< Colossians 1 >
1 Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, the brother,
2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, who are at Colosse: Favor to you, and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ always, when we pray for you;
4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints--
5 for the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you have formerly heard in the word of truth of the gospel,
6 which is present among you, as it is also in the world, and is bringing forth fruit and prevailing, even as among you, from that day you heard and knew the favor of God in truth--
7 even as you learned it of Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ,
8 who has also declared to us your love in spirit.
9 For this reason, we also, from the day we heard these things, do not cease to pray for you, and to request that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding--
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, bringing forth fruit by every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all strength, according to his glorious power, to all patience and long-suffering with joy:
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in the light;
13 who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son:
14 by whom we have redemption, even the remission of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of the whole creation.
16 Because, by him were created all things which are in the heavens, and which are upon the earth; things visible, and things invisible; whether thrones, or lordships, or governments, or powers; all things were created by him and for him.
17 And he is before all things; and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, even the congregation. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all respects he might be pre-eminent.
19 For it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in him;
20 and by him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace by the blood of his cross; I say, by him, whether they be things on the earth, or things in the heavens.
21 Even you, who were formerly alienated in mind, and enemies by wicked works,
22 he has now, indeed, reconciled, by the body of his flesh, to present you holy and unblamable, and unreprovable, in his sight;
23 if, indeed, you continue in the faith founded and stable, and not removed from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature which is under heaven; of which I, Paul, am made a minister.
24 I now rejoice in sufferings for you, and fill up the remainder of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the congregation;
25 of which I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given to me on your account, fully to declare the word of God--
26 the secret which had been kept hid from the ages, and from the generations, but now has been made manifest to his saints; (aiōn )
27 to whom God has pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 whom we announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, with all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ.
29 For which I also labor, combating vigorously, according to the effectual working of him who works effectually in me with power.
