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.

Ich, Paulus, ein Apostel Christi Jesu durch Gottes Willen, und der 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.

senden unsern Gruß den in Kolossä lebenden heiligen und gläubigen Brüdern in Christus Jesus: Gnade sei mit euch und Friede von Gott, unserm Vater!

3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,

Wir danken Gott, dem Vater unsers Herrn Jesus Christus, allezeit in unsern Gebeten für euch,

4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.

da wir von eurem Glaubensstand in Christus Jesus und von der Liebe, die ihr zu allen Heiligen hegt, gehört haben,

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].

(und zwar danken wir Gott) um des Hoffnungsgutes willen, das für euch im Himmel aufbewahrt liegt. Von diesem habt ihr schon im voraus Kunde erhalten durch das Wort der Wahrheit, nämlich der Heilsbotschaft,

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.

die bei euch Eingang gefunden hat, wie sie ja auch in der ganzen Welt (verbreitet) ist und ebenso Frucht bringt und wächst wie auch bei euch seit dem Tage, an dem ihr sie vernommen und die Gnade Gottes in Wahrheit erkannt habt.

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.

Ihr habt ja die betreffende Unterweisung von unserm geliebten Mitknecht Epaphras empfangen, der als unser Vertreter ein treuer Diener Christi ist

8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).

und uns auch von eurer durch den Geist gewirkten Liebe berichtet hat.

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.

Deshalb hören auch wir seit dem Tage, an dem wir es vernommen haben, nicht auf, für euch zu beten und (Gott) zu bitten, daß ihr mit der Erkenntnis seines Willens in aller geistgewirkten Weisheit und Einsicht erfüllt werden möchtet,

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.

damit ihr so, wie es des Herrn würdig ist, zu seinem völligen Wohlgefallen wandelt. Ja, möchtet ihr in jedem guten Werke Frucht bringen und in der Erkenntnis Gottes wachsen!

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.

Möchtet ihr mit aller Kraft, wie es der Macht seiner Herrlichkeit entspricht, zu aller Standhaftigkeit und Ausdauer ausgerüstet werden

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 mit Freuden dem Vater Dank sagen, der uns zur Teilnahme am Erbe der Heiligen im Licht tüchtig gemacht hat!

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.

Er hat uns ja aus der Gewalt der Finsternis gerettet und uns in das Reich des Sohnes seiner Liebe versetzt.

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.

In diesem haben wir die Erlösung, nämlich 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.

er ist ja das Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes, der Erstgeborene aller Schöpfung;

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 in ihm ist alles geschaffen worden, was im Himmel und auf der Erde ist, das Sichtbare wie das Unsichtbare, mögen es Throne oder Herrschaften, Mächte oder Gewalten sein: alles ist durch ihn und für ihn geschaffen worden,

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 alles hat in ihm seinen Bestand.

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.

Ferner ist er das Haupt des Leibes, nämlich der Gemeinde: er ist der Anfang, der Erstgeborene aus den Toten, er, der in allen Beziehungen den Vorrang haben sollte.

19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.

Denn es war (Gottes) Ratschluß, in ihm die ganze Fülle wohnen zu lassen

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 durch ihn alles mit sich zu versöhnen – nachdem er durch sein am Kreuz vergossenes Blut Frieden gestiftet hat –, durch ihn (zu versöhnen) sowohl das, was auf der Erde, als auch das, was in den Himmeln ist.

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,

Auch euch, die ihr einst (gott)entfremdet und feindlichen Sinnes in euren bösen Werken waret, –

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.

jetzt aber hat er euch in seinem Fleischesleibe durch seinen Tod versöhnt, um euch als heilig, untadelig und unanklagbar vor ihm darzustellen,

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.

wofern ihr im Glauben fest gegründet und unerschütterlich beharrt und euch nicht von der Hoffnung abbringen laßt, die in der Heilsbotschaft beschlossen liegt. Diese (Botschaft) habt ihr vernommen: sie ist ja in der ganzen Schöpfung unter dem Himmel verkündigt worden, und ich, Paulus, bin ihr Diener geworden.

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.

Jetzt freue ich mich der Leiden, die ich für euch zu erdulden habe, und ergänze das, was an den Trübsalen Christi noch fehlt, in meinem Fleisch für seinen Leib, das heißt für 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 infolge des Haushalteramts geworden bin, das mir von Gott im Hinblick auf euch übertragen worden ist, um das Wort Gottes vollkommen auszurichten,

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, seitdem es Weltzeiten und Menschengeschlechter gibt, verborgen gewesen, jetzt aber seinen Heiligen geoffenbart worden ist. (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].

Denn ihnen hat Gott kundtun wollen, welche Fülle von Herrlichkeit dieses Geheimnis (gerade) unter den Heidenvölkern in sich berge. Dieser Reichtum besteht darin, daß Christus in euch ist, als die Hoffnung auf die (künftige) 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.

Und er ist es, den wir verkündigen, indem wir jedermann ermahnen und jedermann in aller Weisheit unterweisen, um einem jeden zur Vollkommenheit in Christus zu verhelfen.

29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.

Um dieses zu erreichen, arbeite ich auch angestrengt und kämpfe vermöge seiner Kraft, die sich machtvoll in mir wirksam erweist.