COL 1:27 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

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

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 to whom God desired to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

UST God has been wanting to tell his people this very glorious message that was secret, which applies to non-Jews as well as to Jews. The secret is that the Messiah is united to you non-Jews, which means that you can confidently expect to become glorious beings like the Messiah.

BSB 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.

BLB to whom God has willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

AICNT To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

OEB to whom it was his pleasure to make known the surpassing glory of that hidden truth when proclaimed among the Gentiles – “Christ among you! Your hope of glory!”

WEBBE to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

WMBB to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory.

NET God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

LSV to whom God willed to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations—which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory,

FBV God wanted to make known to them the glorious wealth of this mystery to the nations:[fn] Christ living in you is the glorious hope!

1:27 Or “Gentiles.”

TCNT To them God resolved to make known how great among the Gentiles are the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

T4T That is, God decided to reveal to them this message, which declares that he will greatly bless the non-Jews. Specifically, this message declares that Christ, by his Spirit, will live in you who are non-Jews, with the result that you confidently expect that you will experience how glorious God is.

LEB to whom God wanted to make known what is the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

BBE To whom God was pleased to give knowledge of the wealth of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Moff It is His will that they should understand the glorious wealth which this secret holds for the Gentiles, in the fact of Christ's presence among you as your hope of glory.

Wymth to whom it was His will to make known how vast a wealth of glory for the Gentile world is implied in this truth—the truth that `Christ is in you, the hope of glory.'

ASV to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

DRA To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.

YLT to whom God did will to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations — which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory,

Drby to whom [fn]God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

1.27 Elohim

RV to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

SLT To whom God would make known what the riches of the glory of this mystery in the nations; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Wbstr To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

KJB-1769 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

KJB-1611 To whom God would make knowen what is the riches of the glory of this mysterie among the Gentiles, which is Christ [fn]in you, the hope of glory:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

1:27 Or, amongst you.

Bshps To whom God woulde make knowe what is the riches of the glorie of this misterie among the gentiles, which is Christe in you, the hope of glorie:
(To whom God would make know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:)

Gnva To whome God woulde make knowen what is the riches of his glorious mysterie among the Gentiles, which riches is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
(To whom God would make known what is the riches of his glorious mystery among the Gentiles, which riches is Christ in you, the hope of glory, )

Cvdl to whom God wolde make knowne the glorious riches of this mistery amoge ye Heythen: which (riches) is Christ in you, eue he that is the hope of glory,
(to whom God would make known the glorious riches of this mystery among ye/you_all Heathen: which (riches) is Christ in you, eve/even he that is the hope of glory,)

TNT to whom god wolde make knowen the glorious riches of this mistery amonge the gentyls which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory
(to whom god would make known the glorious riches of this mystery among the gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory )

Wycl to whiche God wold make knowun the richessis of the glorie of this sacrament in hethene men, which is Crist in you, the hope of glorie.
(to which God wold make known the riches of the glory of this sacrament in heathen men, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.)

Luth welchen GOtt gewollt hat kundtun, welcher da sei der herrliche Reichtum dieses Geheimnisses unter den Heiden, welches ist Christus in euch, der da ist die Hoffnung der Herrlichkeit,
(which_(ones) God intentional has announce/proclaim, which there be the/of_the magnificent wealth/abundance this secret/mysteryses under the heathens, which is Christ in you, the/of_the there is the hope the/of_the glory/splendour,)

ClVg quibus voluit Deus notas facere divitias gloriæ sacramenti hujus in gentibus, quod est Christus, in vobis spes gloriæ,
(to_whom wanted God notes to_do riches of_glory sacramenti of_this in/into/on nations, that it_is Christ/Messiah, in/into/on to_you(pl) hope of_glory, )

UGNT οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεὸς, γνωρίσαι τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅ ἐστιν Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης;
(hois aʸthelaʸsen ho Theos, gnōrisai ti to ploutos taʸs doxaʸs tou mustaʸriou toutou en tois ethnesin, ho estin Ⱪristos en humin, haʸ elpis taʸs doxaʸs;)

