Advanced Text Study

Yesterday I had the chance to sit with the text for Sunday, Colossians 1:9-14.  Taking smaller chunks in the New Testament means spending additional time in textual analysis.  And I will attempt to share some of that here with you early in the week so you, too, can be ruminating on God's Word in advance of our study together on Sunday.  So ...

Colossians 1:12-14 (TNIV)
"Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Colossians 1:12-14 (MegV)

With joy (gladness) thanking the Father

     Who qualified you (made you sufficient, made you adequate)

           for a portion (part, sharing)     of the ministry (lot, share, possession, responsibility)

                                                              of the holy ones (dedicated, consecrated) in the light

     And changes (causes us to move from one place to another) us into  

          the kingdom (sovereignty, royal power, reign) of the Son He loves.

               In whom we possess (have, hold, possess) 

                    our release (deliverance, redemption, ransom), 

                    the forgiveness (pardon, release, liberty) of sin.

So, with these alternate words & some semblance of a grammatical lay-out (keeping in mind that I'm pretty sure Paul flunked all his Greek grammar classes), what good news would YOU preach from this text?