Colossians 1 | » |
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have to all the saints,
5 for the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, of which you heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel,
6 which has come to you as it has also in all the world, and it is bearing fruit, even also among you, since the day you heard and fully knew the grace of God in truth,
7 even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you,
8 he also having shown your love in the Spirit to us.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
11 being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness,
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son;
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation.
16 For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
18 And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell.
20 And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven.
21 And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight,
23 if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister,
24 who now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and I fill up the things lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church;
25 of which I became a minister, according to the administration of God given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God;
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 For to them 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,
28 whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 For which I also labor, striving according to the working of Him who works in me in power.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.