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OET (OET-LV) Now I_am_rejoicing in the sufferings for you_all, and I_am_filling_up the lacking things of_the tribulations of_the chosen_one/messiah in the flesh of_me for the body of_him, which is the assembly,
OET (OET-RV) So now I’m happy to be suffering for you all, and I’m catching up in my body to the tribulations of the messiah in his body, which is the assembly.
Theme: Paul willingly suffered and worked hard so that the Colossians, most of whom were not Jews, would understand the true message about Christ so thoroughly that no one would be able to deceive them.
Theme: Paul willingly suffered so that the Colossians, most of whom were not Jews, would know the message about Christ.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you,
¶ At present I am happy because I know that what I am suffering here as a prisoner benefits you.
¶ I am suffering because of the work I have done to help you Gentiles. But I do this willingly now.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you: Paul was writing about what he had suffered. Here is another way to translate this clause:
And now I am happy about my sufferings for you (GNT)
I rejoice: Paul was not saying that he enjoyed suffering. Rather he was saying that he was willing to suffer for the Christians in Colossae and other places.
for you: The words for you mean “in order to help you,” or “to benefit you.” In this section, 1:24–2:5, Paul spoke mainly about his work to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (those who were not Jews), and so the pronoun you means, “you Gentile Christians.”
The reason Paul had been suffering was that when he preached the gospel, especially to the Gentiles, his enemies had often persecuted him and put him in prison.
and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions
And I willingly suffer all that Christ requires me to suffer on his behalf
As Christians, we must continue to endure suffering. Just as Christ suffered, so I willingly suffer physically all that is necessary
I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions: This is a difficult expression to understand and scholars disagree about what it means. It is not possible in these notes to explain all the different possibilities. Because of this, these notes present one major view among the many. For other views, you need to consult commentaries.
I fill up: The Greek verb antanaplērō that the BSB translates I fill up means, “I complete (something) by adding what is lacking.” Here it means, “I am completing what Christ has appointed for me to suffer,” or “I am completing my responsibility to suffer [on behalf of Christ].” Paul did this willingly (see the note on 1:24a).
in my flesh: This means that Paul was writing about physical suffering (see GNT).
what is lacking: This clause implies what Christ taught, that is, that all Christians will suffer persecution. So here Paul meant that he was suffering what still needed to be suffered.
in regard to Christ’s afflictions: The Greek word thlipsis that the BSB translates afflictions is not used in the NT to refer to what Christ suffered when he died on the cross. It refers to the persecution, difficulties, and other physical and emotional hardships that Christians suffer. For example, it is used in Matthew 24:9, John 16:33, and Revelation 7:14.
Biblical scholars have different opinions about what the phrase Christ’s afflictions means in this context. The three most common opinions are as follows:
“I am suffering on behalf of Christ.”
“I am suffering the sufferings of Christ”—that is, “through my suffering, as a member of the body of Christ, it is as if Christ himself were suffering.”
“I am suffering in the same way Christ suffered.”
It is recommended that you follow the first option (1). Since Paul was writing about his own sufferings, it seems more likely that he was saying that he was suffering on behalf of Christ, that is, for the sake of Christ. (See Acts 9:16.)
Paul was not saying that what Christ suffered on the cross lacked something. This would imply that Jesus’ death was not sufficient to save those who believe in him. Your translation should be worded carefully to avoid suggesting this.
for the sake of His body, which is the church.
in order to help his people, who are like his body.
His body, which is the church: See the notes on body and church in 1:18a.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
νῦν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
The word Now indicates that Paul wishes to tell the Colossians how he is currently serving the gospel. It does not indicate a change of topic, as it sometimes does in English. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a longer phrase to express this idea. Alternate translation: [While I write this letter,]
ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν
in the sufferings in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
Alternate translation: [while I suffer for your sake]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου
˱I˲_˓am˒_filling_up (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
Paul speaks of his flesh as if it were a container that could fill up with afflictions. By this, he means that his bodily sufferings function to satisfy a specific purpose, which here is to finish what Christ started with his afflictions. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [with my bodily suffering, I finish what the Messiah started when he suffered. I do this]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
Paul assumes that his readers will understand that he is not saying that there is a lack in Christ’s afflictions because those afflictions did not succeed in doing what they were supposed to do. Instead, the lack refers to what Christ wished for his disciples to do as his servants. The lack, then, is something that Christ intentionally did not accomplish, because he wanted Paul to do it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could rephrase lack so that it is clearer that Christ intentionally left something for Paul to do. Alternate translation: [the afflictions that Christ has called me to suffer to complete his work]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
Paul uses two possessive forms to speak about the lack that characterizes the afflictions that Christ suffered. If your language would not use possessive forms to express that idea, you could express the idea with a relative clause or two clauses. Alternate translation: [what Christ, when he suffered, left for me to suffer]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία
˱of˲_the the body ˱of˲_him which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπέρ ὑμῶν καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τά ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μού ὑπέρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστίν ἡ ἐκκλησία)
Paul speaks of the church as if it were Christ’s body, and he provides the explanation of what body means. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to the church first and then identify it as his body. Alternate translation: [the church, which is his body]
OET (OET-LV) Now I_am_rejoicing in the sufferings for you_all, and I_am_filling_up the lacking things of_the tribulations of_the chosen_one/messiah in the flesh of_me for the body of_him, which is the assembly,
OET (OET-RV) So now I’m happy to be suffering for you all, and I’m catching up in my body to the tribulations of the messiah in his body, which is the assembly.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.