Col 1 | NASB2020 | STEP | Paul , an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God , and Timothy our brother ,

Colossians 1

Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments

1 ^aPaul, ^ban apostle of Christ Jesus ^{▼▼Lit through
,} ^dby the will of God, and ^eTimothy ^{▼▼Lit the}our brother,

2 To the ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
,} ^hsaints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: ⁱGrace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 ^jWe ^{▼▼Or always give...praying for you}give thanks to God, ^lthe Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 ^msince we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the ⁿlove which you have ^{▼▼Or toward}for ^pall the ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints; 5 because of the ^rhope ^sreserved for you in ^{▼▼Lit the heavens}heaven, of which you previously ^uheard in the word of truth, ^{▼▼Or of the gospel}the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as ^{▼▼Or it is in all the world also, bearing
,} ^xin all the world also it is bearing ^yfruit and ^{▼▼Or spreading abroad}increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you ^aaheard it and ^{▼▼Or came to fully know}understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from ^acEpaphras, our ^adbeloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your ^aelove in the Spirit.

9 For this reason we also, ^afsince the day we heard about it, ^aghave not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the ^{▼▼Or real knowledge
,} ^aiknowledge of His will in all spiritual ^ajwisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will ^akwalk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^{▼▼Lit unto all pleasing
,} ^amto please Him in all respects, ^anbearing fruit in every good work and ^{▼▼Or growing by the knowledge}increasing in the ^{▼▼Or real knowledge}knowledge of God; 11 ^aqstrengthened with all power, according to ^{▼▼Lit the might of His glory}His glorious might, ^{▼▼Lit unto all}for the attaining of all perseverance and ^{▼▼Or patience with joy}patience; ^aujoyously 12 giving thanks to ^avthe Father, who has qualified us ^{▼▼Lit unto the portion of}to share in ^axthe inheritance of the ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints in ^azlight.

The Incomparable Christ

13 ^{▼▼Lit Who rescued}For He rescued us from the ^{▼▼Lit authority
,} ^bcdomain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of ^{▼▼Lit the Son of His love
,} ^beHis beloved Son, 14 ^bfin whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 ^{▼▼Lit Who is}He is the ^bhimage of the ^biinvisible God, the ^bjfirstborn of all creation: 16 for ^{▼▼Or in
,} ^blby Him all things were created, ^bmboth in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^bnthrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities-- ^boall things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He ^{▼▼Or has existed prior to
,} ^bqis before all things, and in Him all things ^{▼▼Or endure}hold together. 18 He is also the ^bshead of ^btthe body, the church; and He is ^buthe beginning, ^bvthe firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For ^{▼▼Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell}it was ^bxthe Father’s good pleasure for all ^bythe ^{▼▼I.e., fullness of deity}fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to ^careconcile all things to Himself, ^cbwhether things on earth or things in ^{▼▼Lit the heavens}heaven, having made ^cdpeace through ^cethe blood of His cross.

21 And although you were ^cfpreviously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now ^cgreconciled you in His ^chbody of flesh through death, in order to ^cipresent you before Him ^cjholy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 23 if indeed you continue in ^{▼▼Or in faith}the faith firmly ^clestablished and steadfast, and not shifting from the ^cmhope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^cnin all creation under heaven, ^coand of which I, Paul, ^{▼▼Lit became}was made a ^{▼▼Or servant
,} ^crminister.

24 ^csNow I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^ctI am supplementing what is lacking ^{▼▼Lit of}in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of ^cvHis body, which is the church. 25 ^cwI ^{▼▼Lit became}was made a minister of this church according to the ^cycommission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might ^{▼▼Lit make full the word of God}fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, ^dathe mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His ^{▼▼Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people}saints, 27 to whom ^dcGod willed to make known what ^ddthe wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is ^deChrist in you, the ^dfhope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, ^dgadmonishing every person and teaching every person ^{▼▼Lit in}with all ^diwisdom, so that we may ^djpresent every person ^{▼▼Or perfect
,} ^dlcomplete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also ^dmlabor, ^dnstriving ^doaccording to His ^{▼▼Lit working}power which ^{▼▼Lit in power}works mightily within me.