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Kolossense 1

1 Ek, Paulus, is ’n tapostel van Christus Jesus omdat God dit wil hê. Ek en Timoteus, ons vriend,

2 skryf hierdie brief vir julle daar in die stad Kolosse. Vriende, julle behoort aan God, julle glo in Christus en julle behoort ook aan Hom. Ons bid dat God ons Vader tgenadig sal wees vir julle en dat Hy vir julle vrede sal gee.

Paulus sê dankie vir God


3 Ons bid baie vir julle, en dan sê ons elke maal dankie vir God, die Vader van ons Here Jesus Christus, 4 want ons het gehoor dat julle in Christus Jesus glo en dat julle lief is vir al die ander mense wat aan God behoort. 5 Julle glo en julle weet wat God vir julle in die hemel gebêre het. Julle het daarvan gehoor toe julle die goeie boodskap gehoor het, die boodskap wat waar is. 6 Meer en meer mense hoor die goeie boodskap en hulle doen dan wat God wil hê. Julle ook, julle het die goeie boodskap gehoor en julle het besef dat God baie goed is. 7 Epafras het vir julle vertel dat God baie goed is. Epafras werk saam met my, en ek is lief vir hom en ek weet hy doen altyd sy werk baie goed. Hy werk vir Christus daar by julle.

8 Hy het ook vir ons vertel dat die Heilige Gees julle help om lief te wees vir mekaar.

Paulus bid vir die gelowiges in Kolosse


9 Vandat ons gehoor het wat Epafras vir ons gesê het, bid ons elke dag vir julle. Ons bid en vra dat julle sal weet wat God wil hê julle moet doen. Ons bid dat die Heilige Gees vir julle sal help om te verstaan wat God wil hê julle moet doen. 10 Dan sal julle so lewe dat die Here altyd tevrede sal wees met julle. Julle sal dinge doen waarvan Hy hou, baie goeie dinge, en julle sal vir God beter en beter leer ken. 11 Hy, die Koning, is baie sterk en Hy sal julle geloof sterk maak. Dan sal julle kan aanhou om geduldig te wees wanneer julle swaarkry. En julle sal bly wees 12 en vir God die Vader dankie sê, want Hy het julle verander. Hy het vir almal wat aan Hom behoort, belowe dat hulle in die hemel by Hom sal wees. Julle sal ook in die hemel by Hom wees. 13 God die Vader het ons gered van tdie duiwel en nou weet ons dat sy Seun ons Koning is, sy Seun vir wie Hy baie lief is.

14 Ja, God het sy Seun gestuur en die Seun het ons vrygemaak. So het God ons sondes vergewe.

Jesus is die Here


15 Niemand kan vir God sien nie, maar God se Seun het vir ons kom wys hoe God is. Die Seun is die Eerste, die belangrikste van alles in die hemel en op die aarde, 16 want Hy het alles gemaak, God het gesê Hy moet dit doen. Die Seun het alles in die hemel en alles op die aarde gemaak, alles wat ’n mens kan sien en alles wat ’n mens nie kan sien nie, almal en alles wat oor die wêreld wil regeer, in die hemel en op die aarde. Die Seun het hulle almal gemaak, en hulle is daar om Hom te respekteer en te dien. 17 Die Seun was daar voordat daar iets anders was en Hy laat alles lewe. 18 Die kerk is die Seun se liggaam, Hy is die Hoof van die kerk, en Hy laat die kerk lewe. Hy is die Eerste, die Een wat dood was en wat weer lewe, en daarom is Hy nou die belangrikste van almal en alles. 19 Hy, die Seun, is God en Hy kan doen soos God doen, omdat God besluit het om in die Seun te woon.

20 Die Seun het aan die tkruis gesterf, en so het God vrede gebring. So het God almal se sonde weggeneem, almal op die aarde en almal in die hemel. God het dit gedoen sodat alles reg kan wees tussen God en hulle.

