Beginning
Thanksgiving for the gospel’s work
1 Paul, an apostle of Messiah Jesus by God’s purpose, and Timothy my brother; 2 to God’s holy people in Colossae, the Messiah’s faithful family; grace to you and peace, from God our father.
3 We always thank God, the father of our Lord, Messiah Jesus, when we pray for you, 4 because we’ve heard of your faith in Messiah Jesus and the love you have for all God’s holy people, 5 because of the hope which is kept safe for you in the heavenly places. You heard about this before in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has arrived on your doorstep—just as, in fact, it’s producing fruit and growing in all the world, as it has been among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. 7 That’s how you learnt it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave. He’s a loyal and faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf. 8 He it was who gave us the news about your love in the spirit.
Prayer for wisdom and gratitude
9 For this reason, from the day we heard it, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We’re asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 This will mean that you’ll be able to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, and so give him real delight, as you bear fruit in every good work and grow up in the knowledge of God. 11 I pray that you’ll be given all possible strength, according to the power of his glory, so that you’ll have complete patience and become truly steadfast and joyful.
12 And I pray that you will learn to give thanks to the father, who has made you fit to share the inheritance of God’s holy ones in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son. 14 He is the one in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
In praise of Jesus Christ
15 He is the image of God, the invisible one, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For in him all things were created,
in the heavens and here on the earth.
Things we can see and things we cannot,
—thrones and lordships and rulers and powers—
all things were created both through him and for him.
17 And he is ahead, prior to all else
and in him all things hold together;
18 and he himself is supreme, the head
over the body, the church.
He is the start of it all,
firstborn from realms of the dead;
so in all things he might be the chief.
19 For in him all the Fullness was glad to dwell
20 and through him to reconcile all to himself,
making peace through the blood of his cross,
through him—yes, things on the earth,
and also the things in the heavens.
Reconciled and firm in faith
21 So what about you? Well, there was a time when you were excluded! You were enemies in your thinking, and in wicked behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you in the body of his flesh, through death, in order to bring you into his presence holy, blameless and without any accusation.
23 This assumes, of course, that you keep firmly on in the faith—by which I mean, solid on your foundations, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard. This gospel, after all, has been announced in all creation under heaven! And this is the gospel of which I, Paul, became a servant.
The Messiah, living within you
24 Right now I’m having a celebration—a celebration of my sufferings, which are for your benefit! And I’m steadily completing, in my own flesh, what is presently lacking in the Messiah’s afflictions on behalf of his body, which is the church. 25 I became the church’s servant, according to the terms laid down by God when he gave me my commission on your behalf, the commission to fulfill God’s word.
26 This word declares the mystery that was kept secret from past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to God’s holy people. 27 God’s intention was to make known to them just what rich glory this mystery contains, out there among the nations. And this is the key: the Messiah, living within you as the hope of glory!
28 He is the one we are proclaiming. We are instructing everybody and teaching everybody in every kind of wisdom, so that we can present everybody grown up, complete, in the Messiah. 29 That’s what I am working for, struggling with all his energy which is powerfully at work within me.
God’s hidden treasure—Messiah Jesus!
2 You see, I’d like you to know just what a struggle I am having on behalf of yourselves, and the family in Laodicea, and all the people who don’t know me by sight. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged as they’re brought together in love. I want them to experience all the wealth of definite understanding, and to come to the knowledge of God’s mystery—the Messiah! 3 He is the place where you’ll find all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I’m saying this so that nobody will deceive you with plausible words. 5 Though I’m away from you in person, you see, I am present with you in the spirit, and I’m celebrating as I keep an eye on your good order, and the solidity of your faith in the Messiah.
6 So, then, just as you received Messiah Jesus the Lord, you must continue your journey in him. 7 You must put down healthy roots in him, being built up brick by brick in him, and established strongly in the faith, just as you were taught, with overflowing thankfulness.
Beware of deceivers
8 Watch out that nobody uses philosophy and hollow trickery to take you captive! These are in line with human tradition, and with the “elements of the world”—not with the Messiah. 9 In him, you see, all the full measure of divinity has taken up bodily residence. 10 What’s more, you are fulfilled in him, since he’s the head of all rule and authority.
11 In him, indeed, you were circumcised with a special, new type of circumcision. It isn’t something that human hands can do. It is the Messiah’s version of circumcision, and it happens when you put off the “body of flesh”: 12 when you’re buried with him in baptism, and indeed also raised with him, through faith in the power of the God who raised him from the dead.
The law and the cross
13 In the same way, though you were dead in legal offenses, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Jesus, forgiving us all our offenses. 14 He blotted out the handwriting that was against us, opposing us with its legal demands. He took it right out of the way, by nailing it to the cross. 15 He stripped the rulers and authorities of their armor, and displayed them contemptuously to public view, celebrating his triumph over them in him.
