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.

Colossians 2

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you,t and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.t2 My goal is thatt their hearts, having been knit togethert in love, may be encouraged, and thatt they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,s3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.4 I say this so that no one will deceive you through argumentst that sound reasonable.s

5 For thought I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to seet your moralet and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Warnings Against the Adoption of False Philosophies

6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,t continue to live your livest in him,7 rootedt and built up in him and firms in yourt faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate yout through an empty, deceitful philosophyt that is according to human traditions and the elemental spiritst of the world, and not according to Christ.9 For in him all the fullness of deity livess in bodily form,10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.11 In him you also were circumcised – not, however,t with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removalt of the fleshly body,t that is,t through the circumcision done by Christ.12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through yourt faith in the powert of God who raised him from the dead.13 And even though you were dead in yourt transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he neverthelesst made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.14 He has destroyedt what was against us, a certificate of indebtednesst expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

15 Disarmingt the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.t
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days –17 these are onlyt the shadow of the things to come, but the realityt is Christ!t18 Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengthst about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.t

19 He has not held fastt to the head from whom the whole body, supportedt and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.t
20 If you have died with Christ to the elemental spiritst of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world?21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”22 These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they aret on human commands and teachings.t

23 Even though they have the appearance of wisdomt with their self-imposed worship and false humilityt achieved by ans unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.t

Colossians 3

Exhortations to Seek the Things Above

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth,3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ (who is yours life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth:t sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion,t evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.ss7 You also lived your livest in this way at one time, when you used to live among them.8 But now, put off all such thingst as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices10 and have been clothed with the new mans that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.

11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slavet or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Exhortation to Unity and Love

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy,t kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,13 bearing with one another and forgivingt one another, if someone happens to havet a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.t14 And to all theset virtuest addt love, which is the perfect bond.t15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one bodyt to this peace), and be thankful.16 Let the word of Christs dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with gracet in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit to yourt husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.21 Fathers,t do not provoket your children, so they will not become disheartened.22 Slaves,t obey your earthlyt masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.23 Whatever you are doing,t work at it with enthusiasm,t as to the Lord and not for people,t24 because you know that you will receive yourt inheritancet from the Lord as the reward. Servet the Lord Christ.25 For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong,ts and there are no exceptions.t