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Paul Paulos, an apostle apostolos of Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous by dia the will thelēma of God theos, and kai Timothy Timotheos our ho brother adelphos, to the ho saints hagios and kai faithful pistos brothers adelphos in en Christ Christos at en Colossae Kolossai: Grace charis to you hymeis and kai peace eirēnē from apo God theos our hēmeis Father patēr.

We always pantote thank eucharisteō · ho God theos, the Father patēr of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos, when we pray proseuchomai for peri you hymeis, for we have heard akouō of · ho your hymeis faith pistis in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous and kai the ho love agapē that hos you have echō for eis all pas the ho saints hagios. Both spring from dia the ho hope elpis · ho laid apokeimai up for you hymeis in en · ho heaven ouranos. Of this hos you have heard proakouō before in en the ho word logos of ho truth alētheia, the ho gospel euangelion, which ho has come pareimi to eis you hymeis. Just kathōs as · kai in en the ho entire pas world kosmos it is eimi bearing karpophoreō fruit and kai growing auxanō, so kathōs also kai is it among en you hymeis from apo the hos day hēmera you heard akouō it and kai understood epiginōskō the ho grace charis of ho God theos in en truth alētheia; just kathōs as you learned manthanō it from apo Epaphras Epaphras · ho our hēmeis beloved agapētos fellow syndoulos servant , who hos is eimi a faithful pistos minister diakonos of ho Christ Christos on hyper your hēmeis behalf · ho and kai has told dēloō us hēmeis of ho your hymeis love agapē in en the Spirit pneuma.

For dia this houtos reason , · kai from apo the hos day hēmera we heard akouō about you, we hēmeis have not ou ceased pauō praying proseuchomai for hyper you hymeis and kai asking aiteō that hina you may be filled plēroō with the ho knowledge epignōsis of ho his autos will thelēma in en all pas spiritual pneumatikos wisdom sophia and kai understanding synesis, 10 that you may walk peripateō worthy axiōs of the ho Lord kyrios, fully eis pas pleasing areskeia to him, bearing fruit karpophoreō in en every pas good agathos work ergon, and kai increasing auxanō in the ho knowledge epignōsis of ho God theos, 11 being strengthened dynamoō with en all pas power dynamis according kata to · ho his autos glorious doxa might kratos, · ho for eis the display of all pas endurance hypomonē and kai patience makrothumia; while joyfully meta chara 12 giving thanks eucharisteō to the ho Father patēr, who ho has qualified hikanoō you hymeis to eis · ho share meris in the ho inheritance klēros of the ho saints hagios in en the ho light phōs. 13 He hos has rescued rhyomai us hēmeis from ek the ho tyranny exousia of ho darkness skotos and kai transferred methistēmi us into eis the ho kingdom basileia of ho his autos beloved agapē Son hyios, · ho 14 in en whom hos we have echō · ho redemption apolytrōsis, the ho forgiveness aphesis of ho sins hamartia.

15 He hos is eimi the image eikōn of the ho invisible aoratos God theos, · ho the firstborn prōtotokos over all pas creation ktisis; 16 for hoti in en him autos all pas things ho were created ktizō, in en · ho heaven ouranos and kai on epi · ho earth , things ho visible horatos and kai · ho invisible aoratos, whether eite thrones thronos or eite dominions kyriotēs, whether eite principalities archē or eite powers exousia all pas things ho have been created ktizō through dia him autos and kai for eis him autos. 17 And kai he autos is eimi before pro all pas things , and kai in en him autos all pas things ho hold synistēmi together . 18 And kai he autos is eimi the ho head kephalē of the ho body sōma, the ho church ekklēsia. He hos is eimi the beginning archē, the firstborn prōtotokos from ek the ho dead nekros, in hina order that he autos might be ginomai preeminent prōteuō in en everything pas. 19 For hoti God was pleased eudokeō to have all pas his ho fullness plērōma dwell katoikeō in en him autos, 20 and kai through dia him autos to reconcile apokatallassō · ho all things pas to eis himself autos, · ho whether eite · ho on epi · ho earth or eite · ho in en · ho heaven ouranos, by making peace eirēnopoieō through dia his autos blood haima shed on the ho cross stauros.

