Colossians 1
King James Version
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Colossians 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments
1 (A)Paul, (B)an apostle of Jesus Christ [a](C)by the will of God, and (D)Timothy [b]our brother,
2 To the [c](E)saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 (G)We give thanks to God, (H)the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 (I)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the (J)love which you have [d]for (K)all the [e]saints; 5 because of the (L)hope (M)laid up for you in [f]heaven, of which you previously (N)heard in the word of truth, [g]the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as [h](O)in all the world also it is constantly bearing (P)fruit and [i]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (Q)heard of it and [j]understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from (R)Epaphras, our (S)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your (T)love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also, (U)since the day we heard of it, (V)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the [k](W)knowledge of His will in all spiritual (X)wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will (Y)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [l](Z)to please Him in all respects, (AA)bearing fruit in every good work and [m]increasing in the [n]knowledge of God; 11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to [o]His glorious might, [p]for the attaining of all steadfastness and [q]patience; (AC)joyously 12 giving thanks to (AD)the Father, who has qualified us [r]to share in (AE)the inheritance of the [s]saints in (AF)Light.
The Incomparable Christ
13 [t]For He rescued us from the [u](AG)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of [v](AH)His beloved Son, 14 (AI)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 [w]He is the (AJ)image of the (AK)invisible God, the (AL)firstborn of all creation. 16 For [x](AM)by Him all things were created, (AN)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (AO)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—(AP)all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He [y](AQ)is before all things, and in Him all things [z]hold together. 18 He is also (AR)head of (AS)the body, the church; and He is (AT)the beginning, (AU)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For [aa]it was (AV)the Father’s good pleasure for all (AW)the [ab]fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to (AX)reconcile all things to Himself, having made (AY)peace through (AZ)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, (BA)whether things on earth or things in [ac]heaven.
21 And although you were (BB)formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now (BC)reconciled you in His fleshly (BD)body through death, in order to (BE)present you before Him (BF)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in [ad]the faith firmly (BG)established and steadfast, and not moved away from the (BH)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed (BI)in all creation under heaven, (BJ)and of which I, Paul, [ae]was made a [af](BK)minister.
24 (BL)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I [ag]do my share on behalf of (BN)His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking [ah]in Christ’s afflictions. 25 (BO)Of this church I [ai]was made a minister according to the (BP)stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might [aj]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, (BQ)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His [ak]saints, 27 to whom (BR)God willed to make known what is (BS)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is (BT)Christ in you, the (BU)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (BV)admonishing every man and teaching every man [al]with all (BW)wisdom, so that we may (BX)present every man [am](BY)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I (BZ)labor, (CA)striving (CB)according to His [an]power, which [ao]mightily works within me.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 Lit through
- Colossians 1:1 Lit the
- Colossians 1:2 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:4 Or toward
- Colossians 1:4 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
- Colossians 1:6 Or it is in the world
- Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
- Colossians 1:6 Or came really to know
- Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
- Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
- Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
- Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
- Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
- Colossians 1:12 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
- Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
- Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
- Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
- Colossians 1:16 Or in
- Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
- Colossians 1:17 Or endure
- Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
- Colossians 1:19 I.e. fullness of deity
- Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
- Colossians 1:23 Lit became
- Colossians 1:23 Or servant
- Colossians 1:24 Or representatively...fill up
- Colossians 1:24 Lit of
- Colossians 1:25 Lit became
- Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
- Colossians 1:26 Or holy ones
- Colossians 1:28 Lit in
- Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
- Colossians 1:29 Lit working
- Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
Colossians 1
New King James Version
Greeting
1 Paul, (A)an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints (B)and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
(C)Grace to you and peace from God our Father [a]and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their Faith in Christ
3 (D)We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 (E)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of (F)your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope (G)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, (H)as it has also in all the world, and (I)is bringing forth [b]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew (J)the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from (K)Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is (L)a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your (M)love in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
9 (N)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask (O)that you may be filled with (P)the knowledge of His will (Q)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 (R)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, (S)fully pleasing Him, (T)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the (U)knowledge of God; 11 (V)strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, (W)for all patience and longsuffering (X)with joy; 12 (Y)giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of (Z)the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from (AA)the power of darkness (AB)and [c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 (AC)in whom we have redemption [d]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is (AD)the image of the invisible God, (AE)the firstborn over all creation. 16 For (AF)by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or (AG)dominions or [e]principalities or [f]powers. All things were created (AH)through Him and for Him. 17 (AI)And He is before all things, and in Him (AJ)all things consist. 18 And (AK)He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, (AL)the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
19 For it pleased the Father that (AM)in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and (AN)by Him to reconcile (AO)all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, (AP)having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, (AQ)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind (AR)by wicked works, yet now He has (AS)reconciled 22 (AT)in the body of His flesh through death, (AU)to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue (AV)in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are (AW)not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, (AX)which was preached to every creature under heaven, (AY)of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Sacrificial Service for Christ
24 (AZ)I now rejoice in my sufferings (BA)for you, and fill up in my flesh (BB)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for (BC)the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to (BD)the [g]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 (BE)the [h]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, (BF)but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 (BG)To them God willed to make known what are (BH)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: [i]which is (BI)Christ in you, (BJ)the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, (BK)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, (BL)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me (BM)mightily.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:2 NU omits and the Lord Jesus Christ
- Colossians 1:6 NU, M add and growing
- Colossians 1:13 transferred
- Colossians 1:14 NU, M omit through His blood
- Colossians 1:16 rulers
- Colossians 1:16 authorities
- Colossians 1:25 dispensation or administration
- Colossians 1:26 secret or hidden truth
- Colossians 1:27 M who
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
