Colossians 1
New American Standard Bible
Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments
1 (A)Paul, (B)an apostle of Christ Jesus [a](C)by the will of God, and (D)Timothy [b]our brother,
2 To the [c](E)saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 (G)We [d]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 [e]for (K)all the [f]saints; 5 because of the (L)hope (M)reserved for you in [g]heaven, of which you previously (N)heard in the word of truth, [h]the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as [i](O)in all the world also it is bearing (P)fruit and [j]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you (Q)heard it and [k]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 we also, (U)since the day we heard about it, (V)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the [l](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, [m](Z)to please Him in all respects, (AA)bearing fruit in every good work and [n]increasing in the [o]knowledge of God; 11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to [p]His glorious might, [q]for the attaining of all perseverance and [r]patience; (AC)joyously 12 giving thanks to (AD)the Father, who has qualified us [s]to share in (AE)the inheritance of the [t]saints in (AF)light.
The Incomparable Christ
13 [u]For He rescued us from the [v](AG)domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of [w](AH)His beloved Son, 14 (AI)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 [x]He is the (AJ)image of the (AK)invisible God, the (AL)firstborn of all creation: 16 for [y](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 [z](AQ)is before all things, and in Him all things [aa]hold together. 18 He is also the (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 [ab]it was (AV)the Father’s good pleasure for all (AW)the [ac]fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to (AX)reconcile all things to Himself, (AY)whether things on earth or things in [ad]heaven, having made (AZ)peace through (BA)the blood of His cross.
21 And although you were (BB)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now (BC)reconciled you in His (BD)body of flesh through death, in order to (BE)present you before Him (BF)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in [ae]the faith firmly (BG)established and steadfast, and not shifting 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, [af]was made a [ag](BK)minister.
24 (BL)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I am supplementing what is lacking [ah]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of (BN)His body, which is the church. 25 (BO)I [ai]was made a minister of this church according to the (BP)commission from God granted to 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 had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His [ak]saints, 27 to whom (BR)God willed to make known what (BS)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is (BT)Christ in you, the (BU)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (BV)admonishing every person and teaching every person [al]with all (BW)wisdom, so that we may (BX)present every person [am](BY)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also (BZ)labor, (CA)striving (CB)according to His [an]power which [ao]works mightily within me.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 Lit through
- Colossians 1:1 Lit the
- Colossians 1:2 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:3 Or always give...praying for you
- Colossians 1:4 Or toward
- Colossians 1:4 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:5 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:5 Or of the gospel
- Colossians 1:6 Or it is in all the world also, bearing
- Colossians 1:6 Or spreading abroad
- Colossians 1:6 Or came to fully know
- Colossians 1:9 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Lit unto all pleasing
- Colossians 1:10 Or growing by the knowledge
- Colossians 1:10 Or real knowledge
- Colossians 1:11 Lit the might of His glory
- Colossians 1:11 Lit unto all
- Colossians 1:11 Or patience with joy
- Colossians 1:12 Lit unto the portion of
- Colossians 1:12 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:13 Lit Who rescued
- Colossians 1:13 Lit authority
- Colossians 1:13 Lit the Son of His love
- Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is
- Colossians 1:16 Or in
- Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
- Colossians 1:17 Or endure
- Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
- Colossians 1:19 I.e., fullness of deity
- Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens
- Colossians 1:23 Or in faith
- Colossians 1:23 Lit became
- Colossians 1:23 Or servant
- Colossians 1:24 Lit of
- Colossians 1:25 Lit became
- Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
- Colossians 1:26 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:28 Lit in
- Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
- Colossians 1:29 Lit working
- Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
Colossians 1
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
1 Paul[a], an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints[b] and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We Thank God For Your Faith And Love
3 We are giving-thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always while praying for you, 4 having heard-of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope being reserved for you in the heavens, which[c] you previously-heard-of in the word of the truth— the good-news 6 coming to you, just as also in[d] all the world it is bearing-fruit and growing, just as it is doing also in[e] you from which day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth[f], 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-slave who is a faithful servant[g] of Christ on your behalf, 8 the one also having made-clear to us your love in[h] the Spirit.
May You Walk Worthily of God, Who Transferred Us Into The Kingdom of His Son
9 For this reason we also, from which day we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge[i] of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding[j], 10 so that you may walk worthily of the Lord, toward total[k] pleasing [of Him]— bearing-fruit in every good work and growing in[l] the knowledge of God; 11 being empowered with all power according-to[m] the might of [n] His glory, toward total[o] endurance and patience; with joy[p] 12 giving-thanks to the Father having qualified you for your part[q] of the share[r] of [s] the saints[t] in the light[u], 13 Who delivered[v] us out of the authority[w] of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of [x] His love, 14 in Whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins—
The Son Is The Preeminent Head of All Creation, Because He Created All Things
15 ... Who is the image[y] of the invisible God, the firstborn[z] of [aa] all creation[ab], 16 because all things were created by[ac] Him in the heavens and on the earth, the visible things and the invisible things— whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He Himself is before all things, and all things have existence[ad] in Him. 18 And He Himself is the head of the body, the church.
