COL 1:18 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) [ref]He is the head of the body which is the assembly. He is the beginning, the first of the dead to come back to life, so that he would be the first in everything,

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself might become first among all things.

UST In regard to the church, that is, all believers, he rules over it as people’s heads rule over their bodies. He made it possible for the church to begin when he was the first person to live again after dying, never to die again. Because of these things about him, he is greater and more important than anything and anybody else.

BSB And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning [and] firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

MSB And He is the head of the body, the church; He is [the] beginning [and] firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

BLB And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be holding preeminence in all things,

AICNT And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning,[fn] the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything,

1:18, beginning: Or ruler. The Greek word means (1) the commencement of something as an action, process, or state of being, beginning, (2) one with whom a process begins, beginning, (3) the first cause, the beginning, (4) a point at which two surfaces or lines meet, corner, (5) a basis for further understanding, beginning, (6) an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority, or (7) the sphere of one's official activity, rule, office. (BDAG, ἀρχή)

OEB and he is the head of the church, which is his body. The firstborn from the dead, he is to the church the source of its life, that he, in all things, may stand first.

WEBBE He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(15-20)We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

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

LSV And He is the head of the body—the Assembly—who is a beginning, a firstborn out of the dead, that He might become first in all [things] Himself,

FBV He is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first and highest of those raised from the dead, so that he is supreme in everything.

TCNT He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in everything he may be preeminent.

T4T And God’s Son ranks above everything, because it is his Son who rules over his people [MET] as a person’s head controls his physical body, because his Son causes his people to live spiritually. God’s Son is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.

LEB and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything,

BBE And he is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place.

Moff Also, he is the head of the Body, that is, of the church, in virtue of his primacy as the first to be born from the dead — that gives him pre-eminence over all.

Wymth Moreover He is the Head of His Body, the Church. He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, in order that He Himself may in all things occupy the foremost place.

ASV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

DRA And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy:

YLT And himself is the head of the body — the assembly — who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all [things] — himself — first,

Drby And he is the head of the body, the assembly; who is [the] beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that he might have the first place in all things:

RV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. )

SLT And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that he might be the first in all.

Wbstr And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he may have the pre-eminence.

KJB-1769 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. )

KJB-1611 And hee is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first borne from the dead, that [fn]in all things he might haue the preeminence:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes)

1:18 Or, among all.

Bshps And he is the head of the body of the Churche: he is the begynnyng, the first borne of the dead, that in all thynges he myght haue the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body of the Churche: he is the beginning, the first-born of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.)

Gnva And hee is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all thinges hee might haue the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. )

Cvdl And he is the heade of the body, namely, of the cogregacion: he is the begynnynge and first begotten from the deed, that in all thinges he mighte haue the preemynence.
(And he is the head of the body, namely, of the congregation: he is the beginning and first begotten from the deed, that in all things he might have the preeminence.)

TNT And he is the heed of the body that is to wit of the congregacion: he is the begynnynge and fyrst begotten of the deed that in all thynges he might have the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body that is to wit of the congregation: he is the beginning and first begotten of the deed that in all things he might have the preeminence. )

Wycl And he is heed of the bodi of the chirche; which is the bigynnyng and the firste bigetun of deede men, that he holde the firste dignyte in alle thingis.
(And he is heed of the body of the church; which is the beginning and the first begotten of deed men, that he hold the first dignyte in all things.)

Luth Und er ist das Haupt des Leibes, nämlich der Gemeinde; welcher ist der Anfang und der Erstgeborene von den Toten, auf daß, er in allen Dingen den Vorrang habe.
(And he is the head the body, namely the/of_the Gemeinde; which is the/of_the beginning and the/of_the Erstgeborene from the killing(n), on/in/to that, he in all/everyone things the Vorrang have.)

ClVg Et ipse est caput corporis Ecclesiæ, qui est principium, primogenitus ex mortuis: ut sit in omnibus ipse primatum tenens:[fn]
(And exactly_that/himself it_is the_head body Assemblies/Churches, who/which it_is principle, firstborn from dead: as be in/into/on to_all exactly_that/himself primatum tenant: )

1.18 Caput corporis Ecclesiæ. Quia ita se habet ad Ecclesiam, sicut caput ad corpus. Et cum Ecclesia ab Abel cœpit, quomodo caput eorum? Bene, quia est principium Ecclesiæ, id est fundator. Qui est principium. Ecclesiæ secundum divinitatem, id est fundator Ecclesiæ, quia omnes justos, qui ab Abel usque ad ultimum justum generantur virtute divinitatis et misericordiæ suæ dono illuminavit. Secundum humanitatem etiam potest dici principium Ecclesiæ, quia super fidem humanitatis ejus fundata est. Et bene ipse est caput et principium, et rector, et fundator, quia ipse est primogenitus, etc. Primogenitus, etc. Sicut natus est ante omnia de Deo, ut omnia crearet, sic homo primus resurgit, ut restauret, ut semper sit primus et princeps.

