Colossians
Colossians 1:9-12
What is involved in conduct worthy of the Lord?
#prayer
#KnowingGod
Published December 3rd, 2016; Updated February 10th, 2018
Main point summary
Explanation of Main Point
Custom Relationship - Orienter-Content
Col 1:9-12
notes
Main point summary
We are praying often for you, asking that God would help you know all that He wants you to do, with the result that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.
Explanation of Main Point
The Main Point is built from the units that have the highest rhetorical prominence in the passage, i.e. 9b and 9d-10a. I have included the Orienter unit (9a) for clarification.
Custom Relationship - Orienter-Content
Note that I have added a custom relationship, Or-Con (Orienter-Content), which consists of a unit that introduces some content, the latter of which is always more prominent than the unit that introduces it, the orienter. There are five types of Orienters - speech (said, commanded, prayed, etc.), perceptual (saw, heard, felt, etc.), emotional (rejoiced, thanked, wanted, etc.), cognitive (knew, agreed, thought, etc.), and volitional (decided, willed, resolved, etc.)
Col 1:9-12
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Colossians 1:9-12
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For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, 17 have not ceased praying for you and asking
Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀφʼ ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσαμεν, οὐ παυόμεθα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι καὶ αἰτούμενοι,
And so, r from the day we heard, s we have not ceased to pray for you, asking
For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking *
We are praying often for you, asking
God 18 to fill 19 you with the knowledge of his will
ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ
that t you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all u spiritual wisdom and understanding,
that you may be filled with the knowledge * of His will *
that God would help you know all that He wants you to do,
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει πνευματικῇ,
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, *
i.e. that He would make you very wise and spiritually perceptive;
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so that you may live 20 worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects 21 -
περιπατῆσαι ἀξίως τοῦ κυρίου εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρεσκείαν,
so as v to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, w fully pleasing to him,
so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him,
with the result that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.
bearing fruit in every good deed,
ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες
x bearing fruit in every good work
bearing fruit in every good work *
More specifically, that 1) you may be fruitful in everything you do;
growing in the knowledge of God,
καὶ αὐξανόμενοι τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ,
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
and growing in the knowledge of God. *
and that 2) you may grow in your knowledge of God;
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of 22 all patience and steadfastness, joyfully
ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει δυναμούμενοι κατὰ τὸ κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν. Μετὰ χαρᾶς
y May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for z all endurance and patience a with joy,
May you be strengthened * with all power, * according to His glorious * might, for all endurance and patience, with joy
and that 3) you will be strengthened by God, in a way consistent with His mighty power, making you steadfast, patient, and joyful;
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share 23 in the saints’ 24 inheritance in the light.
εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ πατρὶ τῷ ἱκανώσαντι ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί•
b giving thanks 1 to the Father, who has qualified you 2 to share in c the inheritance of the saints in light.
giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you * to share in the saints’ * inheritance in the light. *
and that 4) you will be thanking the Father because He has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His people, in Heaven.
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Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.