Kolose 1:11

1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ¹  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Kolose 1:18

1:18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn ²  from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. ³ 

Kolose 2:7

2:7 rooted ⁴  and built up in him and firm ⁵  in your ⁶  faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Kolose 4:11

4:11 And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts, ⁷  these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.

Kolose 4:18

4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand. ⁸  Remember my chains. ⁹  Grace be with you. ¹⁰ 

[1:11]  ¹ tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[1:18]  ² tn See the note on the term “firstborn” in 1:15. Here the reference to Jesus as the “firstborn from among the dead” seems to be arguing for a chronological priority, i.e., Jesus was the first to rise from the dead.

[1:18]  ³ tn Grk “in order that he may become in all things, himself, first.”

[2:7]  ⁴ tn Or “having been rooted.”

[2:7]  ⁵ sn The three participles rooted, built up, and firm belong together and reflect three different metaphors. The first participle “rooted” (perfect tense) indicates a settled condition on the part of the Colossian believers and refers to horticulture. The second participle “built up” (present passive) comes from the world of architecture. The third participle “firm [established]” (present passive) comes from the law courts. With these three metaphors (as well as the following comment on thankfulness) Paul explains what he means when he commands them to continue to live their lives in Christ. The use of the passive probably reflects God’s activity among them. It was he who had rooted them, had been building them up, and had established them in the faith (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-15 for the use of mixed metaphors).

[2:7]  ⁶ tn The Greek text has the article τῇ (th), not the possessive pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn), but the article often functions as a possessive pronoun and was translated as such here (ExSyn 215).

[4:11]  ⁷ tn Grk “those of the circumcision.” The verse as a whole is difficult to translate because it is unclear whether Paul is saying (1) that the only people working with him are Jewish converts at the time the letter is being written or previously, or (2) that Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus were the only Jewish Christians who ever worked with him. Verses 12-14 appear to indicate that Luke and Demas, who were Gentiles, were also working currently with Paul. This is the view adopted in the translation. See M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 207-8.

[4:18]  ⁸ tn Grk “the greeting by my hand, of Paul.”

[4:18]  ⁹ tn Or “my imprisonment.”

[4:18]  ¹⁰ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (א² D Ψ 075 0278 Ï lat sy), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the external evidence for the omission is quite compelling (א* A B C F G 048 6 33 81 1739* 1881 sa). The strongly preferred reading is therefore the omission of ἀμήν.