Chapter 1
1 Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed One Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the holy and faithful brothers in the Anointed One at Colossae: May you have care and peace from our Father, God.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, when we pray for you, 4 since we’ve heard of your faith in the Anointed One Jesus and of the love you have for all the Holy Ones, 5 through the hope that has been reserved for you in the heavens. This is the same hope you learned of when the truth of the good news 6 was first brought to you. [And today] it’s producing fruit and increasing throughout the entire world, just as it has been doing among you since the day you first heard of it and came to an accurate understanding about the truth of the caring of God. 7 That’s what you’ve learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of the Anointed One on our behalf. 8 And he’s the one who told us of the love you have, by the Breath [of God].
9 It’s because of this, that from the day we heard [of it] we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with an accurate knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding through the Breath [of God]. 10 We want you to walk in a way that’s worthy of the Lord and to be completely pleasing as you keep on producing the fruit of all sorts of good work and growing in an accurate knowledge of God, 11 getting stronger in the power of His Glorious Might, so you can endure everything in joy and patience, 12 while you thank the Father who qualified you to receive part of the inheritance of the Holy Ones of light.
13 He drew us to Himself from out of the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love. 14 And the ransom price which frees us from our sins has been paid through him. 15 He’s the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation. 16 Through him everything in heaven and on the earth was created, both the things that are visible and those that are invisible. Everything has been created through him and for him, regardless of whether they are thrones, or rulerships, or governments, or powers. 17 He was before everything and everything came into existence through him. 18 He’s the head of the body of the congregation. He’s the earliest and the first one to be born from the dead, so that he would be first in everything.
19 [God] saw that it was good for him to be complete in everything, 20 and used him to bring everything back into a good relationship with Himself, by making peace through his blood [that was shed] on the pole, regardless of whether these things are heavenly or earthly.
21 Why, at one time you were aliens and enemies, because all you thought about was doing bad things. 22 But he has restored your relationship with Him by means of the death of [his] fleshly body. [This was done so that] you could be presented to Him as holy, without blemishes, and free from any accusations… 23 that is, as long as you stay firmly founded and deeply rooted in the faith and aren’t diverted from the hope of the good news that you heard, which is being preached in all creation under heaven, and of which I (Paul) am a servant.
24 Even as I suffer, I’m rejoicing over you. Right now, my flesh is finishing whatever may have been lacking during the difficult time that the Anointed One endured. I’m doing this in behalf of his body, the congregation 25 (which is what I’m serving). It’s a responsibility that God assigned to me for your sakes, to fulfill God’s word 26 about the mystery that was hidden from past ages and generations, but has now been made clear to His Holy Ones.
27 It was God’s Will to make those of the nations understand the glorious richness of this mystery, so that the Anointed One would become one with you, [giving you] the hope of glory. 28 So, he’s the one we’re advertising. We are wisely teaching and putting his mind in every man, so we can present every man as being complete in the Anointed One. 29 This is why I’m working hard and struggling; so he can show his power and his way of doing things through me.
Chapter 2
1 I want you to realize what a great struggle I’m undergoing
on your behalf, as well as for those in
4 I want to explain this to you so that nobody can mislead you with strong arguments. 5 For, although I’m not there in the flesh, I’m with you in spirit.
I’m rejoicing, because I’ve noticed the way that you’ve come into line and become firm in the Anointed One. 6 So, since you’ve accepted the Anointed One, Jesus the Lord, [you must] keep on walking with him. 7 Become rooted and built up in him, and become firm when it comes to faith in the things you were taught. Overflow with it whenever you’re giving thanks!
8 Watch out so that no one carries you off as a captive with the philosophies and empty hopes of human traditions, for these base things of the world don’t come from the Anointed One. 9 Because, in him lives all bodily divinity, 10 and you’re also one with him [in this completeness], for he’s the head over all governments and powers.
11 You were circumcised into him with a circumcision that was done without hands, when you stripped away your fleshly bodies. This is the circumcision of the Anointed One. 12 You were all buried with him when [you were] baptized, and you were all raised together by faith in what God (who raised him from the dead) has done in you. 13 For, that’s when you died to your errors and to the uncircumcised state of your flesh, and when you became alive with him. Then he kindly forgave all our errors 14 and wiped away the handwritten Law that held us down and oppressed us. He lifted it out of the way and nailed it on the pole. 15 Then he stripped away the governments and powers, and openly displayed that this is how he conquered them.