God het die gelowiges in Kolosse verander


21 Voorheen was julle ver van God, julle was God se vyande en julle het slegte dinge gedink en gedoen. 22 Maar nou het God julle verander. Die Seun het ’n mens geword en Hy het gesterf, en daarom het God julle sonde weggeneem sodat alles reg kan wees tussen God en julle. God het dit gedoen sodat julle aan Hom kan behoort en sodat julle sonder sonde sal wees en tonskuldig sal wees wanneer Hy julle toordeel.

23 Maar dan moet julle aanhou glo, julle geloof moet baie sterk wees. Toe julle die goeie boodskap gehoor het, het God vir julle gehelp om seker te wees van die dinge wat julle glo, en nou moet julle aanhou om seker te wees. Al die mense in die wêreld het die goeie boodskap gehoor, die goeie boodskap wat ek moet bring.

Paulus se werk


24 Ek is bly dat ek nou swaarkry, want dit is vir júlle dat ek swaarkry. Christus het swaargekry, en nou kry ek swaar. Ek maak Christus se swaarkry klaar. Ek kry swaar vir die kerk, die kerk wat Christus se liggaam is. 25 Dit was God se plan dat ek vir die kerk moet werk. Hy het vir my die werk gegee om vir julle alles te sê wat Hy vir julle wil sê. 26 Mense het voorheen nooit geweet van die boodskap oor Christus nie. Maar nou het God dit vertel vir almal wat aan Hom behoort.

27 God wou hê almal wat aan Hom behoort, moet sy boodskap ken. God wou hê hulle moet weet van die groot twonderwerk dat die boodskap oor Christus by die theidene moes kom, ’n boodskap wat niemand voorheen geken het nie. Julle wat heidene is, moet nou weet dat Christus ook in julle is, en daarom kan julle seker wees dat julle ook by God, die Koning, sal wees.
28 Ons preek oor Christus en ons gebruik al ons twysheid om al die mense te waarsku en vir hulle te leer. Ons wil hê hulle moet almal aan Christus behoort en hulle moet alles doen wat God wil hê. 29 Daarvoor werk ek baie hard, want God gee vir my die krag om dit te doen.

Colossians 1

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing.

2 We are sending this letter to you, our brothers and sisters in Colosse. You belong to Christ. You are holy and faithful.
May God our Father give you grace and peace.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.4 We thank him because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus. We have also heard that you love all of God's people.
5 Your faith and love are based on the hope you have. What you hope for is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about it. You were told about it when the message of truth was given to you. I'm talking about the good news6 that has come to you.
All over the world the good news is bearing fruit and growing. It has been doing that among you since the day you heard it. That is when you understood God's grace in all its truth.
7 You learned the good news from Epaphras. He is dear to us. He serves Christ together with us. He faithfully works for Christ and for us among you.8 He also told us about your love that comes from the Holy Spirit.
9 That's why we have not stopped praying for you. We have been praying for you since the day we heard about you. We have been asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants. We pray that he will give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 We pray that you will lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We want you to grow to know God better.11 We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. Never give up. Be joyful12 as you give thanks to the Father.
He has made you fit to share with all his people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light.
13 He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.14 Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all of our sins have been forgiven.

Christ Is Far Above Everything

15 Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can't be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation.16 All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can't be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by him and for him.17 Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together.
18 And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything.19 God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ.20 God was pleased to bring all things back to himself because of what Christ has done. That includes all things on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ's blood, through his death on the cross.
21 At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways.22 But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ's death has made you holy in God's sight. So now you don't have any flaw. You are free from blame.
23 But you must keep your faith steady and firm. Don't move away from the hope that the good news holds out to you. It is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news.

Paul's Work for the Church

24 I am happy because of what was suffered for you. And in my body I fill up my share in Christ's sufferings. I do it for his body, which is the church.25 I serve the church. God appointed me to bring all of his word to you.
26 That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to God's people.27 God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among those who aren't Jews. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory.
28 We preach about him. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be perfect as people who belong to Christ.
29 That's what I'm working for. I work hard with all of Christ's strength. His strength works powerfully in me.