To the Colossians
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the desire of God, and the brother Timothy,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae:
Grace to you all and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always for you all while praying, 4 after hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you all have for all the saints, 5 through the hope reserved for you all in heaven, which you all heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6 coming to you all and also in all the world, bearing fruit and growing — as also among you all, since the day you all heard and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 as you all learned from Epaphrus, our beloved fellow servant, who is faithful minister of Christ for you all 8 and declareda to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, we also, from the day we heard, do not cease praying for you all and asking that you all be filled with the knowledge of His desire in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him in every good work, bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory for all patience and endurance with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, after enabling you allb to the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Preeminence of Christ
15c He is the image of the invisible God, firstbornd of all creation. 16 Since in Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, the things seen and the things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and all things have been held together in Him. 18 And He is the head of the body of the church. He is the beginning, firstborn from the dead, in order that in everything He might be preeminente. 19 Since in Him, it was pleasing for all the fullness to dwell, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, whether on earth or in heaven.
21 And you all, who were once alienated and enemies in mind in evil works, 22 but now He reconciled in His body of flesh through His death to present you all holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, 23 if indeed, you all continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, and not being moved from the hope of the gospel that you all heard after being proclaimed in all creation under heaven of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Paul's Ministry to the Church
24 Now, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister, according to the administration of God after being given to me for you all to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery after having been hidden for the ages and for the generations — but now was made manifest to His saints. 27 To them, God wished to make known what are the riches of His glory of this mystery in the Gentiles which is Christ in you all, the hope of glory, 28 whom we preach, warning everyone, and teaching everyone in all wisdom in order that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 And for this I labor, fighting according to His energy which He works in me mightily.
2 For I wish you all to know how great a fight I have for you all and those in Laodicea and those who have not seen my face in the flesh 2 in order that their hearts may be comforted, after being united in love and unto all riches of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, 3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. 4 This I say in order that no one may delude you all in persuasive language. 5 For if I am also absent in the flesh, but I am with you all in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Alive in Christ
6 Therefore, as you all received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7 after having been rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you all were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 Watch out that none of you all are carried off as captives through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the first principlesf of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 Since in Him dwell all the fullness of the Godheadg bodily, 10 and you all have been filled in Him who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In whom, also, you all were circumcised with a circumcision, made without hands in the stripping off of the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ, 12 after being buried with Him in baptism in which you all were also raised through the faith of the working of God, after raising Him from the dead. 13 And you all, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, were made alive together with Him, after forgiving us all our trespasses, 14 after completely removing the record against us with its laws which were contraryh to us, and this He has taken out of the midst, after nailing it to the cross. 15 After stripping the rulers and authorities, He exhibited them in the open, after triumphing over them in Him.i
Let No One Disqualify You
16 Therefore, do not let anyone judgej you all in food and in drink or in regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things coming, but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no one defraud you all, wishing humility and worship of angels, intruding with what he has seen, puffed up without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding onto the Head out of whom the whole body, through its joints and ligaments, is being nourished and united, grows with the increase of God.
20 If you all died with Christ from the first principles of the world, why, as if you all are living in the world, do you all submit to regulations — 21 “Do not handle. Do not taste. Do not touch”k 22 (which are all decaying with usel) — according to the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These indeed have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severity to the body, not of any value to gratify the flesh.
Put On the New Self
3 If then, you all were raised with Christ, seek the things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things above, not the things that are on the earth. 3 For you all died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ appears, who is yourm life, then you all also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you alln: illicit sexual intercourse, impurity, passion, evil, desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. 7 In these also, you all once walked when you all were living in them. 8 But now, you all also put them all away: wrath, angero, malice, blasphemy, vile conversation from your mouth. 9 Do not liep to one another after stripping off the old man with his practices 10 and putting on the new man, being renewed in knowledge according to the image of His creator, 11 where there is no Greek and Jew: circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and is in all.
12 Put on then, as God's elect, holy and beloved, inner mercyq, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, 13 putting up with one another, and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against another; as also the Lord forgave you all, so also you all forgive. 14 And above all these, put on love which is the bond of perfection. 15 And the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which you all also were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 The word of Christ dwells in you all richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you all do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Rules for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harshr to them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is acceptable in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provokes your children in order that they are not discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey in everything your masters, according to the flesh, not in eye-service as people-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you all do, from your soul, work as to the Lord and not men, 24 knowing that from the Lord, you all will receive the reward of your inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ, 25 for the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he did, and there is no favoritism.
4 Masters, justly and fairly provide for your servants, knowing that you all also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it in thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray for us, also, in order that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ through whom I have also been bound — 4 in order that I may make it manifest, as it is necessary for me to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt to know how it is necessary for you all to answer each person.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will make known to you all my activities, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, 8 whom I sent to you all for this very purpose in order that you all may know about us and he may encourage your hearts 9 with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you all. They will make known to you all all the things that happened here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner greets you all, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you all received commands — if he comes to you all, receive him), 11 and Jesus, the one being called Justus, who are of the circumcision, the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who were a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras greets you all, who is one of you all, a servant of Christ Jesus, always struggling for you all in prayers in order that you all may stand perfect, having been fully persuaded in all the desire of God. 13 For I bear witness of him that he greatly laboredt for you all and those in Laodicea and in Heirapolis. 14 Luke greets you all, the beloved physician, and Demas. 15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea and Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter is read among you all, make it read it in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you all also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “Watch the ministry which you received in the Lord that you fulfill it.”
18 Paul writes this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you all.