^4 (A)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the ^(B)love which you have ^[a]for ^(C)all the ^[b]saints; ⁵ because of the ^(D)hope ^(E)laid up for you in ^[c]heaven, of which you previously ^(F)heard in the word of truth, ^[d]the gospel ⁶ which has come to you, just as ^[e](G)in all the world also it is constantly bearing ^(H)fruit and ^[f]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you ^(I)heard of it and ^[g]understood the grace of God in truth; ⁷ just as you learned it from ^(J)Epaphras, our ^(K)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and he also informed us of your ^(L)love in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason also, ^(M)since the day we heard of it, ^(N)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the ^[h](O)knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(P)wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will ^(Q)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[i](R)to please Him in all respects, ^(S)bearing fruit in every good work and ^[j]increasing in the ^[k]knowledge of God; ^11 (T)strengthened with all power, according to ^[l]His glorious might, ^[m]for the attaining of all steadfastness and ^[n]patience; ^(U)joyously ¹² giving thanks to ^(V)the Father, who has qualified us ^[o]to share in ^(W)the inheritance of the ^[p]saints in ^(X)Light.

The Incomparable Christ

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

^15 [t]He is the ^(AB)image of the ^(AC)invisible God, the ^(AD)firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For ^[u](AE)by Him all things were created, ^(AF)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(AG)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—^(AH)all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He ^[v](AI)is before all things, and in Him all things ^[w]hold together. ¹⁸ He is also ^(AJ)head of ^(AK)the body, the church; and He is ^(AL)the beginning, ^(AM)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For ^[x]it was ^(AN)the Father’s good pleasure for all ^(AO)the ^[y]fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to ^(AP)reconcile all things to Himself, having made ^(AQ)peace through ^(AR)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, ^(AS)whether things on earth or things in ^[z]heaven.

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

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

³ constantly bearing in mind your ^(A)work of faith and labor of ^(B)love and ^[a](C)steadfastness of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of ^(D)our God and Father,

^18 (A)But someone ^[a]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(B)faith without the works, and I will ^(C)show you my faith ^(D)by my works.”

²⁰ But are you willing to recognize, ^(A)you foolish fellow, that ^(B)faith without works is useless?

²² You see that ^(A)faith was working with his works, and ^[a]as a result of the ^(B)works, faith was ^[b]perfected;