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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

  1. Colossians 1:1 Lit through
  2. Colossians 1:1 Lit the
  3. Colossians 1:2 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  4. Colossians 1:3 Or always give...praying for you
  5. Colossians 1:4 Or toward
  6. Colossians 1:4 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  7. Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
  8. Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
  9. Colossians 1:6 Or it is in all the world also, bearing
  10. Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
  11. Colossians 1:6 Or came to fully know
  12. Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
  13. Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
  14. Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
  15. Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
  16. Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
  17. Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
  18. Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
  19. Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
  20. Colossians 1:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  21. Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
  22. Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
  23. Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
  24. Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
  25. Colossians 1:16 Or in
  26. Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
  27. Colossians 1:17 Or endure
  28. Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
  29. Colossians 1:19 I.e., fullness of deity
  30. Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
  31. Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
  32. Colossians 1:23 Lit became
  33. Colossians 1:23 Or servant
  34. Colossians 1:24 Lit of
  35. Colossians 1:25 Lit became
  36. Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
  37. Colossians 1:26 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  38. Colossians 1:28 Lit in
  39. Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
  40. Colossians 1:29 Lit working
  41. Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
Close ISV

Colossians 1
International Standard Version

Greetings from Paul

1 From:[a] Paul, an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.

2 To: The holy[c] and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah.[d]

May grace and peace from God our Father[e] be yours!

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] praying always for you, 4 because we have heard about your faith in the Messiah[g] Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, 5 based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope[h] through the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and spreading all over the world, so it has been doing[i] among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned about this gospel[j] from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah[k] on your[l] behalf. 8 He has told us about your love in the Spirit.

The Messiah is Above All

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God’s[m] will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him[n] as you bear fruit while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full knowledge of God. 11 You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy 12 and might thank the Father, who has enabled us[o] to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 God[p] has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves, 14 through whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Centrality of Jesus

15 The Son[q] is the image of the invisible God,
    the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
    things visible and invisible,
        whether they are kings,[r] lords, rulers, or powers.
All things have been created through him and for him.
17 He himself existed before anything else did,
    and he holds all things together.
18 He is also the head of the body,
    which is the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
    so that he himself might have first place in everything.
19 For God[s] was pleased to have
    all of his divine essence[t] inhabit him.
20 Through the Son,[u] God[v] also reconciled all things to himself,
    whether things on earth or things in heaven,
thereby making peace
    through the blood of his cross.

21 You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,[w] 22 he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him. 23 However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.[x]

Paul’s Service in the Church

24 Now I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah’s[y] sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church. 25 I became its servant[z] as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of[aa] the word of God. 26 This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints, 27 to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles—which is the Messiah[ab] in you, our glorious hope. 28 It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature[ac] in the Messiah.[ad] 29 I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. Colossians 1:1 Or Christ
  3. Colossians 1:2 Or to the saints
  4. Colossians 1:2 Or Christ
  5. Colossians 1:2 Other mss. read from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah
  6. Colossians 1:3 Or Christ
  7. Colossians 1:4 Or Christ
  8. Colossians 1:5 Lit. about it
  9. Colossians 1:6 The Gk. lacks it has been doing
  10. Colossians 1:7 Lit. Just as you learned
  11. Colossians 1:7 Or Christ
  12. Colossians 1:7 Other mss. read our
  13. Colossians 1:9 Lit. his
  14. Colossians 1:10 Lit. to all pleasing
  15. Colossians 1:12 Other mss. read you
  16. Colossians 1:13 Lit. He
  17. Colossians 1:15 Lit. He
  18. Colossians 1:16 Lit. thrones
  19. Colossians 1:19 Lit. he
  20. Colossians 1:19 Lit. all of the fullness
  21. Colossians 1:20 Lit. Through him
  22. Colossians 1:20 Lit. he
  23. Colossians 1:21 Lit. in evil deeds
  24. Colossians 1:23 Or minister
  25. Colossians 1:24 Or Christ’s
  26. Colossians 1:25 Or minister
  27. Colossians 1:25 The Gk. lacks the ministry of
  28. Colossians 1:27 Or Christ
  29. Colossians 1:28 Or complete
  30. Colossians 1:28 Or Christ
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Philippians 4
Colossians 2
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