SBL-GNT οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ θεὸς γνωρίσαι τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ⸀ὅ ἐστιν Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης·
(hois aʸthelaʸsen ho theos gnōrisai ti to ploutos taʸs doxaʸs tou mustaʸriou toutou en tois ethnesin, ⸀ho estin Ⱪristos en humin, haʸ elpis taʸs doxaʸs;)

RP-GNT οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ θεὸς γνωρίσαι τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅς ἐστιν χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης·
(hois aʸthelaʸsen ho theos gnōrisai ti to ploutos taʸs doxaʸs tou mustaʸriou toutou en tois ethnesin, hos estin ⱪristos en humin, haʸ elpis taʸs doxaʸs;)

TC-GNT οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεὸς γνωρίσαι [fn]τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, [fn]ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης·
(hois aʸthelaʸsen ho Theos gnōrisai ti to ploutos taʸs doxaʸs tou mustaʸriou toutou en tois ethnesin, hos esti Ⱪristos en humin, haʸ elpis taʸs doxaʸs; )

1:27 τι το ¦ τις ο ANT PCK TR

1:27 ος ¦ ο CT

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

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Secret of the Good News

In Paul’s letters, the word secret (sometimes translated mystery) is applied to the Good News. Sometimes secret is used as an abbreviation for the Good News itself (2:2; 4:3; 1 Cor 2:1; Eph 1:9; 6:19). Frequently, as in Col 1:26, Paul claims that the secret had been hidden in the past but has now been revealed (see also Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9). Paul does not mean by this that the Good News is a secret that has to be probed or that it is some kind of Gnostic idea only a few can discover. Rather, he adapts the term from Jewish apocalyptic teaching (the term apocalyptic is from a Greek word that means “uncovering” or “revelation”; the same word supplies the name for the book of Revelation). In the apocalyptic perspective, the plan God has mapped out for all of history already exists in his mind but is hidden from human eyes until God chooses to disclose it. For Paul, the secret plan has now been disclosed in Christ, and it is broadcast throughout the world by his apostles.

Through the Old Testament prophets, God foretold many elements of the Good News, but he kept some aspects of it hidden until he revealed them in the New Testament era. These include the full participation of Gentiles as fellow-heirs with Jews (Col 1:27; Eph 3:1-9); the indwelling of Christ in believers (Col 1:27; 2:2); and the union of Christ and the church, as illustrated by the union of husband and wife (Eph 5:32). Some elements of God’s plan are still hidden and await further revelation, such as the salvation of all Israel (Rom 11:25-27) and the transfiguration of Christians at the time of Christ’s return (1 Cor 15:51-53).

Passages for Further Study

Rom 11:25; 16:25; 1 Cor 2:1, 7; 15:51; Eph 1:9; 3:1-9; 5:32; 6:19; Col 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:24–2:5: Paul told about the way he worked hard to tell the gospel to the non-Jews

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.

Paragraph 1:24–29

Theme: Paul willingly suffered so that the Colossians, most of whom were not Jews, would know the message about Christ.

1:27a

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery,

God decided to make known to his people how truly wonderful his plan is for the Gentiles.
To all his people God has chosen to reveal his secret plan. He wants them all to know that his plan is extremely important to help those who are not Jews.

To them: This refers to “the saints” in 1:26b.

God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery: There are two ways to connect the phrase among the Gentiles to the rest of the verse:

The phrase among the Gentiles should be connected to the glorious riches. So this verse means that God wanted the saints to understand that the glorious riches of this mystery were for the benefit of the Gentiles—the Gentiles are included in the riches of his glory. (RSV)
The phrase among the Gentiles should be connected to the verb make known in 1:27a. So the BSB interprets this verse to mean that God wanted the gospel to be made known among the Gentiles. (BSB)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

Gentiles: This refers to all people who were not Jews.

the glorious riches of this mystery: See meaning 1 of “glory” in the glossary.

