Greetings from Paul and Timothy
(2 Samuel 6:12-15; 1 Chronicles 15:1-14; Philippians 1:1-2)

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

2To the saints in Colossae and faithful brothers in Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.a

Thanksgiving and Prayer
(1 Corinthians 1:4-9; Philippians 1:3-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)

3We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying continually for you, 4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have toward all the saints, 5because of the hope being laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard of before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6the one being present unto you, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as also among you from the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth, 7just as you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on behalf of us,b 8the one also having made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9Because of this also, we from the day we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10to walk worthily of the Lord: pleasing in all, bringing forth fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, unto all endurance and patience with joy, 12giving thanks to the Father, the One having qualified youc for the share of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ
(Hebrews 1:1-14)

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16because in Him were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him.

17And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be holding preeminence in all things, 19because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him, 20and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace by the blood of His cross through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

21And you, being once alienated and hostile in mind, in the evil deeds, 22but now He has reconciled in His body of flesh through death, to present you holy and unblemished and blameless before Him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, having been proclaimed in all creationd under heaven, of which I Paul have become a minister.

Paul's Suffering for the Church
(2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

24Now I rejoice in the sufferings for you, and I am filling up in my flesh that which is lacking of the tribulations of Christ for His body, which is the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the administration of God having been given me toward you, to complete the word of God, 26the mystery having been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now having been manifested to His saints, 27to whom God has willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, 28whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

29Unto this also I toil, striving according to His energy, working in me in power.