< Colossians 1 >
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother,
因天主的旨意作基督耶穌的宗徒的保祿與弟茂弟兄,
2 to the holy ones in Colossae, and to the faithful brothers in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
致書給在哥羅森的聖徒及在基督內忠信的弟兄, 恩寵與平安由天主我們的父賜與你們!
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you,
我們在祈禱時,常為你們感謝我們的主耶穌基督的天主和父,
4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that [is] to all the holy ones,
因為我們聽說:你們在基督耶穌內的信德,和你們對眾徒所有的愛德:
5 because of the hope that is laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard of beforehand by the word of the truth of the good news,
這是為了那在天上給你們存留的希望,對這希望你們由福音真理的宣講人早已聽過了。
6 which has come to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which you heard, and knew the grace of God in truth,
這福音一傳到你們那裏,就如在全世界上,不斷結果,並在真理內認識了天主的恩寵那天以來,也是一樣;
7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful servant of the Christ for you,
這福音也是由我們親愛的同僕厄帕夫辣所學的,他為你們實在是基督的忠僕役,
8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
也就是他給我們報告了聖神所賜與你們的愛。
9 Because of this, we also, from the day in which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
為此,自從我們得到了報告那天起,就不斷為你們祈禱,懇求天主使你們對祂的旨意有充分的認識,充滿各種屬神的智慧和見識,
10 to walk worthily of the LORD, pleasing in all, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God,
好使你們的行動相稱於天主,事事叫祂喜悅,在一切善功上結出果實,在認識天主上護得進展,
11 in all might being made mighty according to the power of His glory, to all endurance and long-suffering with joy.
全力加強自己,賴他光榮的德能,含忍容受一切,欣然
12 Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us for the participation of the inheritance of the holy ones in the light,
感謝那使我們有資格,在光明中分享聖徒福分的天父,
13 who rescued us out of the authority of the darkness, and translated [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
因為是祂由黑暗的權勢下救出了我們,並將我們移植在祂愛子的國內,
14 in whom we have the redemption [[through His blood]], the forgiveness of sins,
我們在祂內得到了救贖,獲得了罪赦。
15 who is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation,
祂是不可見的天主的肖像,是一切受造物者的首生者,
16 because all things were created in Him, those in the heavens, and those on the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him,
因為在天上和在地上的一切,可見的與不可見的,或是上座者,或是宰制者,或是率領者,或是掌權者,都是在祂內受造的:一切都是藉著祂,並且是為了祂而受造的。
17 and He is before all, and all things have consisted in Him.
祂在萬有之先就,有萬有都賴祂而存在;
18 And He is the head of the body—the Assembly—who is a beginning, a firstborn out of the dead, that He might become first in all [things] Himself,
祂又是身體──教會的頭:祂是元始,是死者中的首生者,為使祂在萬有之上獨佔首位,
19 because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him,
因為天主樂意叫整個的圓滿居在祂內,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself—having made peace through the blood of His Cross—through Him, whether the things on the earth, whether the things in the heavens.
並藉著祂使萬有,無論是地上的,是天上的,都與自己重歸於好,因著祂十字架的血立定了和平。
21 And you—once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now He reconciled,
連你們從前也與天主隔絕,並因邪惡的行為在心意上與祂為敵;
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblemished, and unblameable before Himself,
可是現今天主卻以祂血肉的身體,藉著死亡使你們與自己和好了,把你們呈獻在祂跟前,成為聖潔,無瑕和無可指摘的,
23 if you also remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which you heard, which was preached in all the creation that [is] under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.
只要你們在信德上站穩,堅定不移,不偏離你們由聽福音所得的希望,這福音已傳與天下一切受造物,我保祿就是這福音的僕役。
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for His body, which is the Assembly,
如今我在為你們受苦,反覺高興,因為這樣我可在我的肉身上,為基督的身體──教會,補充基督的苦難所欠缺的;
25 of which I became a servant according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
我依照天主為你們所授與我的職責,作了這教會的僕役,好把天主的道理充分地宣揚出去,
26 the secret that has been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His holy ones, (aiōn )
這道理就是從世世代代以來所隱藏,而如今卻顯示給祂的聖徒的奧祕。 (aiōn )
27 to whom God willed to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations—which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory,
天主願意他們知道,這奧祕為外邦人是有如何豐盛的光榮,這奧祕就是基督在你們中作了你們覺得光榮的希望。
28 whom we proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,
我們所傳揚的,就是這位基督,因而我們以各種智慧,勸告一切人,教訓一切人,好把一切人,呈獻於天主前,成為在基督內的成全人;
29 for which I also labor, striving according to His working that is working in me in power.
我就是為這事而勞苦,按祂以大能在我身上所發動的力量,盡力奮鬥。