21 And kai you hymeis who were eimi at one pote time alienated apallotrioō and kai hostile echthros in ho mind dianoia, doing en ho · ho · ho evil ponēros deeds , 22 he has now nyni · de reconciled apokatallassō in en Christ’ s autos physical sarx · ho body sōma · ho through dia his ho death thanatos, in order to present paristēmi you hymeis holy hagios, · kai without blemish and kai beyond reproach anenklētos in his autos sight katenōpion 23 if ei indeed ge you continue epimenō in the ho faith pistis, stable themelioō and kai steadfast hedraios, · kai not shifting metakineō from apo the ho hope elpis of the ho gospel euangelion that hos you heard akouō, which ho has been proclaimed kēryssō to en every pas creature ktisis · ho under hypo · ho heaven ouranos, and of which hos I egō, Paul Paulos, became ginomai a minister diakonos.

24 I am now nyn rejoicing chairō in en my ho sufferings pathēma on hyper your hymeis behalf, and kai in en my egō flesh sarx am completing antanaplēroō what ho is lacking hysterēma in the ho afflictions thlipsis of ho Christ Christos · ho for hyper the sake of · ho his autos body sōma, which hos is eimi the ho church ekklēsia, 25 of which hos I egō became ginomai a minister diakonos according kata to the ho stewardship oikonomia from ho God theos that ho was given didōmi to me egō for eis your hymeis benefit, to make plēroō the ho word logos of ho God theos fully known , 26 the ho mystery mystērion that ho has been hidden apokryptō for apo · ho ages aiōn and kai · ho generations genea, but de has now nyn been revealed phaneroō to ho his autos saints hagios. 27 To them hos God theos chose thelō · ho to make known gnōrizō how tis great among en the ho Gentiles ethnos are the ho glorious doxa riches ploutos · ho of ho this houtos mystery mystērion, which hos is eimi Christ Christos in en you hymeis, the ho hope elpis of ho glory doxa. 28 He is the one hos we hēmeis proclaim katangellō, warning noutheteō everyone pas anthrōpos and kai teaching didaskō everyone pas anthrōpos with en all pas wisdom sophia, so hina that we may present paristēmi everyone pas anthrōpos mature teleios in en Christ Christos. 29 To eis this hos end · kai I labor kopiaō, striving agōnizomai according kata to · ho his autos power energeia that ho works energeō powerfully en in en me egō.

Greeting

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother.

To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and prayer for the Colossians

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. We’ve done this since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people. You have this faith and love because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You previously heard about this hope through the true message, the good news, which has come to you. This message has been bearing fruit and growing among you since the day you heard and truly understood God’s grace, in the same way that it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world. You learned it from Epaphras, who is the fellow slave we love and Christ’s faithful minister for your sake. He informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

Hymn about Christ’s work

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God,
        the one who is first over all creation,[a]

16 Because all things were created by him:
        both in the heavens and on the earth,
        the things that are visible and the things that are invisible.
            Whether they are thrones or powers,
            or rulers or authorities,
        all things were created through him and for him.

17 He existed before all things,
        and all things are held together in him.

18 He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning,
        the one who is firstborn from among the dead[b]
        so that he might occupy the first place in everything.

19 Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him,
20         and he reconciled all things to himself through him—
        whether things on earth or in the heavens.
            He brought peace through the blood of his cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. 23 But you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from the hope given in the good news that you heard. This message has been preached throughout all creation under heaven. And I, Paul, became a servant of this good news.

Paul’s service for the church

24 Now I’m happy to be suffering for you. I’m completing what is missing from Christ’s sufferings with my own body. I’m doing this for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I became a servant of the church by God’s commission, which was given to me for you, in order to complete God’s word. 26 I’m completing it with a secret plan[c] that has been hidden for ages and generations but which has now been revealed to his holy people. 27 God wanted to make the glorious riches of this secret plan[d] known among the Gentiles, which is Christ living in you, the hope of glory. 28 This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ. 29 I work hard and struggle for this goal with his energy, which works in me powerfully.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:15 Or firstborn of all creation
  2. Colossians 1:18 Or first over the dead
  3. Colossians 1:26 Or mystery
  4. Colossians 1:27 Or mystery