Colossians

The epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians, chapter 1, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 1 New English Translation

Salutation

   1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father!

Paul's Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

   3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 5 Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave - a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf - 8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul's Prayer for the Growth of the Church

   9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may live worthily of the LORD and please him in all respects - bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

   15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
   16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him - all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers - all things were created through him and for him.
   17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
   18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
   19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son
   20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross - through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Paul's Goal in Ministry

   21 And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, 22 but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him - 23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.
   24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body - for the sake of his body, the church - what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. 25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God - given to me for you - in order to complete the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. 29 Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

King James Version

   1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
   2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
   3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
   4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
   5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
   6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
   7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
   8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
   9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
   10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
   11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
   12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
   13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
   14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
   15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
   16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
   17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
   18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
   19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
   20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
   21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
   22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
   23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
   24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
   25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
   26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
   27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
   28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
   29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.