Colossians 1
Contemporary English Version
1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2 To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.
I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
A Prayer of Thanks
3 Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, 5 because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
6 The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7 (A) from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.[a] 8 He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
The Person and Work of Christ
9 We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding his Spirit gives. 10 Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. 11 His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12 I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you[b] have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13 God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 14 (B) who forgives our sins and sets us free.
15 (C) Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.
16 Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God's Son,
and everything was made
for him.
17 God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
18 (D) He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
19 God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
20 (E) And God was pleased
for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.
21 You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22 But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. 23 But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.
Paul's Service to the Church
24 I am glad I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue[c] the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. 25 God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. 26 For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. 27 God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.
28 We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29 This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
Colossians 1
1599 Geneva Bible
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians
1 1 After the salutation, 4 he praiseth them the more, to make them attentive unto him. 7 He reporteth the testimony of the doctrine which they heard of Epaphras. 13 He magnifieth God’s grace towards them, 20 and showeth that all the parts of our salvation consist in Christ alone.
1 Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the [a]will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To them which are at [b]Colosse, Saints and faithful brethren in Christ: Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 [c]We give thanks to God even the [d]Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you:
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love toward all Saints.
5 For the [e]hope’s sake, which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye have heard before by the word of truth, which is the Gospel,
6 Which is come unto you, even as it is unto all the world, and is fruitful as it is also among you from the day that ye heard and truly knew the grace of God,
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, which is for you a faithful minister of Christ:
8 [f]Who hath also declared unto us your love in the [g]Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of [h]his will in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding.
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, and please him in all things, being fruitful in all good works, and increasing in the knowledge of God,
11 [i]Strengthened with all might through his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering with [j]joyfulness,
12 [k]Giving thanks unto the [l]Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in [m]light,
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom (A)of his dear Son,
14 [n]In whom we have redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiveness of sins.
15 [o]Who is the (B)image of the invisible God, [p]the first begotten of every creature.
16 (C)For by him were all things created which are in heaven, and which are in earth, things visible and invisible: whether they be [q]Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by him, and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
18 [r]And he is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, (D)and the [s]first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 (E)For it pleased the Father, that in him should [t]all fullness dwell.
20 [u]And through peace made by that blood of that his cross, to reconcile to himself through him, through him, I say, [v]all things, both which are in earth, and which are in heaven.
21 [w]And you which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your minds were set in evil works, hath [x]he now also reconciled,
22 In that body of his [y]flesh through death, to make you holy and unblameable, and without fault in his sight.
23 [z]If ye continue, grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, whereof ye have heard, and which hath been preached to [aa]every creature, which is under heaven, [ab]whereof I Paul am a minister.
24 Now rejoice I in my sufferings [ac]for you, and fulfill the [ad]rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body’s sake, which is the Church,
25 [ae]Whereof I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given me unto youward, to fulfill the word of God,
26 (F)Which is the mystery hid since the world began, and from all ages, but now is made manifest to his [af]Saints,
27 To whom God [ag]would make known what is the riches of his glorious mystery among the Gentiles, which riches is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
28 [ah]Whom we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in [ai]all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 Whereunto I also labor and strive, according to his working which worketh in me mightily.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 By the free bountifulness of God.
- Colossians 1:2 Colosse is situated in Phrygia, not far from Hierapolis and Laodicea, on that side that they bend toward Lycia and Pamphylia.
- Colossians 1:3 He commendeth the doctrine that was delivered them by Epaphras, and their readiness in receiving it.
- Colossians 1:3 We cannot otherwise consider of God to our salvation, but as he is Christ’s Father, in whom we are adopted.
- Colossians 1:5 For the glory that is hoped for.
- Colossians 1:8 He declareth his good will towards them, telling them that they must not still remain at one stay but go on further both in the knowledge of the Gospel, and also in the true use of it.
- Colossians 1:8 Your spiritual love, or your love which cometh from the Spirit.
- Colossians 1:9 God’s will.
- Colossians 1:11 The gift of continuance is not of us, but it proceedeth from the virtue of God, which he doth freely give us.
- Colossians 1:11 It must not be unwilling, and as it were drawn out of us by force, but proceed from a merry and joyful mind.
