Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Colossians 1:18

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 18 and he is the head of the body, the congregation.+ He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,+ so that he might become the one who is first in all things;

Colossians 1:18

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 18 καὶ and αὐτός he ἐστιν is ἡ the κεφαλὴ head τοῦ of the σώματος, body, τῆς of the ἐκκλησίας· ecclesia; ὅς who ἐστιν is ἡ the ἀρχή, beginning, πρωτότοκος firstborn ἐκ out of τῶν the νεκρῶν, dead (ones), ἵνα in order that γένηται might become ἐν in πᾶσιν all (things) αὐτὸς he πρωτεύων, holding the first place,

Colossians 1:18

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 18 and he is the head of the body, the congregation.+ He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,+ that he might become the one who is first+ in all things;

Colossians 1:18

The Bible in Living English
- 18 And he is the head of the body, the church, he who is the beginning, the firstborn out of the dead, in order that he may take the first place in every respect,

Colossians 1:18

American Standard Version
- 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Colossians 1:18

The Emphasized Bible
- 18 And he is the head of the body, the assembly, Who is the beginning, Firstborn from among the dead In order that he might become in all things himself pre-eminent;—

Colossians 1:18

King James Version
- 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Colossians Study Notes—Chapter 1

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 1:18
  
  the head of the body, the congregation: Both in his letter to the Colossians and in the one to the Ephesians, Paul likens the Christian congregation to a “body,” of which Christ is the head. (Eph 1:22, 23) According to one reference work, this metaphor “suggests not only vital union with the Head, but that the will of the Head is exercised through the members. They are His instruments.” Jesus is also the head, or ruler, of the kingdom that Paul calls “the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son.”—Col 1:13 and study note.
  
  He is . . . the firstborn from the dead: Bible accounts tell of other humans who were resurrected prior to Jesus, but he was the first to be raised from the dead to endless life. His resurrection was “in the spirit” (1Pe 3:18) to a higher position than the one he held in the heavens before coming to earth. He was granted immortality and incorruption, which no human of flesh and blood can have. Jesus was “exalted above the heavens,” and in all the universe, he is second only to Jehovah God. (Heb 7:26; 1Co 15:27; Php 2:9-11) He was resurrected by Jehovah God himself!—Ac 3:15; 5:30; Ro 4:24; 10:9.