Colossians

11Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Some early copies leave out and {the} Lord Jesus Christ.

3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, 5because of the hope that is being reserved for you in the heavens, which you heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6which being present among you just as also in all the world, is bearing fruit and growing, just as also in you, from the day you heard {it} and learned about the grace of God in truth, 7just as you learned {it} from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, Some versions read, on your behalf. 8and the one having made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9Because of this, from the day we heard this, we also have not stopped praying for you and asking that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10to walk worthily of the Lord in every pleasing {way}, bearing fruit in every good deed and growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to the power of his glory to all endurance and patience with joy, 12giving thanks to the Father, the one having made you able to share the inheritance of the saints in the light. Some versions read, the one having made us able to have a share. 13He rescued us from the authority of the darkness and transferred {us} to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Some versions read, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For in him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible. Whether thrones or dominions or governments or authorities, all things have been created though him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself might become first among all things. 19For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, 20and to reconcile through him all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. 21At one time you also were alienated and enemies in thought, in evil deeds. 22But now you have been reconciled by the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, founded and firm and not being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, the one having been proclaimed to every creature {that is} under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a servant.

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh the lack of the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church, 25of which I became a servant according to the stewardship of God, the one having been given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26the mystery that had been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now having been revealed to his saints, 27to whom God desired to make known what {is} the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29For this also I labor, striving according to his working, the one working in me in power.

21For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and the ones at Laodicea and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh 2so that their hearts might be encouraged, having been brought together in love and into all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, into knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, 3in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. 4I say this so that no one might deceive you with persuasive speech. 5For even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ.

6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7being rooted and built up in him and confirmed in the faith just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8Beware lest someone will be the one taking you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental teaching of the world, and not according to Christ. 9For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, 10and you are filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority, 11in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and in whom you were raised up through faith in the power of God, the one having raised him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all of our trespasses, Some older versions read, having forgiven you all of your trespasses. 14having canceled the written record of the decrees against us, which were opposed to us, and he has taken {it} out from our midst, having nailed it to the cross; 15having stripped the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of {them}, having triumphed over them in it.

16Therefore, do not let anyone judge you in food or in drink or in regard to a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of the things coming, but the body {is} of Christ. 18Let no one delighting in false humility and worship of the angels deprive you of your prize, standing on things he has seen, becoming puffed up without cause by the mind of his flesh 19and not holding fast to the head, from which the whole body, being supplied and held together through the joints and ligaments, grows with the growth from God.

20If you died with Christ from the elemental principles of the world, why, as living in the world, are you being subjected to its decrees: 21“You may not handle, nor taste, nor touch!” 22which are all for destruction with the use, according to the commands and teachings of men; 23which, having indeed a word of wisdom in self-made religion and false humility {and} severity of the body, are not of any value against indulgence of the flesh.

31If, therefore, you were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2Think about the things above, not the things on the earth. 3For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, your life, Some versions read, our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, the members {that are} on the earth—sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and envy, which is idolatry, 6because of which the wrath of God is coming, Some ancient copies add on the sons of disobedience. 7in which you also formerly walked when you were living in them. 8But now you must also lay aside all {such things}—wrath, anger, evil desire, slander, {and} obscene speech from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, having taken off the old man with its practices 10and having put on the new man being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one having created it; 11where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman, but Christ {is} all, and in all.

12Therefore, as chosen ones of God, holy and beloved, put on inner parts of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, {and} patience, 13bearing with one another and being gracious to each other if someone may have a complaint against someone else; just as also the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14But above all these things, love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and become thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And everything, whatever you might do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

18Wives, be subjected to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them. 20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they may not be discouraged. 22Slaves, obey your masters according to the flesh in all things, not with eyeservice as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23Whatever you might do, work from the soul as to the Lord and not to men, 24knowing that you will receive from the Lord the reward of the inheritance. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25For the one doing unrighteousness will receive what he did unrighteously, and there is no favoritism.

41Masters, give to your slaves {what is} right and fair, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.

2Continue steadfastly in prayer, staying alert in it in thanksgiving, 3praying together for us also so that God may open a door to us for the word to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which also I have been bound, 4in order that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak. 5Walk in wisdom toward the ones outside, redeeming the time, 6your words always with grace, seasoned with salt, to know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

7All the things concerning me, Tychicus will make known to you, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, 8whom I sent to you for this very {reason}, so that you might know the things concerning us Some older versions read, so that he might know the {things} concerning you and that he might encourage your hearts. 9Together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother who is from among you, they will make known to you all the things here.

10Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received orders; if he may come to you, receive him), 11and Jesus, the one called Justus. These {are} the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God being from the circumcision, who were a comfort to me. 12Epaphras greets you. He {is} from among you, a servant of Christ Jesus, always striving on behalf of you in prayers so that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God. 13For I testify for him that he has much hard labor on behalf of you and of the ones in Laodicea and of the ones in Hierapolis. 14Luke, the beloved physician, greets you, and also Demas. 15Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha, and the church in her house. 16And when this letter has been read among you, make sure that it would be read also in the church of Laodicea and that you also would read the one from Laodicea. 17And say to Archippus, “Look to the ministry that you have received in the Lord so that you may fulfill it.”

18This greeting {is} by my {own} hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace {be} with you.