The Gospel Exalted

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, ^[a](A)called as an apostle, ^(B)set apart for ^(C)the gospel of God, ² which He ^(D)promised beforehand through His ^(E)prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son, who was born ^(F)of a ^[b]descendant of David ^(G)according to the flesh, ⁴ who was declared ^(H)the Son of God with power ^[c]by the resurrection from the dead, according to the ^[d]Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

^5 (A)Have this attitude ^[a]in yourselves which was also in ^(B)Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He ^(C)existed in the ^(D)form of God, ^(E)did not regard equality with God a thing to be ^[b]grasped, ⁷ but ^[c](F)emptied Himself, taking the form of a ^(G)bond-servant, and ^(H)being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, ^(I)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(J)obedient to the point of death, even ^(K)death ^[d]on a cross. ^9 (L)For this reason also, God ^(M)highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him ^(N)the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus ^(O)every knee will bow, of ^(P)those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is ^(Q)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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 ^(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, having made ^(S)peace through ^(T)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, ^(U)whether things on earth or things in ^[j]heaven.

^8 (A)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(B)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(C)elementary principles of the world, ^[a]rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(D)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

God’s Final Word in His Son

1 God, after He ^(A)spoke long ago to the fathers in ^(B)the prophets in many portions and ^(C)in many ways, ^2 [a](D)in these last days ^(E)has spoken to us ^[b]in ^(F)His Son, whom He appointed ^(G)heir of all things, ^(H)through whom also He made the ^[c](I)world. ^3 [d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact ^(J)representation of His nature, and ^[e](K)upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made ^(L)purification of sins, He ^(M)sat down at the right hand of the ^(N)Majesty on high,

⁸ But of the Son He says,

¹⁰ And,