Paul’s Letter to the Colossians
1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through
the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1:2to the saints and
faithful brothers in Christ
at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from
God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:3We give thanks to God the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
1:4having heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love
which you have toward all the saints, 1:5because of the hope which is laid up for
you in the heavens, of which you heard before
in the word of the truth of the Gospel,
1:6which 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;
1:7even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved
fellow servant, who is a faithful minister
of Christ on our behalf, 1:8who also declared to us your love in the
Spirit. 1:9For this cause, we also, since the day
we heard this, don't cease praying and making
requests for you, that you may be filled
with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding, 1:10that you may walk worthily of the Lord,
to please him in all respects, bearing fruit
in every good work, and increasing in the
knowledge of God; 1:11strengthened with all power, according
to the might of his glory, for all endurance
and perseverance with joy; 1:12giving thanks to the Father, who made
us fit to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light; 1:13who delivered us out of the power of
darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom
of the Son of his love; 1:14in whom we have our redemption,* the forgiveness of our sins; 1:15who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation. 1:16For by him were
all things created, in the heavens and on
the earth, things visible and things invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers; all things have been created
through him, and for him. 1:17He is before all things, and in him all
things are held together. 1:18He is the head
of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things he might have the preeminence. 1:19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell
in him; 1:20and through him to reconcile all things
to himself, by him, whether things on the
earth, or things in the heavens, having
made peace through the blood of his cross.
1:21You, being in past times alienated and
enemies in your mind in your evil works,
1:22yet now he has reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death, to present you
holy and without blemish and blameless before
him, 1:23if it is so that you continue in the
faith, grounded and steadfast, 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,
was made a servant.
1:24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your
sake, and fill up on my part that which
is lacking of the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh for his body's sake, which is
the assembly; 1:25of which I was made a servant, according
to the stewardship of God which was given
me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,
1:26the mystery which has been hidden for
ages and generations. But now it has been
revealed to his saints, 1:27to whom God was pleased to make known
what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory; 1:28whom we proclaim,
admonishing every man and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus; 1:29for which I also
labor, striving according to his working,
which works in me mightily.
2:1For I desire to have you know how greatly
I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea,
and for as many as have not seen my face
in the flesh; 2:2that their hearts
may be comforted, they being knit together
in love, and gaining all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, that they may
know the mystery of God, both of the Father
and of Christ, 2:3in whom are all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
2:4Now this I say that
no one may delude you with persuasiveness
of speech. 2:5For though I am absent in the flesh, yet
am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and
seeing your order, and the steadfastness
of your faith in Christ. 2:6As therefore you
received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in
him, 2:7rooted and built
up in him, and established in the faith,
even as you were taught, abounding in it
in thanksgiving. 2:8Be careful that
you don't let anyone rob you through his
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition
of men, after the elements of the world,
and not after Christ. 2:9For in him all the fullness of the Godhead
dwells bodily, 2:10and in him you are made full, who is
the head of all principality and power;
2:11in whom you were
also circumcised with a circumcision not
made with hands, in the putting off of the
body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision
of Christ; 2:12having been buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him through
faith in the working of God, who raised
him from the dead. 2:13You were dead through
your trespasses and the uncircumcision of
your flesh. He made you alive together with
him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
2:14wiping out the handwriting in ordinances
which was against us; and he has taken it
out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
2:15having stripped the principalities and
the powers, he made a show of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.
2:16Let no man therefore judge you in eating,
or in drinking, or with respect to a feast
day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, 2:17which are a shadow of the things to come;
but the body is Christ's. 2:18Let no one rob
you of your prize by a voluntary humility
and worshipping of the angels, dwelling
in the things which he has not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind, 2:19and not holding firmly to the Head, from
whom all the body, being supplied and knit
together through the joints and ligaments,
grows with God's growth. 2:20If you died with
Christ from the elements of the world, why,
as though living in the world, do you subject
yourselves to ordinances, 2:21"Don't handle,
nor taste, nor touch" 2:22(all of which perish
with use), according to the precepts and
doctrines of men? 2:23Which things indeed appear like wisdom
in self-imposed worship, and humility, and
severity to the body; but aren't of any
value against the indulgence of the flesh.
