The Epistle Of Paul To The Colossians
1
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 when we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love which is towards all the saints; 5 because of the hope being laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, just as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit and growing, just as also among you, from the day which you heard and fully knew the grace of God in truth; 7 just as also you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
9 On account of this we also, since the day we heard of it, we do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you should walk worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit and increasing in the full knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, for all endurance and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for by Him all things were created, those in the heavens and those on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He might have the preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
19 For it pleased the Father that all the fullness should dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach before Him— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm and not drifting away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was proclaimed to all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, have become a minister.
Paul's Ministry to the Church
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for His body's sake, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 even the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; 28 whom we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; 29 for which I also labor, striving according to His working which is working in me with power.