Colossians 1
1
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother,
2to the saints in Colossae, and to the faithful brethren in Christ: Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
3We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you,
4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that [is] to all the saints,
5because of the hope that is laid up for you in the heavens, which ye heard of before in the word of the truth of the good news,
6which is present to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which ye heard, and knew the grace of God in truth;
7as ye also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful ministrant of the Christ,
8who also did declare to us your love in the Spirit.
9Because of this, we also, from the day in which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,
11in all might being made mighty according to the power of His glory, to all endurance and long-suffering with joy.
12Giving thanks to the Father who did make us meet for the participation of the inheritance of the saints in the light,
13who did rescue us out of the authority of the darkness, and did translate [us] into the reign of the Son of His love,
14in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of the sins,
15who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,
16because in him were the all things created, those in the heavens, and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things through him, and for him, have been created,
17and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.
18And himself is the head of the body — the assembly — who is a beginning, a firstborn out of the dead, that he might become in all [things] — himself — first,
19because in him it did please all the fulness to tabernacle,
20and through him to reconcile the all things to himself — having made peace through the blood of his cross — through him, whether the things upon the earth, whether the things in the heavens.
21And you — once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now did he reconcile,
22in the body of his flesh through the death, to present you holy, and unblemished, and unblameable before himself,
23if also ye remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, which was preached in all the creation that [is] under the heaven, of which I became — I Paul — a ministrant.
24I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly,
25of which I — I did become a ministrant according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God,
26the secret that hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was manifested to his saints,
27to whom God did will to make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations — which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory,
28whom we proclaim, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,
29for which also I labour, striving according to his working that is working in me in power.
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Colossians 1: YLT98
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Colossians 1
1
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 this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7#Col 4.12; Phm 23. from 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.” 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 his Spirit gives. 10Then you will live a life that honors 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, 14#Eph 1.7,8. who forgives our sins and sets us free.
15 #
Ws 7.26. Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born 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.
18 #
Eph 1.22,23. 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.
19God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
20 #
Eph 2.16. 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.
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 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 ages and 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 all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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