Colossians — Chapter 1

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

5For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

7As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

8Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [that are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,

5because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

6which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as [it doth] in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;

12giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;

13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:

15who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

16for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;

17and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.

18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19For it was the good pleasure [of the Father] that in him should all the fulness dwell;

20and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, [I say], whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.

21And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,

22yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:

23if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body`s sake, which is the church;

25whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,

26[even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

27to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

29whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

1From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father!

3We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

4since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

5Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel

6that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

7You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave—a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf—

8who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.

13He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,

16for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him.

17He himself is before all things, and all things are held together in him.

18He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.

19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son

20and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

21And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds,

22but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him—

23if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting 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.

24Now 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.

25I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God—given to me for you—in order to complete the word of God,

26that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.

27God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.

29Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

5because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

6which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;

13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;

15who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.

17He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

18He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

20and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

22yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

23if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly;

25of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,

26the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

27to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

29for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.