Colossians 1

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

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

2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Messiah at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

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

3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus (the) Messiah, praying always for you,

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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.

7 even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Messiah on our behalf,

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

8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

He's also made clear 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,

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.

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;

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.

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

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

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light;

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.

13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

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

14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;

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

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

The Son is the visible picture of the invisible God. He was before 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.

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.

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

He existed before everything, and he holds everything 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.

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.

19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

God was pleased to have his full nature live 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.

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.

21 You, who once were alienated and were hostile in your minds, doing evil deeds,

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

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,

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

23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

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.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Messiah for the sake of his body, which is the church;

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.

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,

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

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

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)

27 To them God was pleased to make known the glorious riches of this mystery among the non-Jews, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory;

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

28 whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Messiah Jesus;

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.

29 for which I also labor, struggling according to his power, which works in me mightily.

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