Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Salutation

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

² To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ who are at Colosse:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thankfulness for the Colossians

³ We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. ⁴ For we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, ⁵ because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as it has in all the world, and brings forth fruit, as it has also in you, since the day you heard it and knew the grace of God in truth. ⁷ And you also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you, ⁸ who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

The Person and Work of Christ

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing to all, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, enduring everything with perseverance and patience joyfully, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of every creature. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence. ¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, I say—whether they are things in earth, or things in heaven.

²¹ And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight, ²³ if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and are not removed from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Ministry to the Church

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up in my flesh that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. ²⁵ I have been made a servant of it according to the commission of God, which has been given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ²⁶ even the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now is revealed to His saints. ²⁷ To them God would make known what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the nations. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory, ²⁸ whom we preach, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present them perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ In this I labor, striving according to His power, which effectively works in me.

2 I would like you to know what a great struggle I am having for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for everyone who has not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and receive all the riches and assurance of full understanding, and knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ Now this I say lest anyone beguile you with enticing words. ⁵ For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your orderliness and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Fullness of Life in Christ

⁶ As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, and abounding with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest anyone captivate you through philosophy and vain deceit, in the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world, and not after Christ.

⁹ For in Him lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰ And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all authority and power. ¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised with Him through the faith of the power of God, who has raised Him from the dead.

¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. ¹⁴ He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.

¹⁶ Therefore let no one judge you regarding food, or drink, or in respect of a holy day or new moon or sabbath days. ¹⁷ These are shadows of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone cheat you of your reward by delighting in false humility and the worship of angels, dwelling on those things which he has not seen, vainly arrogant due to his unspiritual mind, ¹⁹ and not supporting the head, from which the entire body, nourished and knit together by joints and sinews, grows as God gives the increase.

The New Life in Christ

²⁰ Therefore, if you died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you subject yourself to legalistic rules? ²¹ “Do not touch! Do not taste! Do not handle!” ²² These all are to perish with use and are aligned with the commandments and doctrines of men. ²³ These things have indeed a show of wisdom in self-imposed worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but are worthless against the indulgence of the flesh.