Colossians 1
1
Greetings
1From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2To 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
3Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, 5because 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.
6The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in that same way among you, ever since the first day you learnt the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.#1.7 you: Some manuscripts have “us”.#Col 4.12; Phm 23. 8He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
The person and work of Christ
9We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. 10Then you will live a life that honours the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. 11His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you#1.12 you: Some manuscripts have “us”. have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 14who forgives our sins and sets us free.#Eph 1.7.
15Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the firstborn Son,
superior to all creation.
16Everything 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.
17God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
18He is the head of his body,#Eph 1.22,23.
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
19God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
20And God was pleased#Eph 2.16.
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.
21You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22But 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. 23But 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
24I am glad that I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue#1.24 continue: Or “complete”. the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. 25God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. 26For many ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. 27God 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.
28We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
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.