(A)I thank [a]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:4 Two early mss do not contain my

15 For this reason I too, (A)having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [a]your love for (B)all the [b]saints, 16 (C)do not cease giving thanks for you, (D)while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the (E)God of our Lord Jesus Christ, (F)the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of (G)wisdom and of (H)revelation in the [c]knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that (I)the eyes of your heart [d]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the (J)hope of His (K)calling, what are (L)the riches of the glory of (M)His inheritance in (N)the [e]saints, 19 and what is the [f]boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. (O)These are in accordance with the working of the (P)strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He (Q)raised Him from the dead and (R)seated Him at His right hand in (S)the heavenly places, 21 far above (T)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every (U)name that is named, not only in (V)this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He (W)put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him (X)head over all things to the church, 23 which is His (Y)body, the (Z)fullness of Him who (AA)fills (AB)all in all.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:15 Three early mss do not contain your love
  2. Ephesians 1:15 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  3. Ephesians 1:17 Or true knowledge
  4. Ephesians 1:18 Lit having been
  5. Ephesians 1:18 See note 2 v 15
  6. Ephesians 1:19 Lit surpassing

(A)I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in (B)my every prayer for you all, in view of your [a](C)participation in the (D)gospel (E)from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work [b]among you will complete it [c]by (F)the day of Christ Jesus. [d]For (G)it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I (H)have you in my heart, since both in my [e](I)imprisonment and in the (J)defense and confirmation of the (K)gospel, you all are [f]partakers of grace with me. For (L)God is my witness, how I long for you all with the [g]affection of (M)Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that (N)your love may overflow still more and more in (O)real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may [h](P)discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for (Q)the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the (R)fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

The Gospel Is Preached

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances (S)have turned out for the greater progress of the (T)gospel, 13 so that my [i](U)imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the [j]praetorian guard and to (V)everyone else, 14 and that most of the brothers and sisters, [k]trusting in the Lord because of my [l](W)imprisonment, have (X)far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. 15 (Y)Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even [m]from envy and strife, but some also [n]from goodwill; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the (Z)gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ (AA)out of selfish ambition [o]rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my [p](AB)imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.

But not only that, I also will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my [q]deliverance (AC)through your [r]prayers and the provision of (AD)the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my (AE)eager expectation and (AF)hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with (AG)all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be (AH)exalted in my body, (AI)whether by life or by death.

To Live Is Christ

21 For to me, (AJ)to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 [s]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean (AK)fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [t]which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the (AL)desire to depart and (AM)be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. 25 (AN)Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy [u]in the faith, 26 so that your (AO)pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again.

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner (AP)worthy of the (AQ)gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are (AR)standing firm in (AS)one spirit, with one [v]mind (AT)striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 and in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a (AU)sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and this too, from God. 29 For to you (AV)it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to (AW)suffer on His behalf, 30 experiencing the same (AX)conflict which (AY)you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 1:5 Or sharing in the preaching of the gospel
  2. Philippians 1:6 Or in
  3. Philippians 1:6 Lit until
  4. Philippians 1:7 Lit Just as it is right
  5. Philippians 1:7 Lit bonds
  6. Philippians 1:7 Or partners in
  7. Philippians 1:8 Lit inward parts
  8. Philippians 1:10 Or approve the things that matter
  9. Philippians 1:13 Lit bonds
  10. Philippians 1:13 Or governor’s palace
  11. Philippians 1:14 Or in the Lord, trusting because of
  12. Philippians 1:14 Lit bonds
  13. Philippians 1:15 Lit because of
  14. Philippians 1:15 Lit because of
  15. Philippians 1:17 Lit not sincerely
  16. Philippians 1:17 Lit bonds
  17. Philippians 1:19 Or salvation
  18. Philippians 1:19 Lit supplication
  19. Philippians 1:22 Or But if to live in the flesh, this will be fruitful labor for me, then I
  20. Philippians 1:22 Lit what I shall choose
  21. Philippians 1:25 Lit of
  22. Philippians 1:27 Lit soul

(A)We [a]give thanks to God, (B)the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, (C)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the (D)love which you have [b]for (E)all the [c]saints; because of the (F)hope (G)reserved for you in [d]heaven, of which you previously (H)heard in the word of truth, [e]the gospel which has come to you, just as [f](I)in all the world also it is bearing (J)fruit and [g]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (K)heard it and [h]understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from (L)Epaphras, our (M)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your (N)love in the Spirit.

