Greeting

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

2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

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

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

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

6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

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

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

9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

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

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

12Giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

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

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

Christ is Creator and Redeemer

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:

16For 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:

17And he is before all things, and by him all things are held together.

18And 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.

19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;

20And, 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.

21And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled

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

23If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature who is under heaven; of which I Paul am made a minister;

Paul's Joyful Suffering for the Chruch

24Who 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:

25Of which I am made a minister, according to the commission of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;

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

27To 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:

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

29For which I also labor, striving according to his working, who works in me mightily.