The Son Is First In Everything, Because God Reconciled All Things Through Him
... Who is the beginning[ae], the firstborn from the dead, in order that He Himself might come-to-be holding-first-place in all things, 19 because the Father[af] was well-pleased that all the fullness[ag] should dwell in Him 20 and that He should reconcile all things through Him to Himself, having made-peace through the blood of His cross— through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.
Indeed, You Yourselves Were Reconciled By Him
21 Indeed you were formerly being excluded, and were enemies[ah] in the mind in-connection-with evil works. 22 But now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh[ai] through His death, that He might present you holy and without-blemish and blameless in His presence— 23 if indeed[aj] you continue in the faith, having been founded, and steadfast, and not being moved-away from the hope of the good-news which you heard, the one having been proclaimed in[ak] all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister[al].
I Am Suffering To Fulfill My Stewardship of God’s Now Revealed Mystery: Christ In You
24 Now I am rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling-up-in-turn[am] the things lacking from the afflictions of Christ[an], for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according-to[ao] the stewardship[ap] of God having been given to me for you, that I might fulfill[aq] the word of God— 26 the mystery having been hidden from the past ages and from the past generations. But now it was revealed to His saints, 27 to whom God willed[ar] to make-known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles— which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, 28 Whom we are proclaiming, admonishing every person, and teaching every person with all wisdom, in order that we may present every person mature[as] in Christ, 29 for which[at] I also am laboring, struggling[au] according to His working being at-work[av] in me with power.
Footnotes
- Colossians 1:1 On when this book was written, see Acts 28:30.
- Colossians 1:2 Or, holy and.
- Colossians 1:5 That is, which hope.
- Colossians 1:6 That is, in the sphere of.
- Colossians 1:6 Or, among you.
- Colossians 1:6 That is, in reality, heard and truly understood. Or, the grace of God in its true form, as opposed to the false teaching; the true grace of God.
- Colossians 1:7 Or, minister.
- Colossians 1:8 That is, in the sphere of, in connection with, in union with.
- Colossians 1:9 Or, full-knowledge.
- Colossians 1:9 Or, wisdom and spiritual understanding.
- Colossians 1:10 Or, for pleasing [Him] in every respect.
- Colossians 1:10 Or, by.
- Colossians 1:11 That is, based on, in accordance with.
- Colossians 1:11 That is, belonging to; or, characterized by (His glorious might).
- Colossians 1:11 Or, for endurance and patience in every respect.
- Colossians 1:11 Or, patience with joy; giving thanks to.
- Colossians 1:12 Or, share, portion.
- Colossians 1:12 Or, allotment, lot.
- Colossians 1:12 That is, belonging to.
- Colossians 1:12 Or, holy ones.
- Colossians 1:12 That is, your share of the allotted inheritance... found in the kingdom or realm of light; or, having qualified you... by the light; or, of the saints who are in the light (heaven).
- Colossians 1:13 Or, rescued.
- Colossians 1:13 Or, jurisdiction, dominion.
- Colossians 1:13 That is, the Son who is the object of His Love, and thus, His beloved Son.
- Colossians 1:15 Or, likeness, form. That is, the visible expression; or, the personal eternal likeness.
- Colossians 1:15 That is, the one having first status, holding first place; the preeminent one.
- Colossians 1:15 That is, before; or, in-relation-to.
- Colossians 1:15 Or, every created thing.
- Colossians 1:16 Or, in, in relation to.
- Colossians 1:17 Or, hold-together.
- Colossians 1:18 Or, beginner (cause, source, founder); ruler.
- Colossians 1:19 Or, because all the fullness was well-pleased to dwell in Him and to reconcile.
- Colossians 1:19 That is, God in all His fullness.
- Colossians 1:21 Or, hostile.
- Colossians 1:22 That is, His fleshly body.
- Colossians 1:23 That is, assuming that.
- Colossians 1:23 That is, in the sphere of.
- Colossians 1:23 Or, servant.
- Colossians 1:24 That is, filling-up-on-my-part, in contrast to Christ’s part. Or, filling-up.
- Colossians 1:24 That is, lacking from the afflictions belonging to the Christ (Messiah’s full measure of sorrows, suffered personally while He was on earth, and by His people now); or, lacking from Christ’s afflictions (which He is now experiencing in union with His people); or, lacking from my afflictions for Christ.
- Colossians 1:25 Or, based on, by way of.
- Colossians 1:25 That is, position of management responsibility.
- Colossians 1:25 Or, complete.
- Colossians 1:27 Or, wanted, wished.
- Colossians 1:28 Or, perfect, full-grown, finished.
- Colossians 1:29 That is, to which end.
- Colossians 1:29 Or, striving, fighting.
- Colossians 1:29 Or, in operation.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
