Again Paul reverts to the task he and his colleagues perform: it is that of “announcing” or “proclaiming” Christ; the verb here (kataggellō) is different from the verb in 1.23 (kērussō), but describes the same activity (compare its use in 1 Cor 2.1, 9.14, Phil 1.17). In a number of languages, one cannot speak literally of “preaching Christ”; one can “announce about Christ” or “proclaim the truth about Christ,” but it is structurally impossible in a number of languages to “preach a person.” In such cases, this first sentence may be most aptly rendered as “and so we tell everyone about Christ.”
We warn and teach represent participles in Greek; the first verb is fairly rare in the NT (8 times in all); it means “to admonish,” “to warn,” usually implying an act or conduct which is being condemned (compare Acts 20.31, 1 Cor 4.14, 1 Thes 5.14, 2 Thes 3.15, and see the noun in Titus 3.10). Here there is no statement of what this might be, but probably refers to the warning in the Christian message about the consequences of rejecting it. “Teaching” probably refers to the moral and ethical principles of the gospel. Others, however, understand that the “warning” is against errors (on the part of the new Christians) and that the “teaching” is the advanced instruction.
Since warn and teach are in a sense negative and positive respectively, their being placed together in this short phrase may seem rather strange and even awkward. It may, therefore, be necessary to indicate something of the content of warn and teach. Thus one may translate “we warn them about what they should not do and teach them what they should do.”
Three times the Greek has “every man” (Revised Standard Version), in order to stress not only the universal nature of the gospel but also the equality of all believers, without any distinction or discrimination: “warning everyone and teaching everyone … in order that we might present everyone….”
With all possible wisdom qualifies the manner in which the activity is carried out. Some take “in all wisdom” to indicate the content of the teaching (as Moffatt Goodspeed Phillips; see also Barclay New English Bible); others, as Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version, as the way in which the apostle and his colleagues do their work. As Abbott says, the object of the verb “to teach” in the NT is always in the accusative, not a dative phrase with the preposition “in.” Wisdom here may be God-given (so Translator’s New Testament) as opposed to human wisdom, but the context does not require this.
Since with all possible wisdom probably qualifies the manner in which Paul sought to warn and teach everyone, it is possible to introduce wisdom as a part of a preliminary participial phrase, for example, “being as wise as possible” or “by using all the wise words possible.”
In order to bring … into God’s presence translates the Greek verb paristēmi (see 1.22). The verb may imply a legal setting, with reference to the Judgment Day; others see it as a cultic term, both here and in 1.22. In order to bring … into God’s presence may simply be translated as “in order to cause to come before God.”
As a mature individual translates the Greek adjective “perfect,” “complete.” In mystery cults it described the minority who had been initiated into the secrets and rituals of the religion; Paul here again emphasizes the universal nature of the gospel. Everyone is to be “perfect,” not meaning sinless perfection, but spiritual development and maturity, that is, a full knowledge of God’s will and a devotion to follow it. It appears elsewhere in Paul’s letters in 1 Cor 2.6, 14.20, Phil 3.15, and Col 4.12 (compare also Eph 4.13).
A literal rendering of as a mature individual may mean nothing more than “as an adult,” and this is, of course, not the meaning of the phrase in this context. Since the term “mature” may refer only to an age or height, it may be better to emphasize “completeness,” for example, “as a complete person” or “as a person who is not lacking in anything,” but one must avoid an expression which suggests no lack of physical resources or possession. Accordingly, one may wish to translate this phrase as “not lacking in any understanding.”
In union with Christ: see 1.2. New English Bible “a mature member of Christ’s body.” In this context in union with Christ may be well translated as “one who is linked with Christ.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .