Colossians 1:13-2:15

New American Standard Bible

The Incomparable Christ

^13 [a]For He rescued us from the ^[b](A)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of ^[c](B)His beloved Son, ^14 (C)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

^15 [d]He is the ^(D)image of the ^(E)invisible God, the ^(F)firstborn of all creation: ¹⁶ for ^[e](G)by Him all things were created, ^(H)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(I)thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—^(J)all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He ^[f](K)is before all things, and in Him all things ^[g]hold together. ¹⁸ He is also the ^(L)head of ^(M)the body, the church; and He is ^(N)the beginning, ^(O)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For ^[h]it was ^(P)the Father’s good pleasure for all ^(Q)the ^[i]fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to ^(R)reconcile all things to Himself, ^(S)whether things on earth or things in ^[j]heaven, having made ^(T)peace through ^(U)the blood of His cross.

²¹ And although you were ^(V)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now ^(W)reconciled you in His ^(X)body of flesh through death, in order to ^(Y)present you before Him ^(Z)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in ^[k]the faith firmly ^(AA)established and steadfast, and not shifting from the ^(AB)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(AC)in all creation under heaven, ^(AD)and of which I, Paul, ^[l]was made a ^[m](AE)minister.

^24 (AF)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(AG)I am supplementing what is lacking ^[n]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of ^(AH)His body, which is the church. ^25 (AI)I ^[o]was made a minister of this church according to the ^(AJ)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might ^[p]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, ^(AK)the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His ^[q]saints, ²⁷ to whom ^(AL)God willed to make known what ^(AM)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is ^(AN)Christ in you, the ^(AO)hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, ^(AP)admonishing every person and teaching every person ^[r]with all ^(AQ)wisdom, so that we may ^(AR)present every person ^[s](AS)complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose I also ^(AT)labor, ^(AU)striving ^(AV)according to His ^[t]power which ^[u]works mightily within me.

You Are Built Up in Christ

2 For I want you to know how great a ^(AW)struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at ^(AX)Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[v]personally seen my face, ² that their ^(AY)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(AZ)knit together in love, and that they would attain to all ^(BA)the wealth ^[w]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(BB)true knowledge of ^(BC)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all ^(BD)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 (BE)I say this so that no one will deceive you with ^(BF)persuasive arguments. ⁵ For even though I am ^(BG)absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[x]to see ^[y]your ^(BH)orderly manner and the ^(BI)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore, as you have received ^(BJ)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[z](BK)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(BL)rooted and now being ^(BM)built up in Him and ^(BN)established ^[aa]in ^[ab]your faith, just as you ^(BO)were instructed, and overflowing ^[ac]with gratitude.

^8 (BP)See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through ^(BQ)philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the ^(BR)elementary principles of the world, ^[ad]rather than in accordance with Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(BS)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(BT)made ^[ae]complete, and ^(BU)He is the head ^[af]over every ^(BV)ruler and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(BW)you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of ^(BX)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been ^(BY)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(BZ)raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(CA)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And ^[ag]when you were ^(CB)dead ^[ah]in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(CC)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, ¹⁴ having canceled ^(CD)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(CE)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[ai](CF)disarmed the ^(CG)rulers and authorities, He ^(CH)made a public display of them, having ^(CI)triumphed over them through ^[aj]Him.