Colossians 1-4

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.

You Are Built Up in Christ

2 For I want you to know how great a ^(CC)struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at ^(CD)Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[ap]personally seen my face, ² that their ^(CE)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(CF)knit together in love, and attaining to all ^(CG)the wealth ^[aq]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(CH)true knowledge of ^(CI)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all ^(CJ)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 (CK)I say this so that no one will delude you with ^(CL)persuasive argument. ⁵ For even though I am ^(CM)absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[ar]to see ^[as]your ^(CN)good discipline and the ^(CO)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore as you have received ^(CP)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[at](CQ)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(CR)rooted and now being ^(CS)built up in Him and ^(CT)established ^[au]in your faith, just as you ^(CU)were instructed, and overflowing ^[av]with gratitude.

^8 (CV)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(CW)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(CX)elementary principles of the world, ^[aw]rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(CY)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(CZ)made ^[ax]complete, and ^(DA)He is the head ^[ay]over all ^(DB)rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(DC)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of ^(DD)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been ^(DE)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(DF)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(DG)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were ^(DH)dead ^[az]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(DI)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out ^(DJ)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(DK)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[ba](DL)disarmed the ^(DM)rulers and authorities, He ^(DN)made a public display of them, having ^(DO)triumphed over them through ^[bb]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore no one is to ^[bc](DP)act as your judge in regard to ^(DQ)food or ^(DR)drink or in respect to a ^(DS)festival or a ^(DT)new moon or a ^(DU)Sabbath ^[bd]day— ¹⁷ things which are ^(DV)a mere shadow of what is to come; but the ^[be]substance ^[bf]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one keep ^[bg](DW)defrauding you of your prize by ^(DX)delighting in ^[bh]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, ^[bi]taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^[bj](DY)inflated without cause by his ^(DZ)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(EA)the head, from whom ^(EB)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[bk]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[bl]which is from God.

^20 (EC)If you have died with Christ ^[bm]to the ^(ED)elementary principles of the world, ^(EE)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(EF)decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer ^(EG)to things destined to perish ^[bn]with use)—in accordance with the ^(EH)commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the ^[bo]appearance of wisdom in ^[bp](EI)self-made religion and self-abasement and ^(EJ)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(EK)fleshly indulgence.

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been ^(EL)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, ^(EM)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 [bq](EN)Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have ^(EO)died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, ^(EP)who is our life, is revealed, ^(EQ)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

^5 (ER)Therefore ^[br]consider ^(ES)the members of your earthly body as dead to ^[bs](ET)immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[bt]amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that ^(EU)the wrath of God will come ^[bu]upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and ^(EV)in them you also once walked, when you were living ^[bv]in them. ⁸ But now you also, ^(EW)put them all aside: ^(EX)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and ^(EY)abusive speech from your mouth. ^9 [bw](EZ)Do not lie to one another, since you ^(FA)laid aside the old ^[bx]self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have ^(FB)put on the new self who is being ^[by](FC)renewed to a true knowledge ^(FD)according to the image of the One who ^(FE)created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which ^(FF)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, ^(FG)circumcised and uncircumcised, ^[bz](FH)barbarian, Scythian, ^(FI)slave and freeman, but ^(FJ)Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been ^(FK)chosen of God, holy and beloved, ^(FL)put on a ^(FM)heart of compassion, kindness, ^(FN)humility, gentleness and ^[ca](FO)patience; ^13 (FP)bearing with one another, and ^(FQ)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; ^(FR)just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is ^[cb](FS)the perfect bond of ^(FT)unity. ¹⁵ Let ^(FU)the peace of Christ ^[cc]rule in your hearts, to which ^[cd]indeed you were called in ^(FV)one body; and ^[ce]be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(FW)the word of ^[cf]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[cg]with all wisdom ^(FX)teaching and admonishing ^[ch]one another ^(FY)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(FZ)singing ^[ci]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ^17 (GA)Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(GB)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Family Relations

^18 (GC)Wives, ^(GD)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ^19 (GE)Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. ^20 (GF)Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing ^[cj]to the Lord. ^21 (GG)Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

^22 (GH)Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters ^[ck]on earth, ^(GI)not with ^[cl]external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, do your work ^[cm]heartily, ^(GJ)as for the Lord ^[cn]rather than for men, ^24 (GK)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward ^[co]of ^(GL)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ^(GM)serve. ²⁵ For ^(GN)he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ^[cp](GO)that without partiality.

Fellow Workers

4 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, ^(GP)knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

^2 (GQ)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(GR)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(GS)door for ^(GT)the word, so that we may speak forth ^(GU)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(GV)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(GW)in the way I ought to speak.

^5 [cq](GX)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(GY)outsiders, ^[cr](GZ)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (HA)Let your speech always be ^[cs]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(HB)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(HC)respond to each person.

^7 (HD)As to all my affairs, ^(HE)Tychicus, our ^(HF)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ^8 (HG)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(HH)encourage your hearts; ^9 [ct]and with him ^(HI)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(HJ)beloved brother, ^(HK)who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

^10 (HL)Aristarchus, my ^(HM)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(HN)Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[cu]instructions; ^(HO)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹ and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(HP)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(HQ)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ^12 (HR)Epaphras, ^(HS)who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always ^(HT)laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[cv]stand ^[cw](HU)perfect and ^[cx]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify for him that he has ^[cy]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(HV)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ^14 (HW)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also ^(HX)Demas. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in ^(HY)Laodicea and also ^[cz]Nympha and ^(HZ)the church that is in ^[da]her house. ^16 (IA)When ^[db]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part ^(IB)read ^[dc]my letter that is coming from ^(IC)Laodicea. ¹⁷ Say to ^(ID)Archippus, “Take heed to the ^(IE)ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may ^[dd]fulfill it.”

^18 [de]I, Paul, ^(IF)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(IG)Remember my ^[df](IH)imprisonment. ^(II)Grace be with you.