کولسیان 1

1 از طرف پولس كه به خواست خدا، رسول مسیح عیسی است و از طرف برادر ما تیموتاؤس

2 به برادرانt مقدّس و وفادار در شهر كولسیه، كه با مسیح متّحد می‌‌باشند. پدر ما خدا، فیض و آرامش به شما عطا فرماید.

دعای سپاسگزاری

8 و او نیز ما را از محبّتی كه روح‌القدس به شما بخشیده، مطّلع ساخته است.
9 به این جهت از همان روزی كه این را شنیدیم، همیشه برای شما دعا می‌کنیم و از خدا می‌خواهیم كه شما به وسیلهٔ بینش و فهم روحانی، ارادهٔ او را کاملاً درک كنید. 10 سپس شما قادر خواهید بود طوری که شایستهٔ خداوند است زندگی كنید، کاملاً او را خشنود سازید، در تمام كارهای نیک، زندگی پرثمری داشته باشید و در معرفت خدا رشد و نمو كنید. 11 و همچنین دعا می‌کنم كه خدا برحسب قدرت پرشكوهش و با تمام نیروی خود شما را تقویت كند تا با شادی و صبر هر چیز را تحمّل كنید. 12 پیوسته خدای پدر را شكر كنید كه شما را لایق آن گردانیده است تا در سرنوشتی كه در عالم نورانی در انتظار مقدّسین است، سهمی داشته باشید. 13 او ما را از چنگ نیرومند ظلمت رهانید و به پادشاهی پسر عزیزش منتقل ساخته است.

14 خدا به وسیلهٔ او ما را آزاد ساخته و گناهانمان را آمرزیده است.

شخصیّت و كار مسیح

20 و به وسیلهٔ مسیح، همه‌چیز را با خود آشتی داد و به وسیلهٔ ریختن خون مسیح بر روی صلیب، صلح و دوستی بین خدا و هر آنچه در آسمان و زمین است، برقرار گردید.
21 شما زمانی از خدا دور بودید و با کارها و افكار شریرانهٔ خود با او دشمنی داشتید، 22 امّا اكنون او به وسیلهٔ مرگ جسمانی مسیح شما را با خود متّحد ساخته تا شما را پاک، بی‌عیب و بی‌آلایش به حضور خود بیاورد،

23 البتّه به شرط اینكه ایمان خود را از دست ندهید، محكم و استوار بمانید و آن امیدی را كه در وقت شنیدن انجیل به دست آوردید، ترک نكنید. این همان انجیلی است كه در سرتاسر جهان اعلام گردیده و من «پولس» خادم آن هستم.

خدمت پولس برای كلیسا

COLOSSIANS 1

1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.

2 To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.
I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

A Prayer of Thanks

5 because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
6 The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7 t from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.t

8 He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.

The Person and Work //of Christ

11 His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12 I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting yout have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13 God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son,

14 t who forgives our sins and sets us free.

15  t Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.

16 Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God's Son,
and everything was made
for him.

17 God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.

18  t He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.

19 God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.

20  t And God was pleased
for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.
21 You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22 But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.

23 But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.

Paul's Service to the Church

27 God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.
28 We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29 This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.