Colossians 1:11-23

English Standard Version

¹¹^(A)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for ^(B)all endurance and patience ^(C)with joy; ¹²^(D)giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in ^(E)the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He ^(F)has delivered us from ^(G)the domain of darkness and transferred us to ^(H)the kingdom of ^(I)his beloved Son, ¹⁴^(J)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

¹⁵^(K)He is the image of ^(L)the invisible God, ^(M)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by^[c] him all things were created, ^(N)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(O)thrones or ^(P)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(Q)through him and for him. ¹⁷And ^(R)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(S)hold together. ¹⁸And ^(T)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(U)the beginning, ^(V)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For ^(W)in him all the ^(X)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and ^(Y)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(Z)making peace ^(AA)by the blood of his cross.

²¹^(AB)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, ^(AC)doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled ^(AD)in his body of flesh by his death, ^(AE)in order to present you holy and blameless and ^(AF)above reproach before him, ²³^(AG)if indeed you continue in the faith, ^(AH)stable and steadfast, not shifting from ^(AI)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed ^(AJ)in all creation^[d] under heaven, ^(AK)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.