Chapter 1

  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 

  To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

  We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 

  having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints, 

  because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 

  which has come to you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 

  even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 

  who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 

  For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, haven't ceased to pray and make requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 

  to walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

  strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, to all patience and perseverance with joy; 

  giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 

  who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 

  in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins; 

  who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 

  For in him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and to him. 

  He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. 

  He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

  For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 

  and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross. Through him, I say, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens. 

  You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, 

  yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him, 

  if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant. 

  Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the assembly; 

  of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God, 

  the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, 

  to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, who is Christ in you, the hope of glory; 

  whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; 

  for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.