16 So, don’t let anyone judge you when it comes to [what you] eat or drink, or over your views of the festivals, such as the New Moon or Sabbath, 17 for these are just shadows of things to come. The reality belongs to the Anointed One.
18 Don’t allow anyone to take the prize away from you by suggesting some lowly form of worship of the messengers [of God], or by making strong claims for things he has seen. [This man has become] overly impressed with something he imagined in the flesh, 19 and he’s not hanging onto the head… the one who holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and which keeps growing with the [type of] growth that comes from God.
20 So, if you’ve already died to the base things of this world along with the Anointed One, then why do you (as though you’re still living in this world) put yourself under such laws as, 21 ‘don’t feel it,’ ‘don’t taste it,’ or ‘don’t touch it’ … 22 especially when it comes to things that are just going to be consumed? These are the commands and teachings of men! 23 Choosing such a form of worship may sound wise, with all its humility and mistreatment of the body, but it has no value when it comes to satisfying fleshly needs.
Chapter 3
1 So, if you’ve been raised with the Anointed One, search for the things that are above… at the right hand of God, where the Anointed One is sitting. 2 Also, think about the things that are above (not on the earth), 3 because you died and your life has been hidden away in the Anointed One and in God. 4 And then, when the Anointed One (who is our life) shows himself, you will also be seen with him in glory.
5 So, while you’re on the earth, deaden your body parts to sexual immorality, uncleanness, passions, desires for bad things, and greediness (which is idolatry). 6 It’s due to such things that the wrath of God is coming. 7 That’s the way you acted when you used to live for such things. 8 But now, get all of that out of your mouths (the wrath, anger, badness, slander, and obscenities) 9 and don’t lie to each other! Take off the old person and the things that he did, 10 and put on the new man who has been renewed by coming to an accurate knowledge. Become the image of the One who created [this new man] 11 in [a body] where there are no Greeks or Jews, circumcised or uncircumcised, foreigners, Scythians, slaves, or freemen; just the Anointed One, who is everything and in everything.
12 So, as God’s chosen people who are holy and loved, put on the caring traits of empathy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Keep putting up with each other and forgiving each other kindly (whenever anyone has a reason to complain)… as the Lord kindly forgave you, you do the same. 14 And add love to all of that, because it’s the perfect unifying force.
15 Let the peace of the Anointed One serve as the referee in your hearts, because it called [all of] you into one body. So, be thankful and 16 allow the words of the Anointed One to live in you richly, and in all wisdom, as you kindly teach and remind each other through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Breath [of God].
Sing to God from your hearts! 17 And no matter what you say or do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him.
18 Wives, always obey your husbands, since this is proper [for those who are] one in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitterly angry with them.
20 Children, obey everything your parents [tell you to do], because this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, don’t frustrate your children, so they don’t become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey those who are your fleshly masters in everything. Don’t just put on a good show to please men, but [do everything] sincerely and from the heart, in the fear of the Lord.
23 Whatever you’re doing, work at it with your whole strength as though [you were doing it] for the Lord, and not for men. 24 You know that you’ll get the reward of the inheritance from the Lord, so slave for the Lord, the Anointed One, 25 because those who are unrighteous only receive the unrighteousness that they do, and they won’t be recognized.
Chapter 4
1 Masters, be righteous and fair with your slaves, because you know that you also have a Master (in heaven).
2 Keep on praying, staying alert, and giving thanks. 3 And at the same time, also pray for us… that God may open a door [of opportunity] for us to speak and tell the mystery of the Anointed One. In fact, that’s why I’m [here] in prison; 4 to show whatever it is that I’m supposed to say.
5 Keep on walking wisely when it comes to those on the outside, and keep looking for opportunities. 6 Be respectful in everything you say. Season it with salt and know how to answer each person.
7 Tychicus (my dear brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord) will tell you everything that’s happening with me. 8 That’s why I’m sending him to you; to keep you abreast of what’s going on and to comfort your hearts. 9 [I’m also sending] Onesimus, my faithful and loved brother who came from you. They will tell you all the rest.