3:1If then you were raised together with
Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated on the right hand
of God. 3:2Set your mind on the things that are above,
not on the things that are on the earth.
3:3For you died, and
your life is hidden with Christ in God.
3:4When Christ, our
life, is revealed, then you will also be
revealed with him in glory. 3:5Put to death therefore your members which
are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness,
depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness,
which is idolatry; 3:6for which things' sake the wrath of God
comes on the children of disobedience. 3:7You also once walked
in those, when you lived in them; 3:8but now you also
put them all away: anger, wrath, malice,
slander, and shameful speaking out of your
mouth. 3:9Don't lie to one another, seeing that
you have put off the old man with his doings,
3:10and have put on
the new man, that is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of his Creator, 3:11where there can't be Greek and Jew, circumcision
and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,
bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all,
and in all.
3:12Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones,
holy and beloved, a heart of compassion,
kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
3:13bearing with one another, and forgiving
each other, if any man has a complaint against
any; even as Christ forgave you, so you
also do.
3:14Above all these things, walk in love,
which is the bond of perfection. 3:15And let the peace
of God rule in your hearts, to which also
you were called in one body; and be thankful.
3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs, singing with grace in your heart
to the Lord.
3:17Whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father, through him.
3:18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands,
as is fitting in the Lord.
3:19Husbands, love your wives, and don't
be bitter against them.
3:20Children, obey your parents in all things,
for this pleases the Lord.
3:21Fathers, don't provoke your children,
so that they won't be discouraged.
3:22Servants, obey in all things those who
are your masters according to the flesh,
not just when they are looking, as men-pleasers,
but in singleness of heart, fearing God.
3:23And whatever you do, work heartily, as
for the Lord, and not for men, 3:24knowing that from
the Lord you will receive the reward of
the inheritance; for you serve the Lord
Christ. 3:25But he who does wrong will receive again
for the wrong that he has done, and there
is no partiality.
4:1Masters, give to your servants that which
is just and equal, knowing that you also
have a Master in heaven.
4:2Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching
therein with thanksgiving; 4:3praying together
for us also, that God may open to us a door
for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in bonds; 4:4that I may reveal it as I ought to speak.
4:5Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,
redeeming the time. 4:6Let your speech
always be with grace, seasoned with salt,
that you may know how you ought to answer
each one.
4:7All my affairs will be made known to you
by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful
servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord.
4:8I am sending him to you for this very
purpose, that he may know your circumstances
and comfort your hearts, 4:9together with Onesimus, the faithful and
beloved brother, who is one of you. They
will make known to you everything that is
going on here. 4:10Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner greets
you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning
whom you received commandments, "if
he comes to you, receive him"), 4:11and Jesus who is called Justus, who are
of the circumcision. These are my only fellow
workers for the Kingdom of God, men who
have been a comfort to me.
4:12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant
of Christ, salutes you, always striving
for you in his prayers, that you may stand
perfect and complete in all the will of
God. 4:13For I testify about him, that he has
great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea,
and for those in Hierapolis. 4:14Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas
greet you. 4:15Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea,
and Nymphas, and the assembly that is in
his house. 4:16When this letter has been read among
you, cause it to be read also in the assembly
of the Laodiceans; and that you also read
the letter from Laodicea. 4:17Tell Archippus,
"Take heed to the ministry which you
have received in the Lord, that you fulfill
it."
4:18The salutation of me, Paul, with my own
hand: remember my bonds. Grace be with you.
Amen.
Notes:
[1] back
to 1:2 The word for "brothers"
here and where context allows may also be
correctly translated "brothers and
sisters" or "siblings."
[2] back
to 1:14 TR adds "through his blood,"
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