I was tagged by TC for this meme. Here are the rules:

” 1. Be contemporary

2. Be idiomatic and free as possible.

3. Parsing is optional. “

Here is my stab at it:

“Since you have shared in Christ’s resurrection, you should seek out the heavenly things because that is where Christ is- ruling over his kingdom with power and authority. Always keep your focus on the things of Christ, and not worldly things, because you have died to those things and your new life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ is gloriously revealed, so too will your identity as Christ’s be revealed along with him.”

I know that the meme only goes to verse 3, but I included verse 4 because of the linked idea of something being presently hidden and later revealed. I started this translation with “since,” although the greek says “Therefore, if,” because Paul is not expressing doubt at the Colossians salvation (in fact, he states rather opaquely in verse 3 that they have died with Christ- an idea that began in chapter 2). This use of “if” seems weird to the English ear, so I translated it with the idea of “since” to express understanding that Paul assume that what he is saying is true.

In verse 2, Paul uses the phrase, “seated at the right hand of God,” which I translated idiomatically as “ruling over his kingdom with power and authority.” When the Biblical authors use the phrase “seated at the right hand of God,” they are not speaking in terms of location, but in terms of authority and power. The phrase is an allusion to Psalm 110, and probably also Daniel 7. Paul also uses the former in 1 Corinthians 15:25, where it speaks of Christ reigning until all of His enemies have been put under his feet. Daniel 7 (particularly 13 and 14), gives us a picture of the ascension of Christ, when the NT authors say He “sat at the right hand of God,” and Daniel says He “was given dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom.”

As I mentioned earlier, I included verse 4. I did this because there is a play between the idea of our lives and Christ being “hidden” now, but being revealed later on. Paul is speaking here of the parousia, that is, the coming of Christ at the end of time.

If you want to see another translation of this passage that I just finished, click here. It is less idiomatic than this one.

I tag:
Mike @ Ev Epheso
Nathan @ Discipulus Scripturae
ElShaddai @ He is Sufficient
Matthew @ Crypto-Theology
Alex @ Six Steps

[Apologies if anyone I tagged hates memes. I just was interested in what you guys would come up with!]