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Greetings from Paul

From:[a] Paul, an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.

To: The holy[c] and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah.[d]

May grace and peace from God our Father[e] be yours!

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] praying always for you, because we have heard about your faith in the Messiah[g] Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope[h] through the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and spreading all over the world, so it has been doing[i] among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. You learned about this gospel[j] from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah[k] on your[l] behalf. He has told us about your love in the Spirit.

The Messiah is Above All

For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God’s[m] will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him[n] as you bear fruit while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full knowledge of God. 11 You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy 12 and might thank the Father, who has enabled us[o] to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 God[p] has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves, 14 through whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Centrality of Jesus

15 The Son[q] is the image of the invisible God,
    the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
    things visible and invisible,
        whether they are kings,[r] lords, rulers, or powers.
All things have been created through him and for him.
17 He himself existed before anything else did,
    and he holds all things together.
18 He is also the head of the body,
    which is the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
    so that he himself might have first place in everything.
19 For God[s] was pleased to have
    all of his divine essence[t] inhabit him.
20 Through the Son,[u] God[v] also reconciled all things to himself,
    whether things on earth or things in heaven,
thereby making peace
    through the blood of his cross.

21 You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,[w] 22 he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him. 23 However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.[x]

Paul’s Service in the Church

24 Now I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah’s[y] sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church. 25 I became its servant[z] as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of[aa] the word of God. 26 This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints, 27 to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles—which is the Messiah[ab] in you, our glorious hope. 28 It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature[ac] in the Messiah.[ad] 29 I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. Colossians 1:1 Or Christ
  3. Colossians 1:2 Or to the saints
  4. Colossians 1:2 Or Christ
  5. Colossians 1:2 Other mss. read from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah
  6. Colossians 1:3 Or Christ
  7. Colossians 1:4 Or Christ
  8. Colossians 1:5 Lit. about it
  9. Colossians 1:6 The Gk. lacks it has been doing
  10. Colossians 1:7 Lit. Just as you learned
  11. Colossians 1:7 Or Christ
  12. Colossians 1:7 Other mss. read our
  13. Colossians 1:9 Lit. his
  14. Colossians 1:10 Lit. to all pleasing
  15. Colossians 1:12 Other mss. read you
  16. Colossians 1:13 Lit. He
  17. Colossians 1:15 Lit. He
  18. Colossians 1:16 Lit. thrones
  19. Colossians 1:19 Lit. he
  20. Colossians 1:19 Lit. all of the fullness
  21. Colossians 1:20 Lit. Through him
  22. Colossians 1:20 Lit. he
  23. Colossians 1:21 Lit. in evil deeds
  24. Colossians 1:23 Or minister
  25. Colossians 1:24 Or Christ’s
  26. Colossians 1:25 Or minister
  27. Colossians 1:25 The Gk. lacks the ministry of
  28. Colossians 1:27 Or Christ
  29. Colossians 1:28 Or complete
  30. Colossians 1:28 Or Christ

Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,

To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ:

Grace(D) and peace to you from God our Father.[b](E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God,(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love(G) you have for all God’s people(H) the faith and love that spring from the hope(I) stored up for you in heaven(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message(K) of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(L) and growing throughout the whole world(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras,(N) our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister(O) of Christ on our[d] behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(P)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e](T) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(U) of the Lord and please him(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(W) 11 being strengthened with all power(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(Y) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(Z) who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(AB) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(AC) and brought us into the kingdom(AD) of the Son he loves,(AE) 14 in whom we have redemption,(AF) the forgiveness of sins.(AG)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image(AH) of the invisible God,(AI) the firstborn(AJ) over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created:(AK) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;(AL) all things have been created through him and for him.(AM) 17 He is before all things,(AN) and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head(AO) of the body, the church;(AP) he is the beginning and the firstborn(AQ) from among the dead,(AR) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased(AS) to have all his fullness(AT) dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile(AU) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,(AV) by making peace(AW) through his blood,(AX) shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies(AY) in your minds(AZ) because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled(BA) you by Christ’s physical body(BB) through death to present you(BC) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation(BD) 23 if you continue(BE) in your faith, established(BF) and firm, and do not move from the hope(BG) held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,(BH) and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.(BI)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice(BJ) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,(BK) for the sake of his body, which is the church.(BL) 25 I have become its servant(BM) by the commission God gave me(BN) to present to you the word of God(BO) in its fullness— 26 the mystery(BP) that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known(BQ) among the Gentiles the glorious riches(BR) of this mystery, which is Christ in you,(BS) the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing(BT) and teaching everyone with all wisdom,(BU) so that we may present everyone fully mature(BV) in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously(BW) contend(BX) with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
  3. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  4. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  5. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  6. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
  7. Colossians 1:21 Or minds, as shown by