Colossians 1
New American Standard Bible
Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments
1 (A)Paul, (B)an apostle of Christ Jesus [a](C)by the will of God, and (D)Timothy [b]our brother,
2 To the [c](E)saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 (G)We [d]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 [e]for (K)all the [f]saints; 5 because of the (L)hope (M)reserved for you in [g]heaven, of which you previously (N)heard in the word of truth, [h]the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as [i](O)in all the world also it is bearing (P)fruit and [j]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (Q)heard it and [k]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 we also, (U)since the day we heard about it, (V)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the [l](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, [m](Z)to please Him in all respects, (AA)bearing fruit in every good work and [n]increasing in the [o]knowledge of God; 11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to [p]His glorious might, [q]for the attaining of all perseverance and [r]patience; (AC)joyously 12 giving thanks to (AD)the Father, who has qualified us [s]to share in (AE)the inheritance of the [t]saints in (AF)light.
The Incomparable Christ
13 [u]For He rescued us from the [v](AG)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of [w](AH)His beloved Son, 14 (AI)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 [x]He is the (AJ)image of the (AK)invisible God, the (AL)firstborn of all creation: 16 for [y](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 [z](AQ)is before all things, and in Him all things [aa]hold together. 18 He is also the (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 [ab]it was (AV)the Father’s good pleasure for all (AW)the [ac]fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to (AX)reconcile all things to Himself, (AY)whether things on earth or things in [ad]heaven, having made (AZ)peace through (BA)the blood of His cross.
21 And although you were (BB)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now (BC)reconciled you in His (BD)body of flesh through death, in order to (BE)present you before Him (BF)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in [ae]the faith firmly (BG)established and steadfast, and not shifting 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, [af]was made a [ag](BK)minister.
24 (BL)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I am supplementing what is lacking [ah]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of (BN)His body, which is the church. 25 (BO)I [ai]was made a minister of this church according to the (BP)commission from God granted to 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 had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His [ak]saints, 27 to whom (BR)God willed to make known what (BS)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is (BT)Christ in you, the (BU)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (BV)admonishing every person and teaching every person [al]with all (BW)wisdom, so that we may (BX)present every person [am](BY)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also (BZ)labor, (CA)striving (CB)according to His [an]power which [ao]works mightily within me.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 Lit through
- Colossians 1:1 Lit the
- Colossians 1:2 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:3 Or always give...praying for you
- Colossians 1:4 Or toward
- Colossians 1:4 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
- Colossians 1:6 Or it is in all the world also, bearing
- Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
- Colossians 1:6 Or came to fully 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 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- 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 Lit of
- Colossians 1:25 Lit became
- Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
- Colossians 1:26 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:28 Lit in
- Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
- Colossians 1:29 Lit working
- Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
Colossians 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.[a]
Paul Thanks God for the Colossians
3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the[b] Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,(B) 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel(C) 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.(D) 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on our[c] behalf,(E) 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s[d] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,(F) 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.(G) 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully(H) 12 giving thanks to the Father,[e] who has enabled[f] you[g] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,(I) 14 in whom we have redemption,[h] the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,(J) 16 for in[i] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[j] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.(K) 19 For in him all the fullness of God[k] was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.(L)
21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled[l] in his fleshly body[m] through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,(M) 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature[n] under heaven. I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel.(N)
Paul’s Interest in the Colossians
24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its minister according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,(O) 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.(P) 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.(Q) 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.[o](R) 29 For this I toil and strive with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.(S)
Footnotes
- 1.2 Other ancient authorities add and the Lord Jesus Christ
- 1.3 Other ancient authorities read thank the God and
- 1.7 Other ancient authorities read your
- 1.9 Gk his
- 1.12 Other ancient authorities read God the Father or the God and Father
- 1.12 Other ancient authorities read called
- 1.12 Other ancient authorities read us
- 1.14 Other ancient authorities add through his blood
- 1.16 Or by
- 1.17 Or by
- 1.19 Gk lacks of God
- 1.22 Other ancient authorities read you have now been reconciled
- 1.22 Gk in the body of his flesh
- 1.23 Or in all creation
- 1.28 Other ancient authorities add Jesus
Colossians 1
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus, who are at Colossa.
3 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
4 Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have towards all the saints.
5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
7 As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;
8 Who also hath manifested to us your love in the spirit.
9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:
10 That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:
11 Strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,
12 Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins;
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.
17 And he is before all, 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 may hold the primacy:
19 Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell;
20 And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.
21 And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:
22 Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him:
23 If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister.
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfill the word of God:
26 The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,
27 To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.
28 Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 Wherein also I labour, striving according to his working which he worketh in me in power.
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