Colossians 1:12-29

12 agiving thanks
Or  patience, with joy giving thanks
to the Father, who has qualified you
Some manuscripts us
to share in dthe inheritance of the saints in light.
13He ehas delivered us from fthe domain of darkness and transferred us to gthe kingdom of hhis beloved Son, 14 iin whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

15 jHe is the image of kthe invisible God, lthe firstborn of all creation. 16For by
That is,  by means of; or in
him all things were created, nin heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether othrones or pdominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created qthrough him and for him.
17And rhe is before all things, and in him all things shold together. 18And the is the head of the body, the church. He is uthe beginning, vthe firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For win him all the xfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and ythrough him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, zmaking peace aaby the blood of his cross.

21 abAnd you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, acdoing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled adin his body of flesh by his death, aein order to present you holy and blameless and afabove reproach before him, 23 agif indeed you continue in the faith, ahstable and steadfast, not shifting from aithe hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed ajin all creation
Or to every creature
under heaven, aland of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul’s Ministry to the Church

24Now amI rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh anI am filling up aowhat is lacking in Christ’s afflictions apfor the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 aqof which I became a minister according to arthe stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 asthe mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 atTo them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are authe riches of the glory of avthis mystery, which is Christ in you, awthe hope of glory. 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that axwe may present everyone aymature in Christ. 29For this azI toil, bastruggling bbwith all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

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