1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God and Timothy our brother,
2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ that are at Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's Prayer for the Colossians
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints.
5 We thank God because 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 gospel.
6 That Gospel is come to you, even as it has also come to all the world, bearing fruit and increasing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
7 Even as you learned it of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf;
8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 to walk worthily in the Lord fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work; increasing in the knowledge of God,
11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, to all patience and endurance, with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us suitable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 Who delivered us out of the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love;
14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For 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 on account of him and for him.
17 And he is superior to all things, and in him all things consist.
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 pre-eminence.
19 For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross- yes, to reconcile all things through him, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. The Context of Paul's Preaching
21 And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
22 yet now has he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him.
23 If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to all creation under heaven. Of which I Paul was made a servant,
24 who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.
25 Of which I was made a servant, according to the plan of God which was given me concerning you, to fulfil the word of God,
26 the mystery of which has been hid for ages and generations; but now has it been manifested to His saints,
27 to 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.
28 We proclaim him, encouraging every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29 For this purpose I labour, striving according to his power, which works in me mightily.
1 For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love; and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God as it is in Christ.
3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 This I say, so that no one deludes you with persuasive speech.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, I am still with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord- walk in him,
7 rooted and up built in him and established in your faith, even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him, in a bodily form, dwells all the fullness of all that God stands for;
10 and in him you are made complete. He is the head of all principality and power.
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.
12 Having been buried with him in baptism, by which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.
14 Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, Christ did away with it by nailing it to the cross.
15 Having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no one therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day.
17 They were a shadow of the things to come, but the real object is Christ.
18 Let no one rob you of your prize by a false humility and worshiping of the angels, keeping on about all the things which he has supposedly seen in visions, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God.
20 If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances?
21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
22 (all things that perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a false appearance of wisdom in worship and humility and severity to the body, but are not of any real value against stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then with him you shall also be manifested in glory.
5 Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you: Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 For which things' sake comes the anger of God upon the children of disobedience,
7 things in which you also once walked, when you lived in these things.
8 But now you are to also put away: Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to each other, seeing you have put off the old man with his doings,
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator;
11 where there cannot be Gentile and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman- but Christ is all and in all.
12 Therefore, as God's elect and beloved, put on sensitivity, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 forbearing one another and forgiving each other, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as the Lord forgave you, so also forgive.
14 And above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts- to this you were also called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. In all wisdom teach and encourage one another with Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs- singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do, in word or in action, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, in order that they are not discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things those that are your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as if to the Lord and not to men.
24 Knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
1 Masters, give to your servants what is just and equal. Knowing you also have a master in heaven.
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving,
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for preaching the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for the sake of which I am also in chains.
4 Pray that I may speak boldly, as I should.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those that are without, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
7 All my affairs shall Tychicus make known to you, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord,
8 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state and that he may comfort your hearts.
9 Together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you, they shall make known to you all things that are done here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
11 and Jesus who is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow-workers to the kingdom of God, men that have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
13 For I bear witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and for those in Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
15 Greet the brothers that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in their house.
16 And when this letter has been read among you, take steps to have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and you also read the letter from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus: Take heed to the service which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfil it.
18 I Paul write this salutation with my own hand. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.