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, durch Gottes Willen ein Apostel Christi Jesu, 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.

entbieten ihren Gruß den heiligen und gläubigen Brüdern in Kolossä, die mit Christus in Gemeinschaft stehen. Gnade sei mit euch und Friede von Gott, unserem Vater!

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

Wir danken dem Gott und Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus allezeit, wenn wir für euch beten.

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

Denn wir haben von euerm Glauben an Christus Jesus gehört und von der Liebe, die ihr zu allen Heiligen habt.

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].

Zu dieser Liebe treibt euch die Hoffnung, deren Kleinod euch im Himmel aufbewahrt wird. Von dieser Hoffnung habt ihr einst gehört, als euch die Wahrheit der Frohen Botschaft verkündigt wurde.

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.

Diese Botschaft ist auch zu euch gekommen. Sie hat sich in der ganzen Welt verbreitet. Überall bringt sie Frucht und gewinnt sie an Boden. So ist es auch bei euch seit jenem Tag, wo ihr zuerst davon gehört und Gottes Gnade wirklich 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 seid von unserem geliebten Mitknecht Epaphras unterwiesen worden. Der ist ein treuer Diener Christi und arbeitet mit Segen an euch.

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

Er hat uns auch erzählt, welche Liebe der Heilige Geist in euch entzündet 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.

Seit dem Tag, da wir dies vernommen haben, hören wir darum nicht auf, für euch zu beten und (Gott) zu bitten, er möge euch durch die vom Heiligen Geist gewirkte mannigfaltige Weisheit und Einsicht seinen Willen völlig erkennen lassen.

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.

Dann könnt ihr auch so wandeln, daß ihr dem Herrn Ehre macht und ihm in jeder Hinsicht wohlgefallt. Dann tragt ihr Frucht in allen guten Werken und nehmt zu in der Erkenntnis Gottes.

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.

Dann werdet ihr auch reich gestärkt durch die Macht, die seiner Herrlichkeit eigen ist. So könnt ihr auch in jeder Lage Ausdauer und Geduld beweisen.

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].

Ja ihr könnt mit Freudigkeit dem Vater danken, der euch dazu befähigt hat, an dem Erbe der Heiligen im Licht Anteil zu empfangen.

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 errettet von der Macht der Finsternis und uns versetzt in das Königreich seines Sohnes, den er liebt.

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.

Weil wir mit ihm vereint sind, haben wir Befreiung aus der Schuldhaft: 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 das Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes und eher geboren als alle Geschöpfe.

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, was im Himmel und auf Erden ist, das Sichtbare und das Unsichtbare: Trohne, Herrschaften, Fürstentümer und Gewalten; alles ist durch ihn und für ihn geschaffen.

17 and because it is his Son who existed before anything else existed, and because God sustains everything by what his Son [does].

Er ist schon dagewesen vor der Schöpfung aller Dinge, und das ganze Weltall wird durch ihn im Dasein erhalten.

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.

Er ist auch das Haupt der Kirche, die sein Leib ist. Denn er ist der Erstling, ja der Erstgeborene aus den Toten. Überall sollte er den Vorrang haben.

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

Denn es hat (Gott) gefallen, 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, was auf Erden und im Himmel ist, für ihn miteinander zu versöhnen, nachdem er durch sein am Kreuz vergossenes Blut Frieden gestiftet hat.

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 ihr wart einst durch eure bösen Werke (von Gott) entfremdet und sogar ihm feindlich gesinnt.

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.

Nun aber hat er euch in seinem Fleischesleib durch seinen Tod (mit Gott) versöhnt, um euch heilig, fleckenlos und tadelfrei vor seinem Angesicht 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.

Aber ihr müßt auf dem festen Glaubensgrund unerschütterlich beharren und nimmer wanken in der Hoffnung, die die Heilsbotschaft in euch erweckt hat. Diese Botschaft habt ihr gehört: sie ist verkündigt worden in der ganzen Welt, so weit der Himmel reicht, 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 in meinen Leiden, die ich zu euerm Besten dulde. Und was mich von Christi Trübsalen bisher noch nicht getroffen hat, das koste ich nun, indem ich ihm dadurch für seine Liebe danke, in meinem (sterblichen) Fleisch bis zur Neige aus. Das leide ich für seinen Leib, die Kirche.

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.

Ihr Diener bin ich geworden nach dem Auftrag, den mir Gott gegeben hat: ich soll Gottes Wort in vollem Maße unter euch verkünden.

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)

Dies Wort ist ein Geheimnis, das früheren Zeiten und Geschlechtern verborgen war. Jetzt aber ist's für Gottes Heilige ans Licht getreten. (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, wie groß der Reichtum der Herrlichkeit ist, den dies Geheimnis gerade unter den Heiden offenbart: ich rede hier davon, daß Christus in euch wohnt und euch die Hoffnung auf die künftige Herrlichkeit verbürgt.

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.

Ihn verkünden wir, indem wir jeden ohne Unterschied zurechtweisen und jeden ohne Unterschied in aller Weisheit unterrichten, um jeden einzelnen geistlich reif darzustellen in der Lebensgemeinschaft mit Christus.

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

Das ist meines mühevollen Ringens Ziel. Und dazu stärkt mich seine Kraft, die mächtig in mir wirksam ist.