Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Colossians (German)
| # | English term | Greek | First occurrence(s) | German rendering | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | image of the invisible God | εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου | 1:15 | Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes | NEW | — |
| 2 | firstborn of all creation | πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως | 1:15 | Erstgeborener aller Schöpfung | NEW | Rank/supremacy sense, never a creation-in-time claim (guard against Arian misreading). |
| 3 | all things created in him / through him and for him | ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη… δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν | 1:16 | in ihm ist alles geschaffen… durch ihn und zu ihm hin | NEW | Answers the Colossian heresy’s power-veneration directly. |
| 4 | he is before all things, in him all things hold together | πρὸ πάντων… συνέστηκεν | 1:17 | er ist vor allem… in ihm besteht alles | NEW | Ongoing present-tense sustaining, not only a past creative act. |
| 5 | head of the body, the church | κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας | 1:18 | Haupt des Leibes, der Gemeinde | TM (from Ephesians) | Reuses Ephesians 1:22/4:15/5:23 exactly. |
| 6 | firstborn from the dead | πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν | 1:18 | der Erstgeborene von den Toten | NEW | Distinct sense from row 2’s “firstborn” (resurrection-priority, not rank-supremacy). |
| 7 | all the fullness / to reconcile all things | πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα… ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα | 1:19-20 | die ganze Fülle… alles versöhnen | NEW | Fülle vocabulary must match 2:9 exactly. |
| 8 | the mystery, Christ in you | τὸ μυστήριον… Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν | 1:27 | das Geheimnis… Christus in euch | TM (from Ephesians) | Reuses Ephesians 3:3-9’s Geheimnis. |
| 9 | philosophy and empty deceit | φιλοσοφία καὶ κενὴ ἀπάτη | 2:8 | Philosophie und leerem Trug | NEW | German-specific risk: guard against a blanket anti-philosophy misreading given Germany’s philosophical heritage. |
| 10 | the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily | πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς | 2:9 | die ganze Fülle der Gottheit leibhaftig | NEW | Most concentrated deity-and-incarnation statement in the letter. |
| 11 | certificate of debt | τὸ χειρόγραφον | 2:14 | der Schuldschein | NEW | Concrete legal-financial metaphor. |
| 12 | worship of angels | θρησκεία τῶν ἀγγέλων | 2:18 | Verehrung der Engel | NEW | Part of the Colossian-heresy complex. |
| 13 | seek the things above | τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε | 3:1 | Trachtet nach dem, was droben ist | NEW | Widely known Lutherbibel phrasing. |
| 14 | Christ is all, and in all | Χριστὸς τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν | 3:11 | Christus ist alles und in allen | NEW | Colossians’ own unity formula; unqualified list retained in full, per Galatians 3:28 discipline. |
| 15 | submit / slaves and masters | ὑποτάσσεσθε / δοῦλοι, κύριοι | 3:18-4:1 | sich unterordnen / Sklaven, Herren | TM (from Ephesians) | Same mandatory sensitivity review as Ephesians 5:22-6:9. |
| 16 | speech seasoned with salt | ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος | 4:6 | mit Salz gewürzt | NEW | Concrete culinary metaphor for winsome speech. |
Coverage confirmation
16 glossary entries span all four chapters: chapter 1 (rows 1-8), chapter 2 (rows 9-12), chapter 3 (rows 13-15), and chapter 4 (row 16). Terms already established in the Ephesians package (rows 5, 8, 15) are reused verbatim.
Critical Risk Terms
Image Of The Invisible God
Approved rendering: Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes
Transliteration: Ebenbild des unsichtbaren Gottes
Doctrine: The Supremacy and Deity of Christ over Creation
Original: εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου
Category: Christology
NEW. Colossians 1:15.
Firstborn Of Creation
Approved rendering: Erstgeborener aller Schöpfung
Transliteration: Erstgeborener aller Schöpfung
Doctrine: The Supremacy and Deity of Christ over Creation
Original: πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως
Category: Christology
NEW. Rank/supremacy sense; never a creation-in-time claim (guard against the historic Arian misreading). Colossians 1:15.
Creator And Sustainer Of All
Approved rendering: in ihm ist alles geschaffen… in ihm besteht alles
Transliteration: in ihm ist alles geschaffen… in ihm besteht alles
Doctrine: The Supremacy and Deity of Christ over Creation
Original: ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα… τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν
Category: Christology
NEW. Answers the Colossian heresy’s power-veneration directly. Colossians 1:16-17.
Fullness And Reconciliation
Approved rendering: die ganze Fülle… alles versöhnen
Transliteration: die ganze Fülle… alles versöhnen
Doctrine: Reconciliation of All Things
Original: πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα… ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα
Category: Salvation
NEW. Fülle vocabulary must match 2:9 exactly. Colossians 1:19-20.
Philosophy And Empty Deceit
Approved rendering: Philosophie und leerem Trug
Transliteration: Philosophie und leerem Trug
Doctrine: Warning Against False Teaching / Philosophy
Original: φιλοσοφία καὶ κενὴ ἀπάτη
Category: False Teaching
NEW. Guard against a blanket anti-philosophy misreading given Germany’s philosophical heritage. Colossians 2:8.
Fullness Of Deity Bodily
Approved rendering: die ganze Fülle der Gottheit leibhaftig
Transliteration: die ganze Fülle der Gottheit leibhaftig
Doctrine: The Fullness of Deity in Christ Bodily
Original: πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς
Category: Christology
NEW. Gottheit (abstract deity-nature) distinct from Gott (the person). Colossians 2:9.
Certificate Of Debt
Approved rendering: der Schuldschein
Transliteration: der Schuldschein
Doctrine: The Fullness of Deity in Christ Bodily
Original: τὸ χειρόγραφον
Category: Salvation
NEW. Concrete legal-financial metaphor. Colossians 2:14.
Christ Is All In All
Approved rendering: Christus ist alles und in allen
Transliteration: Christus ist alles und in allen
Doctrine: Unity in Christ: All and In All
Original: Χριστὸς τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν
Category: Church
NEW. Unqualified list retained in full, per Galatians 3:28 discipline. Colossians 3:11.
High Risk Terms
Head
Approved rendering: Haupt
Transliteration: Haupt
Doctrine: Christ as Head of the Church
Inherited from Ephesians package, unchanged. Colossians 1:18; 2:19.
Mystery Of Christ
Approved rendering: Geheimnis
Transliteration: Geheimnis
Doctrine: The Mystery: Christ in You
Inherited from Ephesians package, unchanged. Colossians 1:27; qualify against the lighter ‘secret’ connotation as already established.
Firstborn From The Dead
Approved rendering: der Erstgeborene von den Toten
Transliteration: der Erstgeborene von den Toten
Doctrine: Christ as Head of the Church
Original: πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν
Category: Christology
NEW. Distinct from 1:15’s rank-supremacy ‘firstborn’ — resurrection-priority sense. Colossians 1:18.
Worship Of Angels
Approved rendering: Verehrung der Engel
Transliteration: Verehrung der Engel
Doctrine: Freedom from Religious Regulations
Original: θρησκεία τῶν ἀγγέλων
Category: False Teaching
NEW. Part of the Colossian-heresy complex. Colossians 2:18.
Medium Risk Terms
Speech Seasoned With Salt
Approved rendering: mit Salz gewürzt
Transliteration: mit Salz gewürzt
Doctrine: Prayer and Conduct Toward Outsiders
Original: ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος
Category: Christian Life
NEW. Concrete culinary metaphor. Colossians 4:6.
Referenced passages