Colossians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus, who are at Colossa.3 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.4 Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have towards all the saints.5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,6 Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.7 As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;8 Who also hath manifested to us your love in the spirit.9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:10 That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:11 Strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,12 Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins;15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:16 For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.17 And he is before all, and by him all things consist.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 may hold the primacy:19 Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell;20 And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.21 And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:22 Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him:23 If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister.24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:25 Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfil the word of God:26 The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,27 To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.28 Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.29 Wherein also I labour, striving according to his working which he worketh in me in power.

Colossians 1

Salutation

1 From Paul,t an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 to the saints, the faithfult brothers and sisterst in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to yout from God our Father!s

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

3 We alwayst give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 sincet we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.5 Your faith and love have arisent from the hope laid upt for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospelt6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospelt is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growingt among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.7 You learned the gospelt from Epaphras, our dear fellow slavet – at faithful minister of Christ on ours behalf –

8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you,t have not ceased praying for you and asking Godt to fillt you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,10 so that you may livet worthily of the Lord and please him in all respectst – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display oft all patience and steadfastness, joyfully12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to sharet in the saints’t inheritance in the light.13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,t

14 in whom we have redemption,s the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

15 s He is the image of the invisible God, the firstbornt over all creation,t

16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions,t whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.

17 He himself is before all things and all things are held togethert in him.

18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstbornt from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.t

19 For Godt was pleased to have all hist fullness dwellt in the Sont

20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him,s whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Paul’s Goal in Ministry

21 And you were at one time strangers and enemies in yourt mindst as expressed throught your evil deeds,22 but now he has reconciled youst by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –

23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm,t without shiftingt from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardshipt from God – given to me for you – in order to completet the word of God,26 that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.27 God wanted to make known to them the glorioust riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28 We proclaim him by instructingt and teachingt all peoplet with all wisdom so that we may present every person maturet in Christ.

29 Toward this goalt I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfullyt works in me.