1.18 The_head body Assemblies/Churches. Because so/thus himself has to assembly/church, like the_head to body. And when/with Assembly/Church away Abel he_began, how the_head their? Well, because it_is principle Assemblies/Churches, that it_is fundator. Who it_is principle. Assemblies/Churches after/second divinity, that it_is fundator Assemblies/Churches, because everyone just, who/which away Abel until to last just generantur by_virtue of_divinity and of_mercy his/her_own gift illuminated. After/Second humanity also can to_be_said principle Assemblies/Churches, because over faith humanity his fundata it_is. And well exactly_that/himself it_is the_head and principle, and straightr, and fundator, because exactly_that/himself it_is firstborn, etc. At_firstgenitus, etc. Like born it_is before everything from/about to_God, as everything crearet, so human primus resurgit, as restauret, as always be primus and prince.

UGNT καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων;
(kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias, hos estin haʸ arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn;)

SBL-GNT καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ⸀ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων,
(kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos taʸs ekklaʸsias; hos ⸀estin arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn,)

RP-GNT Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων·
(Kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias; hos estin arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn;)

TC-GNT Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν [fn]ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων·
(Kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias; hos estin arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn; )

1:18 αρχη ¦ η αρχη WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:13–23: Jesus Christ is greater than everything

In this section, Paul stated these things: Jesus is equal to God in every way. He has always been with God and he (with God) created the world. God has freed Christians from the power of Satan and has placed them under the rule of his Son, Christ Jesus. God has accepted those who believe in Jesus as his own people. This was possible because Jesus died on the cross instead of them.

Paragraph 1:15–20

Theme: Jesus Christ has shown exactly what God is like. He is the great ruler over everything that he, with God, created.

In this paragraph Paul was emphasizing how great Jesus is. This was in order to oppose the following things that the false teachers were teaching the Colossian Christians.

The Greek people believed that evil spirits created and then controlled the world. A summary of Paul’s response to that false teaching is: No, Jesus, who is equal to God, created the world and now controls it.
The Greeks also said that God’s Messiah would never live in a human body. A summary of Paul’s response is: When Jesus, God’s Messiah, became a man, he retained all the character and power of God.

1:18a

And He is the head of the body, the church;

Also it is he, Christ, who rules over his people and guides them, just as the head rules over and guides the physical body.

the head of the body: This is a figure of speech. Paul was saying that Christ controls and directs his people the same way that a person’s head controls and directs his body.

In many cultures, people do not consider that a person’s head controls his body. However, since the NT often uses this figure of speech, you should try to keep it in your translation. If this is impossible, you could use one of the following ways to translate this part of the verse:

the one who controls his people

the chief over his people

the one who rules over Christians

the body: In this verse Paul was emphasizing that Christ is the head (chief, ruler) of the church. He was not emphasizing the other part of the figure of speech, that is, that the church is like Christ’s body.

the church: The Greek word ekklēsia is translated church in almost all English versions. However, the Greek word means “congregation, assembly, community.” It never means a church building. Make sure you translate this term in a way that clearly refers to a gathering of Christian people, not to a building. For further information see “church” in the glossary and in KBT.

1:18b

He is the beginning

He can do this since he is the source of new life for his people,
He is the one who gives life to the body, his people,

He is the beginning: There are several ways to understand this. The two main ways are:

Paul was still writing about Christ’s relation to his body, the church. English versions show this connection in different ways. For example:
He is its origin (REB)
he is the source of the body’s life (GNT)

The NET Bible translates 1:18a–b as:

He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning. (NET) (REB, GNT, NET)

1:18b could even be the basis for Paul’s statement in 1:18a, that is, Christ is the head of the church since he is its source. See the SSA for a fuller discussion of this possibility.
1. Paul had begun a new idea here and was referring to the beginning or source of everything, not simply the church. (NCV, NJB)

Many English versions leave this ambiguous, although most scholars agree that Paul was still writing about Christ’s relation to the church, so it is recommended that you follow the first option (1).

