New Living Translation
Colossians 1:23
23But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
Colossians 1:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
- New International Version (NIV)if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
- English Standard Version (ESV)if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
- New King James Version (NKJV)if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Context of Colossians 1:23
21This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. 24I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.
Read all of Colossians 1Colossians 1:23 word by word
Εἴ γε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Ifεἴγεeige · if indeedG1489
- ye continue inἐπιμένωepimenō · to remain/keep onG1961
- the faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- groundedθεμελιόωthemelioō · to foundG2311
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- settledἑδραῖοςhedraios · steadfastG1476
- notμήmē · notG3361
- moved awayμετακινέωmetakineō · to shiftG3334
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the hopeἐλπίςelpis · hopeG1680
- of the gospelεὐαγγέλιονeuaggelion · gospelG2098
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- ye have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- which was preachedκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784
- toἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- creatureκτίσιςktisis · creationG2937
- underὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- am madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- a ministerδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
Cross-references for Colossians 1:23
- Psalms 92:13For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.
- Psalms 125:5But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace!
- Ezekiel 18:26When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds.
- Hosea 6:3Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
- Zephaniah 1:6And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.”
- Matthew 24:13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
- Luke 8:13The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
- Luke 22:32But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
- John 8:30Then many who heard him say these things believed in him.
- John 15:9“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
- Acts 11:23When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.
- Acts 14:22where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
- Romans 2:7He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
- Galatians 4:11I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.
- Galatians 5:7You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?
- Galatians 6:9So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Commentaries on Colossians 1:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23If ye continue in the faith - This will be the case if you, who have already believed in Christ Jesus, continue in that faith, grounded in the knowledge and love of God, and settled - made firm and perseveringly steadfast, in that state of salvation. And be not moved away - Not permitting yourselves to be seduced by false teachers. The hope of the Gospel - The resurrection of the body, and the glorification of it and the soul together, in the realms of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23If ye continue in the faith - In the belief of the gospel, and in holy living. If this were done, they would be presented unblameable be fore God; if not, they would not be. The meaning is, that it will be impossible to be saved unless we continue to lead lives becoming the gospel. Grounded - On a firm foundation; see the notes at Ephesians 3:17, where the same word occurs. And settled - Greek, “firm;” as a building is that is founded on a rock; compare…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23proclaimed to every creature under heaven: Paul used hyperbole (exaggeration for emphasis) when he said the gospel has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. He meant that key cities in the Roman world had established centers for spreading the good news about Jesus (see also 1:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. If--"Assuming that," &c.: not otherwise shall ye be so presented at His appearing (Col 1:22). grounded--Greek, "founded," "fixed on the foundation" (compare Note, see on Ep 3:17; Lu 6:48, 49). settled--"steadfast." "Grounded" respects the foundation on which believers rest; "settled," their own steadfastness (1Pe 5:10). 1Co 15:58 has the same Greek. not moved away--by the false teachers. the hope of the gospel--(Ep 1:18). which ye have heard ... which…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 1:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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