Colossians 1:1-29
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will,+ and Timothy+ [our] brother
2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in union+ with Christ at Co·losʹsae:
May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father.+
3 We thank+ God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ* always when we pray* for YOU,+
4 since we heard of YOUR faith in connection with Christ Jesus and the love YOU have* for all the holy ones+
5 because of the hope+ that is being reserved for YOU in the heavens.+ This [hope] YOU heard of before by the telling of the truth of that good news+
6 which has presented itself to YOU, even as it is bearing fruit+ and increasing+ in all the world+ just as [it is doing] also among YOU, from the day YOU heard and accurately knew the undeserved kindness+ of God in truth.+
7 That is what YOU have learned from Epʹa·phras+ our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful minister* of the Christ on our behalf,
8 who also disclosed to us YOUR love+ in a spiritual way.*
9 That is also why we, from the day we heard [of it], have not ceased praying for YOU+ and asking* that YOU may be filled with the accurate knowledge+ of his will in all wisdom+ and spiritual comprehension,+
10 in order to walk worthily+ of Jehovah*+ to the end of fully pleasing [him] as YOU go on bearing fruit in every good work+ and increasing in the accurate+ knowledge of God,
11 being made powerful with all power to the extent of his glorious might+ so as to endure+ fully and be long-suffering with joy,
12 thanking the Father who rendered YOU suitable for YOUR participation in the inheritance+ of the holy ones+ in the light.+
13 He delivered us from the authority+ of the darkness and transferred+ us into the kingdom+ of the Son of his love,+
14 by means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins.+
15 He is the image+ of the invisible+ God, the firstborn+ of all creation;
16 because by means of him+ all [other]* things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities.+ All [other] things have been created through him+ and for him.
17 Also, he is before all [other] things+ and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist,+
18 and he is the head of the body, the congregation.+ He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,+ that he might become the one who is first+ in all things;
19 because [God]* saw good for all fullness+ to dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile+ again to himself all [other] things+ by making peace+ through the blood+ [he shed] on the torture stake,*+ no matter whether they are* the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens.
21 Indeed, YOU who were once alienated+ and enemies because YOUR minds were on the works that were wicked,+
22 he now has again reconciled+ by means of that one’s fleshly body through [his] death,+ in order to present YOU holy and unblemished+ and open to no accusation+ before him,
23 provided, of course, that YOU continue in the faith,+ established on the foundation+ and steadfast+ and not being shifted away from the hope of that good news which YOU heard,+ and which was preached+ in all creation+ that is under heaven. Of this [good news] I Paul became a minister.+
24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for YOU,+ and I, in my turn, am filling up what is lacking of the tribulations+ of the Christ in my flesh on behalf of his body, which is the congregation.+
25 I became a minister+ of this [congregation] in accordance with the stewardship+ from God which was given me in YOUR interest to preach the word of God fully,
26 the sacred secret+ that was hidden from the past systems of things*+ and from the past generations. But now it has been made manifest+ to his holy ones,
27 to whom God has been pleased to make known what are the glorious riches+ of this sacred secret+ among the nations. It is Christ+ in union with YOU, the hope of [his]* glory.+
28 He is the one we are publicizing,+ admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,+ that we may present every man complete*+ in union with Christ.
29 To this end I am indeed working hard, exerting myself+ in accordance with the operation+ of him and which is at work in me with power.+
Footnotes
^ “Christ,” אAVgSyp; B omits.
^ Or, “praying always.”
^ “You have,” אAVg; B omits.
^ Or, “servant.” Gr., di·aʹko·nos; Lat., mi·niʹster (from miʹnus, “less”); J17,18(Heb.), mesha·rethʹ, “attendant.”
^ Lit., “in spirit.”
^ Lit., “petitioning.”
^ “Of Jehovah,” J7,8; אAB(Gr.), tou Ky·riʹou; Vg, “of God.” See App 1D.
^ “All [other],” as in Lu 11:41, 42.
^ Lit., “he.”
^ See App 5C.
^ “No matter whether they are,” BD*Vg; P46אACDc, “yes, through him, no matter whether they are.”
^ Or, “orders of things.” Gr., ai·oʹnon; Lat., saeʹcu·lis; J17,22(Heb.), me·ʽoh·la·mimʹ, “from [the past] orders of things.”
^ Lit., “the.”
^ Or, “mature; perfect.” Gr., teʹlei·on.
