Colossians 1
Greeting
Paul, aan apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints aand faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
bGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their Faith in Christ
3 aWe give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 asince we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of byour love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope awhich is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, aas it has also in all the world, and bis bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew cthe grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from aEpaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is ba faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your alove in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
9 aFor this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask bthat you may be filled with cthe knowledge of His will din all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 athat you may walk worthy of the Lord, bfully pleasing Him, cbeing fruitful in every good work and increasing in the dknowledge of God; 11 astrengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, bfor all patience and longsuffering cwith joy; 12 agiving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of bthe inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from athe power of darkness band conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 ain whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is athe image of the invisible God, bthe firstborn over all creation. 16 For aby Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or bdominions or principalities or powers. All things were created cthrough Him and for Him. 17 aAnd He is before all things, and in Him ball things consist. 18 And aHe is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, bthe firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
19 For it pleased the Father that ain Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and aby Him to reconcile ball things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, chaving made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, awho once were alienated and enemies in your mind bby wicked works, yet now He has creconciled 22 ain the body of His flesh through death, bto present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue ain the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are bnot moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, cwhich was preached to every creature under heaven, dof which I, Paul, became a minister.
Sacrificial Service for Christ
24 aI now rejoice in my sufferings bfor you, and fill up in my flesh cwhat is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for dthe sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to athe stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 athe mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, bbut now has been revealed to His saints. 27 aTo them God willed to make known what are bthe riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is cChrist in you, dthe hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, awarning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, bthat we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me amightily.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
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