Book of Common Prayer

1 I am Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. God wanted me to be an apostle.

² Timothy our brother, and I are writing this letter to God's people, the Christian brothers in the city of Colossae. May the kindness of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

³ We give thanks to God. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we ask God to bless you, we always thank him for you.

⁴ We have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus and love all of God's people.

⁵ And also, you are looking ahead to what you will have in heaven. You have heard about it already when the good news was told to you.

⁶ That message has reached you. It is doing good and it is spreading everywhere in the world. It is doing the same among you. It began the day you heard and understood God's blessing, which came to you in a clear way.

⁷ Epaphras taught you the truth. He is Christ's servant, as we are also, and we love him. He is a good worker to help you.

⁸ Also, it is he who told us of your love in the Spirit.

⁹ That is why we keep on talking to God about you since the day we heard about you. We ask him that you may know everything he wants you to do. We ask him that you may be very wise and that the Spirit will help you to understand.

¹⁰ We ask him that you will live the way the Lord wants you to live, so that you will please him in everything you do. We ask that you will do everything that is good. We ask that you will see the fruit from what you do. We ask that you will know more and more about God.

¹¹ God has wonderful power. And we ask him to give you all the strength you need to go through all your troubles, to be very patient in them, and to be happy.

¹² Thank the Father who has made us ready to be with the people of God who live in his light.

¹³ He has set us free from the kingdom where it is dark. And he has put us into the kingdom where his dear Son rules.

¹⁴ Because of his Son, we are set free and the wrong things we have done are forgiven.

³⁰ They said, `What big work will you do? We want to see it and believe you. What work are you are going to do?

^31-32 ur fathers ate bread in the wilderness. The holy writings say, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." ' Jesus said to them, `I tell you the truth. It was not Moses who gave you that bread from heaven. But my Father gives you true bread from heaven.

³³ He who comes down from heaven is the bread that God gives. He is the one who gives life to the world.'

⁴⁸ I am the bread that gives life.

⁴⁹ Your fathers ate bread in the desert long ago, but they died.

⁵⁰ Here is bread that comes down from heaven. The person who eats this bread will never die.

⁵¹ I am the bread that gives life. I came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever. I will give bread so that the world may live. I am that bread.'