Colossians 1-4

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

² To the saints ^(B)and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:

^(C)Grace to you and peace from God our Father ^[a]and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their Faith in Christ

^3 (D)We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ^4 (E)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of ^(F)your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope ^(G)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, ^(H)as it has also in all the world, and ^(I)is bringing forth ^[b]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew ^(J)the grace of God in truth; ⁷ as you also learned from ^(K)Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is ^(L)a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, ⁸ who also declared to us your ^(M)love in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

^9 (N)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask ^(O)that you may be filled with ^(P)the knowledge of His will ^(Q)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ^10 (R)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, ^(S)fully pleasing Him, ^(T)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the ^(U)knowledge of God; ^11 (V)strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, ^(W)for all patience and longsuffering ^(X)with joy; ^12 (Y)giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of ^(Z)the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from ^(AA)the power of darkness ^(AB)and ^[c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ^14 (AC)in whom we have redemption ^[d]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵ He is ^(AD)the image of the invisible God, ^(AE)the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For ^(AF)by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or ^(AG)dominions or ^[e]principalities or ^[f]powers. All things were created ^(AH)through Him and for Him. ^17 (AI)And He is before all things, and in Him ^(AJ)all things consist. ¹⁸ And ^(AK)He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, ^(AL)the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that ^(AM)in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and ^(AN)by Him to reconcile ^(AO)all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, ^(AP)having made peace through the blood of His cross.

²¹ And you, ^(AQ)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind ^(AR)by wicked works, yet now He has ^(AS)reconciled ^22 (AT)in the body of His flesh through death, ^(AU)to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³ if indeed you continue ^(AV)in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are ^(AW)not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, ^(AX)which was preached to every creature under heaven, ^(AY)of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

^24 (AZ)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(BA)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(BB)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(BC)the sake of His body, which is the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to ^(BD)the ^[g]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ^26 (BE)the ^[h]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, ^(BF)but now has been revealed to His saints. ^27 (BG)To them God willed to make known what are ^(BH)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: ^[i]which is ^(BI)Christ in you, ^(BJ)the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, ^(BK)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, ^(BL)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me ^(BM)mightily.

Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great ^(BN)conflict^[j] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, ^[k]both of the Father and of Christ, ^3 (BO)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

⁴ Now this I say ^(BP)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For ^(BQ)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[l]to see ^(BR)your good order and the ^(BS)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

^6 (BT)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ^7 (BU)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ^[m]in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest anyone ^[n]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to ^(BV)the tradition of men, according to the ^(BW)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For ^(BX)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[o]bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the ^(BY)head of all ^[p]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹ In Him you were also ^(BZ)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(CA)putting off the body ^[q]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ^12 (CB)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through ^(CC)faith in the working of God, ^(CD)who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ^14 (CE)having wiped out the ^[r]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ^15 (CF)Having disarmed ^(CG)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶ So let no one ^(CH)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a ^[s]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ^17 (CI)which are a shadow of things to come, but the ^[t]substance is of Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has ^[u]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(CJ)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, ^(CK)grows with the increase that is from God.

^20 [v]Therefore, if you ^(CL)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, ^(CM)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— ^21 (CN)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²² which all concern things which perish with the using—^(CO)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ^23 (CP)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and ^[w]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(CQ)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(CR)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(CS)earth. ^3 (CT)For you died, ^(CU)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ^4 (CV)When Christ who is ^(CW)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(CX)glory.

^5 (CY)Therefore put to death ^(CZ)your members which are on the earth: ^(DA)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(DB)which is idolatry. ^6 (DC)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(DD)the sons of disobedience, ^7 (DE)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

^8 (DF)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who ^(DG)is renewed in knowledge ^(DH)according to the image of Him who ^(DI)created him, ¹¹ where there is neither ^(DJ)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(DK)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, ^(DL)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(DM)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ^13 (DN)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ^14 (DO)But above all these things ^(DP)put on love, which is the ^(DQ)bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let ^(DR)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(DS)to which also you were called ^(DT)in one body; and ^(DU)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(DV)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And ^(DW)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home^(DX)

^18 (DY)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(DZ)as is fitting in the Lord.

^19 (EA)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(EB)bitter toward them.

^20 (EC)Children, obey your parents ^(ED)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

^21 (EE)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

^22 (EF)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ^23 (EG)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ^24 (EH)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(EI)for^[x] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(EJ)there is no partiality.

Christian Graces; Final Greetings

4 Masters,^(EK) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Christian Graces

^2 (EL)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it ^(EM)with thanksgiving; ^3 (EN)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would ^(EO)open to us a door for the word, to speak ^(EP)the ^[y]mystery of Christ, ^(EQ)for which I am also in chains, ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

^5 (ER)Walk in ^(ES)wisdom toward those who are outside, ^(ET)redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be ^(EU)with grace, ^(EV)seasoned with salt, ^(EW)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Final Greetings^(EX)

^7 (EY)Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ^8 (EZ)I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that ^[z]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ with ^(FA)Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

^10 (FB)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with ^(FC)Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

^12 (FD)Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always ^(FE)laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand ^(FF)perfect and ^[aa]complete in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has a great ^[ab]zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. ^14 (FG)Luke the beloved physician and ^(FH)Demas greet you. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and ^[ac]Nymphas and ^(FI)the church that is in ^[ad]his house.

Closing Exhortations and Blessing

¹⁶ Now when ^(FJ)this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And say to ^(FK)Archippus, “Take heed to ^(FL)the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

^18 (FM)This salutation by my own hand—Paul. ^(FN)Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.