Colossians 1
1
1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy, our brother.
2To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that live in Colossae:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. 5You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the message about the truth, the Good News 6that was told to you. Everywhere in the world that Good News is bringing blessings and is growing. This has happened with you, too, since you heard the Good News and understood the truth about the grace of God. 7You learned about God’s grace from Epaphras, whom we love. He works together with us and is a faithful servant of Christ for us. 8He also told us about the love you have from the Holy Spirit.
9Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we have continued praying for you, asking God that you will know fully what he wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things 10so that you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. 11God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. 12And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light. 13God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14The Son paid for our sins, and in him we have forgiveness.
The Importance of Christ
15No one can see God, but Jesus Christ is exactly like him. He ranks higher than everything that has been made. 16Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ. 17He was there before anything was made, and all things continue because of him. 18He is the head of the body, which is the church. Everything comes from him. He is the first one who was raised from the dead. So in all things Jesus has first place. 19God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ. 20And through Christ, God has brought all things back to himself again—things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace through the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
21At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, and the evil things you did were against God. 22But now God has made you his friends again. He did this through Christ’s death in the body so that he might bring you into God’s presence as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with nothing of which God can judge you guilty. 23This will happen if you continue strong and sure in your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope brought to you by the Good News that you heard. That same Good News has been told to everyone in the world, and I, Paul, help in preaching that Good News.
Paul’s Work for the Church
24I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered. 25I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the message of God. 26This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God’s holy people. 27God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. 28So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ. 29To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Colossians 1
1
Greeting
1Paul, #Eph. 1:1an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To the saints #1 Cor. 4:17and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
#Gal. 1:3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their Faith in Christ
3#1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4#Eph. 1:15since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of #(Heb. 6:10)your love for all the saints; 5because of the hope #(1 Pet. 1:4)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6which has come to you, #Matt. 24:14as it has also in all the world, and #John 15:16is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew #Eph. 3:2the grace of God in truth; 7as you also learned from #Col. 4:12; Philem. 23Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is #1 Cor. 4:1, 2; 2 Cor. 11:23a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8who also declared to us your #Rom. 15:30love in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
9#Eph. 1:15–17For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask #1 Cor. 1:5that you may be filled with #(Rom. 12:2); Eph. 5:17the knowledge of His will #Eph. 1:8in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10#Eph. 4:1; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thess. 2:12that you may walk worthy of the Lord, #1 Thess. 4:1fully pleasing Him, #Heb. 13:21being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the #2 Pet. 3:18knowledge of God; 11#(Eph. 3:16; 6:10)strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, #Eph. 4:2for all patience and longsuffering #(Acts 5:41); 2 Cor. 8:2; (Heb. 10:34)with joy; 12#(Eph. 5:20)giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of #Eph. 1:11the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has delivered us from #Eph. 6:12the power of darkness #2 Pet. 1:11and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14#Eph. 1:7in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is #2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3the image of the invisible God, #Ps. 89:27; Rev. 3:14the firstborn over all creation. 16For #John 1:3; Heb. 1:2, 3by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or #(Eph. 1:20, 21; Col. 2:15)dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created #John 1:3; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Heb. 2:10through Him and for Him. 17#(John 17:5)And He is before all things, and in Him #Heb. 1:3all things consist. 18And #1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, #Rev. 1:5the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
19For it pleased the Father that #John 1:16in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20and #Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14by Him to reconcile #2 Cor. 5:18all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, #Eph. 1:10having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21And you, #(Eph. 2:1)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind #Titus 1:15by wicked works, yet now He has #2 Cor. 5:18, 19reconciled 22#2 Cor. 5:18; (Eph. 2:14–16)in the body of His flesh through death, #(Eph. 5:27); Col. 1:28to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23if indeed you continue #Eph. 3:17; Col. 2:7in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are #(John 15:6); 1 Cor. 15:58not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, #Mark 16:15; Acts 2:5; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6which was preached to every creature under heaven, #Acts 1:17; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:25of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Sacrificial Service for Christ
24#2 Cor. 7:4I now rejoice in my sufferings #Eph. 3:1, 13for you, and fill up in my flesh #(Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:5; 12:15); Phil. 2:17what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for #Eph. 1:23the sake of His body, which is the church, 25of which I became a minister according to #Gal. 2:7the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26#(1 Cor. 2:7)the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, #(2 Tim. 1:10)but now has been revealed to His saints. 27#2 Cor. 2:14To them God willed to make known what are #Rom. 9:23the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is #(Rom. 8:10, 11)Christ in you, #1 Tim. 1:1the hope of glory. 28Him we preach, #Acts 20:20warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, #Eph. 5:27that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me #Eph. 3:7mightily.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.