^4 (A)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the ^(B)love which you have ^[a]for ^(C)all the ^[b]saints, ⁵ because of the ^(D)hope ^(E)laid up for you in ^[c]heaven, of which you previously ^(F)heard in the word of truth, ^[d]the gospel ⁶ which has come to you, just as ^[e](G)in all the world also it is constantly bearing ^(H)fruit and ^[f]multiplying, just as it has been doing in you also since the day you ^(I)heard and ^[g]understood the grace of God in truth; ⁷ just as you learned it from ^(J)Epaphras, our ^(K)beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ who also informed us of your ^(L)love in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason also, ^(M)since the day we heard, ^(N)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the ^[h](O)full knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(P)wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you may ^(Q)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[i](R)to please Him in all respects, ^(S)bearing fruit in every good work and ^[j]multiplying in the ^[k]full knowledge of God; ^11 (T)being strengthened with all power, according to ^[l]His glorious might, ^[m]for the attaining of all steadfastness and ^[n]patience; ^(U)joyously ¹² giving thanks to ^(V)the Father, who has qualified us ^[o]to share in ^(W)the inheritance of the ^[p]saints in ^(X)light. ¹³ Who rescued us from the ^(Y)authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of ^(Z)the Son of His love, ^14 (AA)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Firstborn of All Creation

²¹ And although you were ^(AT)formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, ²² but now He ^(AU)reconciled you in the ^(AV)body of His flesh through death, in order to ^(AW)present you before Him ^(AX)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in ^[w]the faith firmly ^(AY)grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the ^(AZ)hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(BA)in all creation under heaven, ^(BB)and of which I, Paul, ^[x]was made a ^[y](BC)minister.

^24 (BD)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and ^(BE)I fill up what is lacking of Christ’s afflictions in my flesh, on behalf of ^(BF)His body, which is the church, ^25 (BG)of which I ^[z]was made a minister according to the ^(BH)stewardship from God given to me for you, so that I might ^[aa]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, ^(BI)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His ^[ab]saints, ²⁷ to whom ^(BJ)God willed to make known what is ^(BK)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is ^(BL)Christ in you, the ^(BM)hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we proclaim, ^(BN)admonishing every man and teaching every man ^[ac]with all ^(BO)wisdom, so that we may ^(BP)present every man ^[ad](BQ)complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose I also ^(BR)labor, ^(BS)striving ^(BT)according to His working, which He works in me in power.

³ remembering without ceasing your ^(A)work of faith and labor of ^(B)love and ^[a](C)steadfastness of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ before ^(D)our God and Father,

^18 (A)But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your ^(B)faith without the works, and I will ^(C)show you my faith ^(D)by my works.”

²⁰ But are you willing to recognize, ^(A)you foolish fellow, that ^(B)faith without works is useless?

²² You see that ^(A)faith was working with his works, and ^[a]as a result of the ^(B)works, faith was ^[b]perfected.