Colossians 1

1 This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the will of God, and from our brother Timothy.

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

2 To the believers and trusting Christians at Colossae: may you have grace and peace from God our Father.

to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are always thankful to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you, and pray for you.

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

4 We've heard about your trust in Christ Jesus and your love for all the believers

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

5 because of the hope prepared for you in heaven. You already heard about this in the good news, the message of truth

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News

6 that came to you just as it has gone throughout the whole world, spreading widely and bringing results. It's done the same for you too, ever since you heard it and realized the true nature of God's grace.

which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

7 Our dear friend and fellow-worker Epaphras, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on our behalf, taught you about this.

even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,

8 He's also made clear to us your love in the Spirit.

who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 Because of this we continue to pray for you from the time we heard about you, asking God to give you understanding of what he wants you to do and to give you every kind of spiritual wisdom and understanding.

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, do not cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 That way you'll live lives that rightly represent the Lord and please him, producing all kinds of good results and gaining greater knowledge of God.

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

11 May you be made powerfully strong by his wonderful strength, having great patience and endurance.

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,

12 May you happily praise the Father, who has made it possible for us to share in the inheritance of God's people who live in the light.

giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,

13 He rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,

14 through whom we have been set free and our sins forgiven.

in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

15 The Son is the visible picture of the invisible God. He was before all creation,

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 for everything was created through him—in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, empires, rulers, leaders and authorities—everything was created through him and for him.

For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

17 He existed before everything, and he holds everything together.

He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

18 He is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first and highest of those raised from the dead, so that he is supreme in everything.

He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 God was pleased to have his full nature live in him,

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

20 and through him brought back everything in the universe to himself, since he made peace through the blood of his cross, through him reconciling all those on the earth and in heaven.

and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21 You once were alienated from God, enemies in the way you thought and the way you acted,

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

22 but now he has reconciled you through his dying human body, bringing you into his presence where you stand holy, pure, and faultless.

yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

23 But your trust in him must continue rock-solid and immovable. Don't be shaken from the hope of the good news that you heard, the good news that's been shared throughout the world—that's the work that I Paul have been doing.

if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

24 I'm happy to have trouble for your sake, for by means of what happens to me physically I'm part of Christ's sufferings that he continues to experience for the sake of his body, the church.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

25 I serve the church following the direction God gave me about you, to present fully the word of God to you.

of which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you to fulfill the word of God,

26 This is the mystery that was hidden down through the ages and for many generations, but it's now been revealed to God's people. (aiōn g165)

the mystery which has been hidden for ages (aiōn g165) and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious wealth of this mystery to the nations: Christ living in you is the glorious hope!

to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 We're telling everyone about him, instructing and teaching them in the best way we know how so that we can bring everyone before God fully mature in Christ.

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

29 That's what I'm working for too, making every effort as I rely on his strength which is powerfully at work in me.

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.