(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Greeting from Paul and Timothy
- Paul, an apostle of Jesus the Anointed through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
- to the saints and faithful brothers in the Anointed at Colossae; grace to you and peace from God our Father.
- We always give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed while praying about you,
- having heard of your faith in Jesus the Anointed and the ^love that you have for all the saints
- because of the hope being stored for you in the heavens, which you previously heard in the word of truth; the gospel.
- The gospel which is present in you, just as it’s also bearing fruit and growing in all the world as it also was among you from the day you heard and recognized the grace of God in truth.
- Just as you learned from Epaphras – our beloved fellow servant – who is a faithful servant of the Anointed on our behalf,
- and the man who revealed your ^love to us in the Spirit.
- And because of this, we don’t stop praying and asking for you from the day we heard, so you might be filled with accurate knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
- for you to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing in everything and in every good work, bearing fruit and growing in the accurate knowledge of God;
- being empowered with all strength according to His glorious might, into all endurance and patience with joy;
- giving thanks to the Father; the One who made you fit for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
- He who rescued us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His ^beloved Son,
- in whom we have the repurchase payment1“repurchase payment” is one word in Greek, typically translated “redemption”. It properly refers to the price paid to “buy back” something that had been lost. and the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus’ Authority
- He who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over2“firstborn over” In Jewish culture, “firstborn” was as much a title as an indication of birth order. This can be seen in 1 Chronicles 26:10, 1 Chronicles 5:1, Genesis 48:17-20, and God Himself declares someone who was not born first to be His firstborn (of Israel) in Jeremiah 31:9. Thus, “firstborn” can – and did – sometimes indicate rank among brothers instead of the birth order. While Jesus wasn’t “born first” because He is uncreated, (John 1:1), Christians are called His “brothers” and this Jesus could rightly be called “firstborn” in the sense or preeminence and authority. This is consistent with its 1st century usage and immediate context of the passage. all creation,
- because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created in Him, the visible and the invisible; whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.
- And He is before all things and in Him all things *hold together.
- And He is the head of the body (the church) who is the beginning; the firstborn from the dead, so He might become the One having preeminence in all things,
- because it pleased God for all fullness to dwell in Him,
- and through Him to fully reconcile all things to Himself – whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens – having made peace through Him, through the blood of His cross.
- And you were formerly *alienated yourselves and enemies in your mind and wicked works,
- but now He fully reconciled you by His fleshly body through death, to present you holy and unblemished and blameless in His sight,
- if indeed you remain in the faith; firmly *established and steadfast, and not removing yourself from the hope of the gospel that you heard, the gospel which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I Paul became a minister.
The Mystery of the Gospel
- Now, I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and I fill up in my flesh what lacks in afflictions of the Anointed for the sake of His body, which is the church.
- Of which I became a servant according to the stewardship from God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;
- the mystery which has been concealed from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His saints.
- To whom God willed to make known what is the glorious richness of this mystery among the gentiles, which is the Anointed in you; the hope of glory.
- He whom we proclaim; admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom so we might present every man perfect in the Anointed.
- And for this I exhaust myself working; striving according to His power, which works powerfully in me.
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