the beginning: The Greek word archē that the BSB translates as beginning has several meanings: “beginning, source, origin, foundation.” There are many different opinions about which meaning Paul intended here. The three main opinions are:

It means that Christ is the source of the church’s life. For example:
he is the source of the body’s life (GNT)
- See also SSA.
It means that Christ is the founder, the one who began the church. For example:
he is its [the church’s] origin (REB)
The phrase is connected to 1:18c, so beginning refers to the same thing as “firstborn from among the dead.” Several English versions imply this by the way they use punctuation to divide the verse. (CEV, GW)

Since it seems that Paul was still writing about the church here (see previous note), this third option is less likely. Either of the other two is possible. The Display follows the first one (1).

1:18c

and firstborn from among the dead,

because it was he whom God first raised from death never to die again,

and firstborn from among the dead: The BSB connects 1:18c to 1:18b using the word and, although there is no conjunction in the Greek text. Scholars suggest two ways to connect the phrase firstborn from among the dead in 1:18c to 1:18b:

The phrase firstborn from among the dead explains the reason why Christ is the source (beginning) of the church’s life. No English version explicitly follows this, but some reliable commentaries support this view. The UBS Handbook suggests this, as well as the SSA.
The phrase firstborn from among the dead is another title for Christ in the same way that “the beginning” is in 1:18b, and is related in some way. Many English versions seem to understood the phrase this way and they translate it as does the BSB, using and or a comma to separate 1:18b and 1:18c.

Either of these two options is possible and both have strong support in the commentaries. The Display follows the first option.

firstborn from among the dead: Christ was not the first person ever to die and be resurrected. The Bible tells us about several people in the OT and the NT who died and later were brought back to life again (see, for example, the story about Lazarus in John chapter 11). However, all these people died again. Christ was the first person who rose from death with the sort of body Christians will have in heaven—a body that will never die again.

firstborn: This is the same word that Paul used in 1:15b. However, here the meaning is different. Here Paul was not referring to Christ’s authority, but simply to the fact that Christ was the first to rise from the dead to live forever.

1:18d

so that in all things He may have preeminence.

and God planned it this way in order that Christ alone should be the supreme ruler over all that exists.
so that Christ would be the most important person/thing in the universe.

so that in all things He may have preeminence: This sentence explains the purpose for 1:18b–c. God raised Christ from death and caused him to be the source of the church’s life, so that Christ would be the supreme ruler over everything.

in all things: The Greek words that the BSB translates in all things can mean:

“all things.” This is how most English versions have translated it.
“every way.” Only the NJB has this in the text, though the SSA also supports this translation.

Both of these are acceptable. Your choice of which term to use in your language may depend on how you translate “preeminence.” The important thing is that your translation should communicate that Christ is most important.

preeminence: This Greek word that the BSB translates preeminence is related to the word “first.” It means that Christ has the first place, he is first in rank, honor, and influence. Here is another way to translate this verse part:

in order that he alone might have the first place in all things (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας

he he (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί αὐτός ἐστίν ἡ κεφαλή τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅς ἐστίν ἡ ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτός πρωτεύων)

Paul speaks of Jesus’ position over the church as if he were the head on the human body. As the head rules and directs the body, so Jesus rules and directs the church. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable expression or express the idea with a simile or in plain language. Alternate translation: [he rules and directs the church]

ἡ ἀρχή

the the beginning

The word beginning could refer to: (1) the origin of something; here, the origin of the church. Alternate translation: [the origin of the church] or [the one who started the church] (2) a position of power or authority. Alternate translation: [the ruler] or [the one with authority]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν

firstborn from the dead

Paul describes Jesus’ resurrection from among the dead as if someone gave birth to him as her first child. This figure helps us to see that this new life was not like his old life, because he can never die again. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [the first one to come back to new life] or [the first person to permanently rise from the dead]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τῶν νεκρῶν

the dead

Paul is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: [the dead people]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων

in_order_that ˓may˒_become in all_‹things› (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί αὐτός ἐστίν ἡ κεφαλή τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅς ἐστίν ἡ ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτός πρωτεύων)

This clause could identify: (1) the result of Jesus starting the church and coming back from the dead. Alternate translation: [with the result that he is first among all things] (2) the purpose of Jesus starting the church and coming back from the dead. Alternate translation: [in order that he might be first among all things]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων

˓may˒_become in all_‹things› (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί αὐτός ἐστίν ἡ κεφαλή τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅς ἐστίν ἡ ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτός πρωτεύων)