Colossians 1

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

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

3 We always thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you,

4 because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—

5 the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel

6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

7 You also learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

8 and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

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

10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

11 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

13 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

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

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.

22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—

23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.

25 I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,

26 the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

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

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus.

29 To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

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

2 To 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.

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

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

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

6 Which 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:

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

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

9 ¶ For 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;

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 For 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:

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

18 And 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.

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

20 And, 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.

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

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

23 If 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;

24 Who 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:

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

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

27 To 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:

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

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

1 Paul, an apostle of JEsu Christ by the will of GOD, and brother Timothy:

2 to the saints of Colosse and to the believing brethren in Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

4 Having heard of your faith in Christ for JESUS' sake, and of your love for all the saints,

5 For the hope that is set before you in heaven, which ye heard before in the word of truth in the gospel,

6 Which is come unto you, as it was into all the world, and is fruitful, as it was in you, from the day that ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth.

7 As ye have learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, which is a faithful minister of Christ unto you,

8 Who also opened to us your love in the Spirit.

9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not from praying and supplicating for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 That ye may walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing, and be fruitful in all good works.

11 and grow in the knowledge of God, and be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, in all patience and longsuffering with joy;

12 and give thanks to the Father, who hath made us fit for the inheritance of the saints in light,

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

14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins]

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

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, both thrones, and dominions, and principalities, and authorities: all things were created by him, and for him.

17 And he is before all; and all things consist in him.

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

19 For it was his good pleasure that in him should all fullness dwell,

20 And that all things through him might be reconciled to himself, whether on earth or in heaven, that he might make peace through himself by the blood of his cross.

21 And to you, who were once aliens and enemies by reason of evil works,

22 But now he hath reconciled you to the body of his flesh by death, that he might present you holy and without blame before himself,

23 If ye continue otherwise in the faith, being established, and firm, and immovable, in the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, which was preached among every creature that is under heaven, which I Paul have ministered.

24 Now rejoicing in my sufferings which I suffer for you, I make restitution in my flesh for the afflictions which are yet lacking in Christ for his body, which is the church,

25 To whom I have become a minister according to the divine office of preaching which is given me among you, that I should preach the word of God abundantly,

26 That is, the mystery which has been hidden from the world and from the ages, but is now revealed to his saints,

27 Which God hath purposed to make known, which is the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, who is the hope of glory,

28 Whom we preach, and exhort all men, and teach all men with all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ JEsu,

29 I also labor and strive according to the working of him that worketh in me mightily.