For this reason we also, (O)since the day we heard about it, (P)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the [i](Q)knowledge of His will in all spiritual (R)wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will (S)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [j](T)to please Him in all respects, (U)bearing fruit in every good work and [k]increasing in the [l]knowledge of God; 11 (V)strengthened with all power, according to [m]His glorious might, [n]for the attaining of all perseverance and [o]patience; (W)joyously 12 giving thanks to (X)the Father, who has qualified us [p]to share in (Y)the inheritance of the [q]saints in (Z)light.

The Incomparable Christ

13 [r]For He rescued us from the [s](AA)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of [t](AB)His beloved Son, 14 (AC)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 [u]He is the (AD)image of the (AE)invisible God, the (AF)firstborn of all creation: 16 for [v](AG)by Him all things were created, (AH)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (AI)thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—(AJ)all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He [w](AK)is before all things, and in Him all things [x]hold together. 18 He is also the (AL)head of (AM)the body, the church; and He is (AN)the beginning, (AO)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For [y]it was (AP)the Father’s good pleasure for all (AQ)the [z]fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to (AR)reconcile all things to Himself, (AS)whether things on earth or things in [aa]heaven, having made (AT)peace through (AU)the blood of His cross.

21 And although you were (AV)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now (AW)reconciled you in His (AX)body of flesh through death, in order to (AY)present you before Him (AZ)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in [ab]the faith firmly (BA)established and steadfast, and not shifting from the (BB)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed (BC)in all creation under heaven, (BD)and of which I, Paul, [ac]was made a [ad](BE)minister.

24 (BF)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BG)I am supplementing what is lacking [ae]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of (BH)His body, which is the church. 25 (BI)I [af]was made a minister of this church according to the (BJ)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might [ag]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, (BK)the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His [ah]saints, 27 to whom (BL)God willed to make known what (BM)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is (BN)Christ in you, the (BO)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (BP)admonishing every person and teaching every person [ai]with all (BQ)wisdom, so that we may (BR)present every person [aj](BS)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also (BT)labor, (BU)striving (BV)according to His [ak]power which [al]works mightily within me.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:3 Or always give...praying for you
  2. Colossians 1:4 Or toward
  3. Colossians 1:4 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  4. Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
  5. Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
  6. Colossians 1:6 Or it is in all the world also, bearing
  7. Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
  8. Colossians 1:6 Or came to fully know
  9. Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
  10. Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
  11. Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
  12. Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
  13. Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
  14. Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
  15. Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
  16. Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
  17. Colossians 1:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  18. Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
  19. Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
  20. Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
  21. Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
  22. Colossians 1:16 Or in
  23. Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
  24. Colossians 1:17 Or endure
  25. Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
  26. Colossians 1:19 I.e., fullness of deity
  27. Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
  28. Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
  29. Colossians 1:23 Lit became
  30. Colossians 1:23 Or servant
  31. Colossians 1:24 Lit of
  32. Colossians 1:25 Lit became
  33. Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
  34. Colossians 1:26 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  35. Colossians 1:28 Lit in
  36. Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
  37. Colossians 1:29 Lit working
  38. Colossians 1:29 Lit in power

(A)We always give thanks to God for all of you, (B)making mention of you in our prayers;

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13 For this reason we also constantly (A)thank God that when you received the (B)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it (C)not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, (D)which also is at work in you who believe.

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