10 Aristarchus (my fellow prisoner) sends you his greetings,
as does Mark (BarNabas’ cousin). He’s the one you were told to welcome if he
ever comes to [visit] you. 11 So does Jesus (who’s also called Justus). All
these are circumcised, but they are also my fellow workers for the
12 Epaphras (who came from you), a slave of the Anointed One
Jesus, sends his greetings. He always puts a lot of effort into his prayers for
you, asking that you might become perfect in the stand that you’re taking and
[that you’ll] completely carry out the Will of God. 13 I can testify to the
fact that he goes to a lot of effort on your behalf, and for those at
14 Luke (the beloved physician) sends you his greetings, and
so does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at
16 After this letter has been read among you, also arrange
for it to be read in the Laodicean congregation… and you read the one from
18 Here is my greeting (Paul’s) in my own hand. Remember me in prison. May [God’s] care be with you.
Notes
The Ransom
Throughout the Bible, we read of ‘the ransom’ (gr. lytron) that Jesus paid. Exactly what does this term refer to?
At Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’
Romans 5:12, 14 says, ‘Sin entered this world through one man and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men because everyone has sinned. However, death reigned from [the time of] Adam down to Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way that Adam did. And [Adam] was a prototype of the one who would come.
1 Corinthians
Ephesians 1:7 says, ‘It’s through him and his blood that our ransom has been paid, and it forgives our sins.’
So, from the above, we must conclude that Adam lost the hope of ‘life’ for himself and all his descendents, because of his sin in Eden. However, Jesus came and paid the ‘ransom price’ to God, to redeem us from the sin of Adam, so that we could once again have the hope of ‘life in the age’ and a resurrection of the living.
Was Jesus Hung on a Cross?
The Greek word stauros simply means pole. So, regardless of popular tradition and doctrine, there is no mention of a pole with a cross piece (cross) in the original Bible. Also, the Greek word staurotheto, which is translated crucified (hung on a cross) is translated impaled (put on a pole or stake) here, because that’s what it means.
Does any of this really make a difference? No, for whether the Romans used just an upright pole or one with a crossbeam as a means of torture and execution is unimportant. But if one views such a thing as an object of worship, then this is condemned in the Bible as idolatry. And they are missing the point, for what should be held as sacred to us is the one who gave his life on our behalf, not the disgusting object of his execution.
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What does In Mean?
The Greek word en simply means in. However, it is translated as in, one, in union with, and as other words, depending on the context. Especially in the book of John do we find the question raised; Was Jesus really the same person as the God? This question is raised because the text at John 10:38 literally says, ‘… in order that you should know and you may be knowing that in (en) me the Father and I in (en) the Father.’
The text above is often translated as, ‘I and my father are one.’ Is this the true sense of what John wrote? Is Jesus ‘in’ or ‘one with’ (the same as) the Father? That could be a correct translation, but not in the context of the way the book of John was written. For example, notice how John 14:20 reads literally, ‘In that the day you will know that I in (en) the Father of me, and you in (en) me, and I in (en) you.’
So, if John 10:38 means that Jesus is the same person as his Father, then John 14:20 means that all of Jesus’ followers are the same person and that they are also the same persons as Jesus and his Father. Is this a logical conclusion? No, because it doesn’t harmonize with numerous other scriptures that show his followers to be individuals, but at one with (or in unity with) Jesus and God.
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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?
The Greek word porneia means much more than copulation between individuals who aren’t married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So, it includes all the types of services that might be sold by a prostitute, not just copulation.
It also just refers to acts between unmarried persons (which is what happens in prostitution). This includes such actions between unmarried ‘consenting adults,’ although there may be no exchange of money, because, where porneia is found in the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves intimate relations between unmarried persons.
Because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality here to indicate the full range of the term.
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Undeserved Kindness or Caring?
The Greek word caris is where we derive the English word care or caring. However, the Greek word carries a slightly different meaning. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. However, the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.
Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, which distracts from the ease of reading. So, you will find it translated as care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.
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The Anointed
Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, ‘The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.’
So, why didn’t these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:
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Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that ‘Christ’ was part of Jesus’ name. It wasn’t.
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Because Christ is word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.
If you look at the above verse in Greek, you’ll see that it reads, ‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’ or, ‘The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.’
You will notice here that Christon
(Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointed) are both derived from the
same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because, that
substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be
kings over
Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God’s Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So, Jesus didn’t really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the ‘dove’ came down on him).
If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of
the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one
who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians
in
Also, notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For what he actually said was, ‘Because false Anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.’
So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets.
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Who Wrote the Epistles?
We find the entire flap about who wrote Paul’s letters – by both scholars and critics alike – funny. Much has been made of the fact that the writing styles of Paul’s letters vary so much that it is improbable that he wrote them all, and he obviously didn’t, as the words of Romans 16:22 testify, ‘I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in [the] Lord.’
