< Colossians 1 >
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of truth, the Good News,
6 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 even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
9 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 you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light;
13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
18 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.
19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross through him, whether things on the earth or things in heaven.
21 You, who once were alienated and were hostile in your minds, doing evil deeds,
22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him,
23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church;
25 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 the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints. (aiōn )
27 To them God was pleased to make known the glorious riches of this mystery among the non-Jews, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;
28 whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus;
29 for which I also labor, struggling according to his power, which works in me mightily.
