• Colossians 1:23
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 23 εἴ if γε in fact ἐπιμένετε YOU are remaining upon τῇ to the πίστει faith τεθεμελιωμένοι having been founded καὶ and ἑδραῖοι settled καὶ and μὴ not μετακινούμενοι being moved elsewhere ἀπὸ from τῆς the ἐλπίδος hope τοῦ of the εὐαγγελίου good news οὗ of which ἠκούσατε, YOU heard, τοῦ of the (one) κηρυχθέντος having been preached ἐν in πάσῃ all κτίσει creation τῇ the ὑπὸ under τὸν the οὐρανόν, heaven, οὗ of which ἐγενόμην became ἐγὼ I Παῦλος Paul διάκονος. servant.

  • Colossians 1:23
    King James Version

    • 23 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;

  • Colossians 1:23
    American Standard Version

    • 23 if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

  • Colossians 1:23
    The Bible in Living English

    • 23* if so be that you keep to your faith, standing steady on solid foundations and not shifting from the hope of the gospel you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under the heavens; of which I Paul became an agent.

  • Colossians Study Notes—Chapter 1
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 1:23

      was preached in all creation under heaven: Paul is not indicating that the good news had literally reached every land around the globe. Rather, he is describing in broad terms how far the good news had spread. (Ro 1:8; Col 1:6) By the time Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, the Kingdom message was widely known throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. In fact, nearly 30 years before that time, Jews and proselytes who embraced Christianity at Pentecost 33 C.E. carried the message at least as far as Parthia, Elam, Media, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Asia Minor, the parts of Libya toward Cyrene, and Rome​—encompassing the world known to Paul’s readers. (Ac 2:1, 8-11, 41, 42) However, Paul’s own words in Romans chapter 15 show that his statement was not meant to be taken literally. There he stated that the good news had not yet been preached in the then “untouched territory” of Spain.​—Ro 15:20, 23, 24.