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This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.[a] He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,[b] 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom[c] and forgave our sins.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:7 Or he is ministering on your behalf; some manuscripts read he is ministering on our behalf.
  2. 1:11 Or all the patience and endurance you need with joy.
  3. 1:14 Some manuscripts add with his blood.

that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(A) and growing throughout the whole world(B)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras,(C) our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister(D) of Christ on our[b] behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(E)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(F) we have not stopped praying for you.(G) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(H) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[c](I) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(J) of the Lord and please him(K) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(L) 11 being strengthened with all power(M) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(N) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(O) who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance(P) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(Q) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(R) and brought us into the kingdom(S) of the Son he loves,(T) 14 in whom we have redemption,(U) the forgiveness of sins.(V)

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  2. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  3. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  4. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us