Paul, as several of his letters indicate, had very poor eyesight (see Galatians 4:13-15). Why? Was this caused by the brightness of his vision of Jesus, as some say? Well, it could have been, but we doubt it. Remember that there were no eyeglasses at the time when Paul wrote, he was likely over forty, and many of us who are beyond that age couldn’t see to write letters today if it weren’t for our eyeglasses… so there are several other natural causes for poor eyesight (other than miraculous visions).
Obviously, a man named Tertius wrote this letter for Paul, and if you look at the headings or conclusions of his other letters, you’ll likely find references to those who actually did the writing. For example, First Corinthians starts with the words, ‘Paul …, and Sosthenes our brother.’ Second Corinthians starts out the same way, ‘Paul …, and our brother Timothy.’
So, there are obviously different writing styles in Paul’s letters, because (as the letters themselves indicate) different people did the writing. This may be quite a revelation to critics and college professors, but they obviously haven’t actually read the letters.
For more information, see the attached link, The Bible’s Internal Proofs of Its Authentic History
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Breath or Spirit
The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.
The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three. All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is spurious (something that was added to the Bible).
So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is usually translated as breath here. The only exceptions would be in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, where the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit).
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures. It’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.
Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath in this case, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and caused him to breathe… the Breath of Life
For more information, see the attached link ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’
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Mystery
The Greek word that is translated as mystery here (Sacred Secret in other Bibles) is mysterion, which is the root word of the English word mystery.
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The Dead
The Twentieth Chapter of Revelation speaks of the ‘dead’ ‘coming to life’ (in verse 5) and ‘standing before the throne’ and ‘being judged’ (in verse 12). Since they are able to stand for judgment, in what sense are they dead?
Note that at Matthew 9:60 Jesus said ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ And at Romans 8:10, Paul speaks of the body being ‘dead’ because of sin. Then at 1 Corinthians 15:22 he explains that, ‘Because of Adam all men are dying.’
So, the conclusion we reach is that all men are considered as dead and dying in front of God, due to inherited (and their own) sins. So, the scriptures in Revelation Chapter Twenty appear to be speaking of living people (some of whom will have already been resurrected) that stand before God and will be judged to either life (for the ages) or the permanent destruction of the ‘lake of fire.’
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Kingdom
The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil).
A common misconception about this Kingdom is the idea that
it isn’t real – that it’s just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on
Jesus’ words found at Luke
So, what did Jesus mean? He was likely saying that he (the king
of that Kingdom) was there in their midst, and that the hope of becoming kings
in that Kingdom was being offered to them. And while it’s true that real Christians
ever since that time have in fact been members of that Kingdom in their
hearts, the word Kingdom (an area of rule) implies that there will be an
actual time of rule and a realm for Jesus and his ‘chosen ones.’ And, because
these kings will apparently rule from heaven, the place they will likely rule from is called
‘the
However,
That such faithful individuals as Abraham weren’t really in heaven at the time Jesus spoke these words (but they were alive in God’s memory), is confirmed by what Jesus said at John 3:13, ‘Nobody has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man.’
So, Matthew 8:10-12 must be referring to Abraham and his descendants living under the rule of a heavenly Kingdom government. These faithful ones don’t appear to qualify to be rulers in heaven themselves, because they weren’t ‘born again’ to receive the value of a spiritual life, nor were they part of the ‘Sacred Agreement for a Kingdom’ (Luke 22:29) that Jesus made with his Apostles just prior to his arrest and execution.
Notice how Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God hadn’t already arrived at the time he was speaking, for we are told at Luke 19:11, ‘While they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to Jerusalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was about to happen instantly.’ Then Jesus told about a man who made a long trip to a distant land to receive kingship. So, a long period of time was obviously involved between when Jesus would leave on his journey (to receive kingship in heaven), and the time when he would return to reward his faithful slaves.
There is a definite time for this Kingdom to start its rule, which is made clear by the words of Revelation 12:10. For there we read, ‘Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of His Anointed began. Because the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… the one who has been complaining about them day and night in front of our God!’
So, when the Opposer and his messengers are/were expelled from heaven, God’s Kingdom begins there. However, the arrival of that Kingdom must apparently await the end of the ‘short period of time’ before God’s opposers are destroyed at ‘Armageddon’ for any of its effects to be seen on earth. For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.
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Messengers
Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.
For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou,’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’ This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been bizarre for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’
Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angels can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou, or, Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him. Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones.
Also, translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of ‘Baby angels.’