Colossians 1:12-27

English Standard Version

¹²^(A)giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in ^(B)the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He ^(C)has delivered us from ^(D)the domain of darkness and transferred us to ^(E)the kingdom of ^(F)his beloved Son, ¹⁴^(G)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

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

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

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴Now ^(AI)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(AJ)I am filling up ^(AK)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(AL)for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵^(AM)of which I became a minister according to ^(AN)the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶^(AO)the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷^(AP)To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are ^(AQ)the riches of the glory of ^(AR)this mystery, which is Christ in you, ^(AS)the hope of glory.