Col 1 | ISV | STEP | The Letter of Paul to the Colossians Greetings from Paul From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1

He will change our humble bodies and make them like his glorious body through the power that enables him to bring everything under his authority.1Cor 15:26-27, 43, 48-49; Eph 1:19; Col 3:4; 1John 3:2

1 The Letter of Paul to the ColossiansGreetings from PaulFrom ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks From} Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,Eph 1:1 2 to the holy ^{▼▼Or to the saints} and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with Christ.1Cor 4:17; Gal 1:3; Eph 6:21

May grace and peace from God our Father ^{▼▼Other mss. read from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ} be yours! 3 Paul's Prayer for the ColossiansWe give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,1Cor 1:4; Eph 1:16 4 because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, 5 based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope ^{▼▼Lit. about it} in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and spreading all over the world, so it has been doing ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks it has been doing} among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned about this gospel ^{▼▼Lit. Just as you learned} from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your ^{▼▼Other mss. read our} behalf. 8 He has told us about your love in the Spirit.Rom 15:30

9 Christ Is Above AllFor this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God's ^{▼▼Lit. his} will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,Rom 12:2; 1Cor 1:5; Eph 1:8, 15-16; Col 1:3-4 10 so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him ^{▼▼Lit. to all pleasing} as you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the full knowledge of God.John 15:16; 2Cor 9:8; Eph 4:1; Phil 1:11, 27; 1Thes 2:12; 4:1; Titus 3:1; Heb 13:21 11 You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joyActs 5:41; Rom 5:3; Eph 3:16; 4:2; 6:10 12 and might thank the Father, who has enabled us ^{▼▼Other mss. read you} to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.Acts 26:18; Eph 1:11; 5:20; Col 3:15 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves.Eph 6:12; 1Thes 2:12; Heb 2:14; 1Pet 2:9; 2Pet 1:11 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Eph 1:7

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.2Cor 4:4; Heb 1:3; Rev 3:14 16 For by ^{▼▼Or in} him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, ^{▼▼Lit. thrones} lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.John 1:3; Rom 8:38; 11:36; 1Cor 8:6; Eph 1:21; 3:9; Col 2:10, 15; Heb 1:2; 2:10; 1Pet 3:22 17 He himself existed before all things, and by ^{▼▼Or in} him all things hold together.John 1:1, 3; 17:5; 1Cor 8:6 18 He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might have first place in everything.Acts 26:23; 1Cor 11:3; Eph 1:10, 22; 4:15; 5:23; Rev 1:5 19 For God ^{▼▼Lit. he} was pleased to have all of his fullness live in him.John 1:16; 3:34; Col 2:9; 3:11 20 Through him he also reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, thus making peace through the blood of his cross.2Cor 5:18; Eph 1:10; 2:14-16

21 You who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ^{▼▼Lit. in evil deeds}Eph 2:1-2, 12, 19; 4:18; Titus 1:15-16 22 he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body so that he might present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him.Luke 1:75; Eph 1:4; 2:15-16; 5:27; 1Thes 4:7; Titus 2:14; Jude 1:24 23 However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. ^{▼▼Or minister}John 15:6; Acts 1:17; Rom 10:18; 2Cor 3:6; 4:1; 5:18; Eph 3:7, 17; Col 2:7; 3:25; 1:6; 1Tim 2:7

24 Paul's Service in the ChurchNow I am rejoicing in my sufferings for you and completing in my flesh whatever remains of Christ's sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church.Rom 5:3; 2Cor 1:5-6; 7:4; Eph 1:23; Phil 3:10; 2Tim 1:8; 2:10 25 I became its servant ^{▼▼Or minister} according to God's commission that was given to me for you, so that I might fulfill the ministry of ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks the ministry of} the word of God.1Cor 9:17; Gal 2:7; Eph 3:2; Col 3:23 26 This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,Matt 13:11; Rom 16:25; 1Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9; 2Tim 1:10 27 to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the Gentiles—which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.Rom 9:23; 2Cor 2:14; Eph 1:7; 3:8; 1Tim 1:1 28 It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish everyone and teach everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature ^{▼▼Or complete} in Christ.Acts 20:20, 27, 31; 2Cor 11:2; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22 29 I work hard and struggle to do this according to his energy that powerfully works in me.1Cor 15:10; Eph 1:19; Col 2:1