Colossians 1:24-4:18

New American Standard Bible

^24 (A)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(B)I am supplementing what is lacking ^[a]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of ^(C)His body, which is the church. ^25 (D)I ^[b]was made a minister of this church according to the ^(E)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might ^[c]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, ^(F)the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His ^[d]saints, ²⁷ to whom ^(G)God willed to make known what ^(H)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is ^(I)Christ in you, the ^(J)hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, ^(K)admonishing every person and teaching every person ^[e]with all ^(L)wisdom, so that we may ^(M)present every person ^[f](N)complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose I also ^(O)labor, ^(P)striving ^(Q)according to His ^[g]power which ^[h]works mightily within me.

You Are Built Up in Christ

2 For I want you to know how great a ^(R)struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at ^(S)Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[i]personally seen my face, ² that their ^(T)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(U)knit together in love, and that they would attain to all ^(V)the wealth ^[j]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(W)true knowledge of ^(X)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all ^(Y)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 (Z)I say this so that no one will deceive you with ^(AA)persuasive arguments. ⁵ For even though I am ^(AB)absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[k]to see ^[l]your ^(AC)orderly manner and the ^(AD)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore, as you have received ^(AE)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[m](AF)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(AG)rooted and now being ^(AH)built up in Him and ^(AI)established ^[n]in ^[o]your faith, just as you ^(AJ)were instructed, and overflowing ^[p]with gratitude.

^8 (AK)See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through ^(AL)philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the ^(AM)elementary principles of the world, ^[q]rather than in accordance with Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(AN)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(AO)made ^[r]complete, and ^(AP)He is the head ^[s]over every ^(AQ)ruler and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(AR)you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of ^(AS)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been ^(AT)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(AU)raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(AV)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And ^[t]when you were ^(AW)dead ^[u]in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(AX)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, ¹⁴ having canceled ^(AY)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(AZ)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[v](BA)disarmed the ^(BB)rulers and authorities, He ^(BC)made a public display of them, having ^(BD)triumphed over them through ^[w]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore, no one is to ^[x](BE)act as your judge in regard to ^(BF)food and ^(BG)drink, or in respect to a ^(BH)festival or a ^(BI)new moon, or a ^(BJ)Sabbath ^[y]day— ¹⁷ things which are only a ^(BK)shadow of what is to come; but the ^[z]substance ^[aa]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Take care that no one keeps ^[ab](BL)defrauding you of your prize by ^(BM)delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, ^[ac]taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^[ad](BN)inflated without cause by his ^(BO)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding firmly to ^(BP)the head, from whom ^(BQ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[ae]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[af]which is from God.

^20 (BR)If you have died with Christ ^[ag]to the ^(BS)elementary principles of the world, ^(BT)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(BU)decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer ^(BV)to things destined to perish ^[ah]with use)—in accordance with the ^(BW)commandments and teachings of man? ²³ These are matters which do have the ^[ai]appearance of wisdom in ^[aj](BX)self-made religion and humility and ^(BY)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(BZ)fleshly indulgence.

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore, if you have been ^(CA)raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, ^(CB)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 [ak](CC)Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have ^(CD)died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, ^(CE)who is our life, is revealed, ^(CF)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

^5 (CG)Therefore, ^[al]treat ^(CH)the parts of your earthly body as dead to ^(CI)sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[am]amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that ^(CJ)the wrath of God is coming ^[an]upon the ^[ao]sons of disobedience, ⁷ and ^(CK)in them you also once walked, when you were living ^[ap]in them. ⁸ But now you also, ^(CL)rid yourselves of all of them: ^(CM)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and ^(CN)obscene speech from your mouth. ^9 [aq](CO)Do not lie to one another, since you ^(CP)stripped off the old ^[ar]self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have ^(CQ)put on the new self, which is being ^[as](CR)renewed to a true knowledge ^(CS)according to the image of the One who ^(CT)created it— ¹¹ a renewal in which ^(CU)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, ^(CV)circumcised and uncircumcised, ^[at](CW)barbarian, ^[au]Scythian, ^(CX)slave, and free, but ^(CY)Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been ^(CZ)chosen of God, holy and beloved, ^(DA)put on a ^(DB)heart of compassion, kindness, ^(DC)humility, gentleness, and ^[av](DD)patience; ^13 (DE)bearing with one another, and ^(DF)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; ^(DG)just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. ¹⁴ In addition to all these things put on love, which is ^[aw](DH)the perfect bond of ^(DI)unity. ¹⁵ Let ^(DJ)the peace of Christ, to which you were ^[ax]indeed called in ^(DK)one body, ^[ay]rule in your hearts; and ^[az]be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(DL)the word of ^[ba]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[bb]with all wisdom ^(DM)teaching and admonishing ^[bc]one another ^(DN)with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, ^(DO)singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ^17 (DP)Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(DQ)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Family Relations

^18 (DR)Wives, ^(DS)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ^19 (DT)Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them. ^20 (DU)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing ^[bd]to the Lord. ^21 (DV)Fathers, do not ^[be]antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

^22 [bf](DW)Slaves, obey those who are your ^[bg]human masters in everything, ^(DX)not with ^[bh]eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, do your work ^[bi]heartily, ^(DY)as for the Lord and not for people, ^24 (DZ)knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward ^[bj]of ^(EA)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ^(EB)serve. ²⁵ For ^(EC)the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ^[bk](ED)that without partiality.

4 Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, ^(EE)knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

^2 (EF)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(EG)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(EH)door for ^(EI)the word, so that we may proclaim ^(EJ)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(EK)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(EL)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

^5 [bl](EM)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(EN)outsiders, ^[bm](EO)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (EP)Your speech must always be ^[bn]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(EQ)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(ER)respond to each person.

^7 (ES)As to all my affairs, ^(ET)Tychicus, our ^(EU)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ^8 (EV)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(EW)encourage your hearts; ^9 [bo]and with him is ^(EX)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(EY)beloved brother, ^(EZ)who is one of your own. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

^10 (FA)Aristarchus, my ^(FB)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(FC)Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[bp]instructions; ^(FD)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹ and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(FE)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(FF)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ^12 (FG)Epaphras, ^(FH)who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always ^(FI)striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[bq]stand ^[br](FJ)mature and ^[bs]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify for him that he has ^[bt]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(FK)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ^14 (FL)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and ^(FM)Demas does also. ¹⁵ Greet the brothers and sisters who are in ^(FN)Laodicea and also ^[bu]Nympha and ^(FO)the church that is in ^[bv]her house. ^16 (FP)When ^[bw]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, ^(FQ)read ^[bx]my letter that is coming from ^(FR)Laodicea. ¹⁷ Tell ^(FS)Archippus, “See to the ^(FT)ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may ^[by]fulfill it.”

^18 [bz]I, Paul, ^(FU)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(FV)Remember my ^[ca](FW)imprisonment. ^(FX)Grace be with you.