- Colossians 1:12 Having ended the preface, he goeth to the matter itself, that is to say, to an excellent description (although it be but short) of whole Christianity, which is fitly divided into three treatises: for first of all he expoundeth the true doctrine, according to the order of the causes, beginning from this verse to the 24. And from thence he beginneth to apply the same to the Colossians with divers exhortations to verse 6 of the second Chapter. And last of all in the third place even to the third Chapter, he refuteth the corruption of true doctrine.
- Colossians 1:12 The efficient cause of our salvation is the only mercy of God the Father, who maketh us meet to be partakers of eternal life, delivering us from the darkness wherein we were born, and bringing us to the light of the knowledge of the glory of his Son.
- Colossians 1:12 In that glorious and heavenly kingdom.
- Colossians 1:14 The matter itself of our salvation, is Christ the Son of God, who hath obtained remission of sins for us by the offering up of himself.
- Colossians 1:15 A lively description of the person of Christ, whereby we understand that in him only, God showeth himself to be seen: who was begotten of the Father before anything was made, that is, from everlasting, by whom also all things that are made, were made without any exception, by whom also they do consist, and whose glory they serve.
- Colossians 1:15 Begotten before anything was made: and therefore the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father.
- Colossians 1:16 He setteth forth the Angels with glorious names, that by the comparison of most excellent spirits we may understand how far passing the excellence of Christ, in whom only we have to content ourselves, and let go all Angels.
- Colossians 1:18 Having gloriously declared the excellent dignity of the person of Christ, he describeth his office and function, to wit, that he is that same to the Church, that the head is to the body, that is to say, the prince and governor of it, and the very beginning of true life, as who rising first from death, he is the Author of eternal life, so that he is above all, in whom only there is most plentiful abundance of all good things, which is poured out upon the Church.
- Colossians 1:18 Who so rose again that he shall die no more, and who raiseth others from death to life by his power.
- Colossians 1:19 Most plentiful abundance of all things pertaining to God.
- Colossians 1:20 Now he teacheth how Christ executed that office which his Father joined him, to wit, by suffering the death of the cross (which was joined with the curse of God) according to his decree, that by this sacrifice he might reconcile his Father all men as well them which believed in him to come, and were already under this hope gathered into heaven, as them which should upon the earth believe in him afterwards. And thus is justification described of the Apostle, which is one and the chiefest part of the benefit of Christ.
- Colossians 1:20 The whole Church.
- Colossians 1:21 Sanctification is another work of God in us by Christ, in that that he restored us (which hated God extremely, and were wholly and willingly given to sin) to his gracious favor, in such sort, that he therewithall purifieth us with his holy Spirit, and consecrateth us to righteousness.
- Colossians 1:21 The Son.
- Colossians 1:22 In that fleshly body, to give us to understand that his body was not a fantastical body, but a true body.
- Colossians 1:23 This second treatise of this part of the Epistle, wherein he exhorteth the Colossians not to suffer themselves by any means to be moved from this doctrine, showing and declaring that there is nowhere any other true Gospel.
- Colossians 1:23 To all men: whereby we learn that the Gospel was not shut up within the corners of Judea alone.
- Colossians 1:23 He purchased authority to this doctrine by his Apostleship, and taketh a most sure proof thereof, of his afflictions which he suffereth for Christ’s Name to instruct the Churches with these examples of patience.
- Colossians 1:24 For your profit and commodity.
- Colossians 1:24 The afflictions of the Church are said to be Christ’s afflictions, by reason of that fellowship and knitting together, that the body and the head have the one with the other, not that there is any more need to have the Church redeemed, but that Christ showeth his power in the daily weakness of his, and that for the comfort of the whole body.
- Colossians 1:25 He bringeth another proof of his Apostleship, to wit, that God is the author of it, by whom also he was appointed peculiarly Apostle of the Gentiles, to the end that by this means, that same might be fulfilled by him, which the Prophets foretold of the calling of the Gentiles.
- Colossians 1:26 Whom he chose to sanctify unto himself in Christ: moreover he sayeth that the mystery of our redemption was hidden since the world began, except it were revealed unto a few, who also were taught it extraordinarily.
- Colossians 1:27 This Paul bridleth the curiosity of men.
- Colossians 1:28 He protesteth that he doth faithfully execute his Apostleship in every place, bringing men unto Christ only, through the Lord’s plentiful blessings of his labors.
- Colossians 1:28 Perfect and sound wisdom, which is perfect in itself, and shall in the end make them perfect that follow it.
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.
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