1 奉神旨意,作基督耶稣使徒的保罗,和兄弟提摩太, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, |
2 写信给歌罗西的圣徒,在基督里有忠心的弟兄。愿恩惠平安,从神我们的父,归与你们。 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. |
3 我们感谢神我们主耶稣基督的父,常常为你们祷告。 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, |
4 因听见你们在基督耶稣里的信心,并向众圣徒的爱心。 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- |
5 是为那给你们存在天上的盼望。这盼望就是你们从前在福音真理的道上所听见的。 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel |
6 这福音传到你们那里,也传到普天之下,并且结果增长,如同在你们中间,自从你们听见福音,真知道神恩惠的日子一样。 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. |
7 正如你们从我们所亲爱,一同作仆人的以巴弗所学的。他为我们(有古卷作你们)作了基督忠心的执事。 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, |
8 也把你们因圣灵所存的爱心告诉了我们。 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. |
9 因此,我们自从听见的日子,也就为你们不住地祷告祈求,愿你们在一切属灵的智慧悟性上,满心知道神的旨意。 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. |
10 好叫你们行事为人对得起主,凡事蒙他喜悦,在一切善事上结果子,渐渐的多知道神。 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, |
11 照他荣耀的权能,得以在各样的力上加力,好叫你们凡事欢欢喜喜地忍耐宽容。 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully |
12 又感谢父,叫我们能与众圣徒在光明中同得基业。 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. |
13 他救了我们脱离黑暗的权势,把我们迁到他爱子的国里。 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, |
14 我们在爱子里得蒙救赎,罪过得以赦免。 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. |
15 爱子是那不能看见之神的像,是首生的,在一切被造的以先。 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. |
16 因为万有都是靠他造的,无论是天上的,地上的,能看见的,不能看见的,或是有位的,主治的,执政的,掌权的,一概都是借着他造的,又是为他造的。 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. |
17 他在万有之先,万有也靠他而立。 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. |
18 他也是教会全体之首。他是元始,是从死里首先复生的,使他可以在凡事上居首位。 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. |
19 因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛,在他里面居住。 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, |
20 既然借着他在十字架上所流的血,成就了和平,便借着他叫万有,无论是地上的,天上的,都与自己和好了。 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. |
21 你们从前与神隔绝,因着恶行,心里与他为敌。 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. |
22 但如今他借着基督的肉身受死,叫你们与自己和好,都成了圣洁,没有瑕疵,无可责备,把你们引到自己面前。 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- |
23 只要你们在所信的道上恒心,根基稳固,坚定不移,不至被引动失去原文作离开福音的盼望。这福音就是你们所听过的,也是传与普天下万人听的。万人原文作凡受造的我保罗也作了这福音的执事。 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. |
24 现在我为你们受苦,倒觉欢乐,并且为基督的身体,就是为教会,要在我肉身上补满基督患难的缺欠。 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. |
25 我照神为你们所赐我的职分,作了教会的执事,要把神的道理传得全备。 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- |
26 这道理就是历世历代所隐藏的奥秘,但如今向他的圣徒显明了。 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. |
27 神愿意叫他们知道,这奥秘在外邦人中有何等丰盛的荣耀。就是基督在你们心里成了有荣耀的盼望。 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. |
28 我们传扬他,是用诸般的智慧,劝戒各人,教导各人。要把各人在基督里完完全全的引到神面前。 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. |
29 我也为此劳苦,照着他在我里面运用的大能,尽心竭力。 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. |