Colossians 1

1 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God,

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

2 and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse: grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always in our prayers 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 Christ Jesus, and your love to all the saints: )

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

5 for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which ye have heard before in the word of truth, that is 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 is come unto you, even as in all the world, and is fruitful; as it hath been also among you, from the day in which ye 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 As ye also learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you;

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 unto us your love in the Spirit.

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

9 For this cause we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to request that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual 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 ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful 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 might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joy;

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

12 giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in 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 hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son:

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

14 in whom we have redemption by his blood, even the remission of sins.

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

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation:

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

16 for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all were 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, and by Him all things subsist.

He existed before everything, and he holds everything together.

18 And He is the head of the body, which is the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.

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 it pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell in Him;

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

20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace by the blood of his cross; by Him only, whether they be things on 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 And you that were formerly alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,

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

22 yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight:

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 so be ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not moved from the gospel, which ye have heard, and which hath been preached throughout the whole creation, of which I Paul am a minister.

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 you, and fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, 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 minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I might fully declare 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 even that mystery which was hid from former ages and generations, but is now manifested 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 whom God would make known the rich glory of this mystery, among the gentiles; which is this, that Christ is 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 preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ 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 in order to which I also labour, striving earnestly according to his energy which operates in me with power.

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