16 So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in a question of food or drink, or in the matter of festivals, new moons or sabbaths. 17 These things are a shadow cast by the coming reality—and the body that casts the shadow belongs to the Messiah! 18 Don’t let anyone rule you out of order by trying to force you into a kind of fake humility, or into worshiping angels. Such people will go on and on about visions they’ve had; they get puffed up without good reason by merely human thinking, 19 and they don’t keep hold of the Head. It’s from him that the whole body grows with the growth God gives it, as it’s nourished and held together by its various ligaments and joints.
Dying and rising with Christ
20 If you died with the Messiah, coming out from the rule of the “worldly elements,” what’s the point of laying down laws as though your life was still merely worldly? 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!” 22 Rules like that all have to do with things that disappear as you use them. They are the sort of regulations and teachings that mere humans invent. 23 They may give an appearance of wisdom, since they promote a do-it-yourself religion, a kind of humility, and severe treatment of the body. But they are of no use when it comes to dealing with physical self-indulgence.
3 So if you were raised to life with the Messiah, search for the things that are above, where the Messiah is seated at God’s right hand! 2 Think about the things that are above, not the things that belong on the earth. 3 Don’t you see: you died, and your life has been hidden with the Messiah, in God! 4 When the Messiah is revealed (and he is your life, remember), then you too will be revealed with him in glory.
Old clothes, new clothes
5 So, then, you must kill off the parts of you that belong on the earth: illicit sexual behavior, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and greed (which is a form of idolatry). 6 It’s because of these things that God’s wrath comes on the children of disobedience. 7 You too used to behave like that, once, when your life consisted of that sort of thing.
8 But now you must put away the lot of them: anger, rage, wickedness, blasphemy, dirty talk coming out of your mouth. 9 Don’t tell lies to each other! You have stripped off the old human nature, complete with its patterns of behavior, 10 and you have put on the new one—which is being renewed in the image of the creator, bringing you into possession of new knowledge. 11 In this new humanity there is no question of “Greek and Jew,” or “circumcised and uncircumcised,” of “barbarian, Scythian,” or “slave and free.” The Messiah is everything and in everything!
Love, peace and thanksgiving
12 These are the clothes you must put on, then, since God has chosen you, made you holy, and lavished his love upon you. You must be tender-hearted, kind, humble, meek, and ready to put up with anything. 13 You must bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against someone else, you must forgive each other. Just as the master forgave you, you must do the same. 14 On top of all this you must put on love, which ties everything together and makes it complete. 15 Let the Messiah’s peace be the deciding factor in your hearts; that’s what you were called to, within the one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the Messiah’s word dwell richly among you, as you teach and exhort one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with grateful hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or action, do everything in the name of the master, Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the father.
The Christian household
18 Now a word for wives: you should be subject to your husbands. This is appropriate in the Lord. 19 And for husbands: you should treat your wives with love, and not be bitter with them. 20 And for children: obey your parents in everything; this pleases the Lord. 21 And for fathers: don’t provoke your children to anger, otherwise they might lose heart.
22 A word, too, for slaves: obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it simply out of show, to curry favor with human beings, but wholeheartedly, because you fear the Master. 23 Whatever you do, give it your very best, as if you were working for the Master and not for human beings. 24 After all, you know that you’re going to receive the true inheritance from the Master as your reward! It is the Master, the Messiah, that you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for wrongdoing, and there will be no favorites.
4 Here’s a word, too, for masters: do what is just and fair for your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master—in heaven.
The fellowship of prayer
2 Devote yourselves to prayer; keep alert in it, with thanksgiving. 3 While you’re about it, pray for us, too, that God will open in front of us a door for the word, so that we may speak of the mystery of the Messiah—which is why I’m here in chains. 4 Pray that I may speak clearly about it. That’s what I am duty-bound to do.
5 Behave wisely towards outsiders; buy up every opportunity. 6 When you speak, make sure it’s always full of grace, and well flavored with salt! That way you’ll know how to give each person an appropriate answer.
7 Our dear brother Tychicus will tell you all my news. He is a faithful servant, indeed a fellow slave in the Lord. 8 This is why I’m sending him to you—to let you know how things are with us, and to encourage your hearts. 9 I’m also sending Onesimus, who is a dear and faithful brother. He is one of your own number. They will tell you everything that’s going on here.
Greetings from others
10 Aristarchus (who’s in jail with me here) sends you greetings. So does Mark, Barnabas’s nephew. You’ve received instructions about him; if he comes to you, do make him welcome. 11 Jesus Justus sends greetings as well. These three are the only fellow Jews I have among my colleagues working for God’s kingdom, and they have been an encouragement to me.
12 Epaphras, one of your own folk and also one of Messiah Jesus’ slaves, sends you greetings. He’s always struggling in prayer on your behalf, praying that you will stand firm and mature, and have your minds fully settled on everything that God wants you to do. 13 I can bear him witness that he’s gone to a lot of trouble on your behalf, and also on behalf of the family in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends greetings; so too does Demas.
15 Pass my greetings on to the family in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 When this letter has been read to you, make sure it’s read in Laodicea as well; and you, too, should read the letter that will come on to you from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus: “Take care to complete the commission that you have received in the Lord.”
18 I’m signing off in my own hand: PAUL.
Remember the chains I’m wearing.
Grace be with you.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.