Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

He gives thanks to God for their faith, love, and hope, and prays for their increase. He explains how we are the kingdom of God won by Christ, who is the head of the congregation.

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

² To the saints who are at Colosse and brethren who believe in Christ.

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

³ We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you ⁴ since we heard of the faith that you have in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you bear to all the saints, ⁵ for the sake of the hope that is laid up in store for you in heaven – of which hope you heard before by the true word of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you in the same way as it has into all the world, and is fruitful among you in the same way since the first day you heard it and had experience of the grace of God in the truth, ⁷ when you learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant. He is for you a faithful minister of Christ. ⁸ He also described to us the love that you have in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard of it, have not ceased praying for you, and asking that you be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, ¹⁰ so that you may walk worthy of the Lord in all things that please him, being fruitful in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ strengthened with all might through his glorious power to have all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, ¹² and giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through his blood; that is to say, the forgiveness of sins.

²⁵ And a certain doctor of the law stood up and tested him, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶ Jesus said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read it? ²⁷ And he answered and said, Love your Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.

²⁸ And Jesus said to him, You have answered right. This do, and you shall live. ²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, Who then is my neighbour?

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of thieves who robbed him of his clothing and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead. ³¹ And by chance there came a certain priest that same way. And when he saw him, he passed by. ³² And likewise a Levite, when he came near to the place, went and looked on him, and passed by. ³³ Then a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came near to him, and when he saw him had compassion on him, ³⁴ and went and bound up his wounds, and poured in oil and wine. And he put him on his own animal and brought him to a common inn, and made provision for him. ³⁵ And when he departed the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come back, I will recompense you. ³⁶ Which now of these three do you think was neighbour to the man that fell into the thieves’ hands?

³⁷ And the doctor of law said, He that showed mercy on him.

Then Jesus said to him, Go then and do likewise.