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.
Paolo, apostolo di Cristo Gesù per volontà di Dio, e il fratello Timòteo,
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.
ai santi e fedeli fratelli in Cristo dimoranti in Colossi grazia a voi e pace da Dio, Padre nostro!
3 Very often [HYP] we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, while we are praying for you,
Noi rendiamo continuamente grazie a Dio, Padre del Signore nostro Gesù Cristo, nelle nostre preghiere per voi,
4 because we have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus, and that you love all God’s people.
per le notizie ricevute della vostra fede in Cristo Gesù, e della carità che avete verso tutti i santi,
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].
in vista della speranza che vi attende nei cieli. Di questa speranza voi avete gia udito l'annunzio dalla parola di verità del vangelo
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.
che è giunto a voi, come pure in tutto il mondo fruttifica e si sviluppa; così anche fra voi dal giorno in cui avete ascoltato e conosciuto la grazia di Dio nella verità,
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.
che avete appresa da Epafra, nostro caro compagno nel ministero; egli ci supplisce come un fedele ministro di Cristo,
8 He told us that you love [all God’s people], just like God’s Spirit [has enabled you to] (OR, spiritually).
e ci ha pure manifestato il vostro amore nello Spirito.
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.
Perciò anche noi, da quando abbiamo saputo questo, non cessiamo di pregare per voi, e di chiedere che abbiate una conoscenza piena della sua volontà con ogni sapienza e intelligenza spirituale,
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.
perché possiate comportarvi in maniera degna del Signore, per piacergli in tutto, portando frutto in ogni opera buona e crescendo nella conoscenza di Dio;
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.
rafforzandovi con ogni energia secondo la potenza della sua gloria, per poter essere forti e pazienti in tutto;
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].
ringraziando con gioia il Padre che ci ha messi in grado di partecipare alla sorte dei santi nella luce.
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.
E' lui infatti che ci ha liberati dal potere delle tenebre e ci ha trasferiti nel regno del suo Figlio diletto,
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.
per opera del quale abbiamo la redenzione, la remissione dei peccati.
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.
Egli è immagine del Dio invisibile, generato prima di ogni creatura;
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,
poiché per mezzo di lui sono state create tutte le cose, quelle nei cieli e quelle sulla terra, quelle visibili e quelle invisibili: Troni, Dominazioni, Principati e Potestà. Tutte le cose sono state create per mezzo di lui e in vista di lui.
17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].
Egli è prima di tutte le cose e tutte sussistono in lui.
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.
Egli è anche il capo del corpo, cioè della Chiesa; il principio, il primogenito di coloro che risuscitano dai morti, per ottenere il primato su tutte le cose.
19 [God’s Son reveals perfectly what God his Father is like], because his Father chose to live completely in him.
Perché piacque a Dio di fare abitare in lui ogni pienezza
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.
e per mezzo di lui riconciliare a sé tutte le cose, rappacificando con il sangue della sua croce, cioè per mezzo di lui, le cose che stanno sulla terra e quelle nei cieli.
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,
E anche voi, che un tempo eravate stranieri e nemici con la mente intenta alle opere cattive che facevate,
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.
ora egli vi ha riconciliati per mezzo della morte del suo corpo di carne, per presentarvi santi, immacolati e irreprensibili al suo cospetto:
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.
purché restiate fondati e fermi nella fede e non vi lasciate allontanare dalla speranza promessa nel vangelo che avete ascoltato, il quale è stato annunziato ad ogni creatura sotto il cielo e di cui io, Paolo, sono diventato ministro.
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.
Perciò sono lieto delle sofferenze che sopporto per voi e completo nella mia carne quello che manca ai patimenti di Cristo, a favore del suo corpo che è la Chiesa.
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.
Di essa sono diventato ministro, secondo la missione affidatami da Dio presso di voi di realizzare la sua parola,
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)
cioè il mistero nascosto da secoli e da generazioni, ma ora manifestato ai suoi santi, (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].
ai quali Dio volle far conoscere la gloriosa ricchezza di questo mistero in mezzo ai pagani, cioè Cristo in voi, speranza della gloria.
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.
E' lui infatti che noi annunziamo, ammonendo e istruendo ogni uomo con ogni sapienza, per rendere ciascuno perfetto in Cristo.
29 In order that I might [achieve/accomplish this], I am also working very hard, depending on Christ to empowering me very greatly.
Per questo mi affatico e lotto, con la forza che viene da lui e che agisce in me con potenza.