1:27b

which is Christ in you,

God’s plan is this: that Christ is in you Gentiles,
This plan is that Christ dwells in you who are not Jews also,

Christ in you: In 1:26 Paul began writing about the “mystery” (God’s secret plan). In this phrase he explains what the “mystery” is. It is that Christ dwells in Gentiles who believe in him. When Paul says in you, he means “in you Gentiles.”It is the Spirit of Christ, that is, the Holy Spirit, who lives in those who belong to Christ (see Romans 8:9–10, John 14:16–18). If you use cross references or footnotes, you may want to refer to the above passages, and also to Ephesians 3:17, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 6:16.

The Greek text translated literally says Christ in you—there is no verb. However, in your translation you will probably need to use a verb. For example:

Christ is in you

Christ lives/dwells in you

Paul was writing about something that was already true when he wrote the letter—Christ was now in the hearts of the believers.

1:27c

the hope of glory.

and so you can confidently expect to share God’s glory in heaven.
and, as a result, you can be confident that you will receive the glory God has promised.

the hope of glory: The phrase hope of glory means “the glory you hope for” or “the glory you expect to receive.” Most scholars believe that this refers to the future glory Christians can expect to receive in heaven. Some English versions express this as “your hope of sharing God’s glory” (CEV, see also NLT, GNT).

glory: See meaning 2 of “glory” in the glossary.

General Comment about 1:27b–c

In Greek it is not clear how to connect this part of the verse, “the hope of glory,” to 1:27c, “Christ in you.” However, most scholars believe that Paul was saying that “the hope of glory” is the result of Christ being in someone: that is, “Christ is in you, and as a result you confidently expect to have glory.”

General Comment about 1:26–27

Paul had written about the “mystery” in 1:26 and 1:27a–b, but he did not say specifically what the mystery was until 1:27c. In some languages it may be necessary to rearrange 1:26–27 to help people understand this. A possible way to do this would be:

God decided to tell his people how wonderful his plan was for you who are not Jews. His plan was this: that Christ should live in you, so you can confidently expect to share God’s glory. In the past, God did not reveal this plan to people. But now he has told his people about it.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεός γνωρίσαι τί τό πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὅ ἐστίν Χριστός ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ ἐλπίς τῆς δόξης)

Paul emphasizes the scope of the glory by speaking as if it had wealth or riches. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable statement or express the idea with an adverb such as “very” or an adjective such as “abundant.” Alternate translation: [the abundant glory of this mystery]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου

Paul uses the possessive form to connect riches to glory, which then characterizes the mystery. If your language would not use the possessive form to express that idea, you could translate both riches and glory as adjectives or adverbs describing the mystery. Alternate translation: [this richly glorious mystery]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word glory, you could express that idea in another way, such as with a description word. Alternate translation: [this richly glorious mystery] or [this abundantly wonderful mystery]

ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

among the pagans

This phrase could refer to: (1) how the mystery applies to all people, including Gentiles. Alternate translation: [that applies to every person, including the Gentiles] (2) where God makes the mystery known. Alternate translation: [to the Gentiles]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν

Paul speaks of the believers as if they were containers in which Christ is present. The expression means basically the same thing as “you in Christ.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the same translation you have used for being “in Christ.” Alternate translation: [your union with Christ]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεός γνωρίσαι τί τό πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὅ ἐστίν Χριστός ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ ἐλπίς τῆς δόξης)

Paul speaks of a hope that relates to glory. This could refer to: (1) hoping for, or expecting, glory. Alternate translation: [the expectation of becoming glorious] (2) a hope that is glorious. Alternate translation: [the glorious hope]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind the words hope and glory, you could express those ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [with whom we can expect to share his glorious life] or [who makes us confidently hope for living with him in heaven]

Parallel COL 1:27

Section 1:24–2:5: Paul told about the way he worked hard to tell the gospel to the non-Jews

Paragraph 1:24–29

1:27a

1:27b

1:27c

General Comment about 1:27b–c

General Comment about 1:26–27