1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by God's will, and Timothy, our brother.
2 To God's people and faithful brethren in Christ, who are at Colossae. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you every time we pray,
4 having heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and of [your] love for all of God's people,
5 because of the hope kept in heaven for you that you heard about previously in the Word of Truth--the Gospel,
6 which has come to you just like it has to all the world. It bears fruit just like it does in you also, from the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.
7 You also learned [this] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you.
8 Who also told us about your love in the Spirit.
9 Also for this reason, since we heard, we don't stop praying for you and asking that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 so that you may walk in a worthy manner pleasing in every way for the Lord, being fruitful in every good deed, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11 May you be made stronger with all strength according to His glorious power for patience and long suffering with joy.
12 Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance for God's people in light.
13 [The Father] who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has moved us into the kingdom of His dear Son
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood--the forgiveness of sins.
15 His son is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
16 For through Him all things were created that are in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominion, principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together.
18 He is the head of the body--the church, He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, so that in everything He might have the pre-eminence.
19 For it pleased [God] that all [God's] fullness lived in Him,
20 and having made peace through the blood of His cross, to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or in heaven.
21 You at one time were alienated and enemies in your mind because of wicked deeds, yet he has now reconciled,
22 in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy, unblamable, and above reproach in His sight.
23 If you continue in the faith, fixed on the foundation, and steadfast, not drifting away from the hope of the Gospel, which you heard and was preached to all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church.
25 I became a minister [of the church] according to the stewardship from God which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages past and generations [of people], but now is revealed to His people.
27 God would make known to these what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.
28 We preach [Christ] warning every one and teaching every one in all wisdom, so that we may present every one complete in Christ Jesus.
29 That's the reason I also work hard, struggling according to the energy which he works in me mightily.
1 I want you to know what a great struggle I have for you, for those at Laodicea, and for those who have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts may be comforted by being knit together in love and into the all the riches of the full assurance of understanding of the full knowledge of the mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ.
3 In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I say this for fear any one would deceive you with convincing arguments.
5 For even though I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, enjoying and observing your order and steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore since you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
7 Be rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you have been taught, overflowing with thanksgiving in it.
8 Beware, lest any one seduces you through philosophy or worthless delusions according to the traditions of men and the world's basic principles instead of Christ.
9 For in [Christ] all the fullness of the Godhead is physically present.
10 And you are in Him, made full, who is the head authority of all rule and authority.
11 In whom you are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by getting rid of the mass of the flesh's sins by the circumcision by Christ.
12 We were buried with him in baptism in which you were also risen with [Him] through the faith of God's strong power who has raised him from the dead.
13 You, being dead because of your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with Him having forgiven you all your sins,
14 by blotting out the record of the laws that were against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross
15 having stripped the principalities and powers clean, he openly paraded them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So then don't let any one condemn you in food, drink, religious festivals, new moon, or the Sabbath.
17 These are a shadow of things to come, but the real substance is Christ.
18 Don't let any one cheat you out of your reward in a willful humility and worshiping of angels being an initiate into things which he has not seen unreasonably puffed up with pride by his fleshly mind,
19 not hanging on to the Head from which the whole body through joints and ligaments being nourished and knit together grows with the growth that is from God.
20 Therefore if you are dead with Christ from the world's basic principles, why then, as if you belong to the world, do you submit to rules
21 (don't touch, don't taste, don't handle,
22 all of which are to perish by using [them]) according to human commandments and doctrines?
23 These truly sound reasonable in self imposed worship, humility, and asceticism, not for any honor except to satisfy the flesh.
1 So then if you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
2 Have your greatest interest in things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ, in God.
4 When Christ, [who is] our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him, in glory.
5 Therefore your earthly members need to be put to death: fornication, sexual impurity, evil passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things God's fierce anger comes on the children of disobedience.
7 You also walked in these at one time, when you lived in them.
8 But now you also need to throw these aside: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and foul abusive speech coming from your mouth.
9 Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have completely rid yourself of the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new [man], which is being renewed into knowledge according to the image of him who created him.
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
12 Therefore put on--as the chosen of God, holy and dearly loved--a heart of mercies, kindness, a humble attitude, meekness, long suffering
13 Putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If any one has a quarrel against any other, then even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
14 Even more than this, [put on] love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 Let God's peace rule in your hearts; you are called to this very thing in one body, and be thankful.
16 Let Christ's words live in you richly in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through Him.
18 Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands, as this is fitting to the Lord.
19 Husbands love your wives and don't be bitter at them.
20 Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers don't make your children angry, lest they become discouraged.
22 Servants obey your human masters in everything, not just when they are watching you, as someone who wants only to please men; instead [do this] in singleness of heart fearing God.
23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord and not for men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ.
25 But the one who does wrong will receive in return for the wrong which he has done, and there is no favoritism.
1 Masters give your servants what is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
2 Continue in prayer being alert in it with thanksgiving.
3 Pray also for us that God would open for us a door for [giving the] message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds,
4 so that I may reveal it, just as I am required to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom towards those outside, making best use of the time.
6 Let your speech always be seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer every man.
7 My current condition will Tychicus make known to you. [He is] a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord.
8 I have sent him to you for that very reason, so that he might know your current condition and comfort your hearts.
9 [He is coming] with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is [one] of you. They will make known to you everything which is [done] here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, so also Mark, Barnabas' sister's son, (concerning whom you have received instructions; if he comes to you welcome him)
11 and Jesus, who is called Justus, all of whom are of the circumcision. These only [are my] fellow workers for the Kingdom of God. They have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is [one] of you, a servant of Christ, greets you. He is always working hard for you in prayers, so that you may stand mature and complete in the full will of God.
13 For I bear him record that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
15 Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, Nymphas, and the church in his house.
16 When this letter is read among you, see to it that it is also read it in the Laodicean church and you likewise read the [one] to Laodicea.
17 Tell Archippus, "Insure that the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you fulfill it.
18 The greeting by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my prison bonds. May grace be with you. Amen.