, das ich für euch leide, und erstatte an meinem Fleisch, was noch mangelt an Trübsalen in Christo, für seinen Leib, welcher ist die Gemeinde,
25 I myself became someone who serves God’s people, because I was appointed {[God] appointed me} to be responsible to [help] you [who are non-Jews]. I became one who serves God’s people in order that I should make known to you non-Jews the whole message from/about God.
deren Diener ich geworden bin nach dem göttlichen Predigtamt, das mir gegeben ist unter euch, daß ich das Wort Gottes reichlich predigen soll,
26 [We did not know this message previously; that is, God] concealed it from [the people who lived in all] the previous ages, but he has now revealed it to his people. (aiōn g165)
nämlich das Geheimnis, das verborgen gewesen ist von der Welt her und von den Zeiten her, nun aber ist es offenbart seinen Heiligen, (aiōn g165)
27 That is, God decided to reveal to them this message, which declares that he will greatly bless the non-Jews. Specifically, this message declares that Christ, [by his Spirit], will live in you who are non-Jews, with the result that you confidently expect that you will experience how glorious [God is].
denen Gott gewollt hat kundtun, welcher da sei der herrliche Reichtum dieses Geheimnisses unter den Heiden, welches ist Christus in euch, der da ist die Hoffnung der Herrlichkeit.
28 We tell about Christ [to every class of persons]; we warn them, and specifically, we teach everyone very wisely. We do this in order that every person who (has a close relationship with/is united to) Christ may be (all that God wants them to be/perfect) when we present them to Christ.
Den verkündigen wir und vermahnen alle Menschen und lehren alle Menschen mit aller Weisheit, auf daß wir darstellen einen jeglichen Menschen vollkommen in Christo Jesu;
29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.
daran ich auch arbeite und ringe, nach der Wirkung des, der in mir kräftig wirkt.
