Colossians 1

Greetings from Paul and Timothy

(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ‡ 2Co 1:11Co 1:1Phm 1:11Th 1:1Php 1:1Rom 1:11Th 3:22Th 1:1 +1

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: ‡ 2Pe 1:2Eph 1:11Co 1:2Rom 1:7Rev 1:4Gal 1:3Psa 16:31Co 4:17 +4

Grace and peace to you from God our Father. ¹

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ‡ 1Th 1:22Ti 1:3Col 1:9Rom 1:8-91Co 1:4Php 1:3-51Th 3:10-13Col 1:13 +54 because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints— ‡ Eph 1:152Th 1:31Th 1:3Heb 6:10Phm 1:51Jn 4:163Jn 1:3-4Gal 5:6 +75 the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel ‡ 1Pe 1:3-4Eph 1:132Ti 4:8Tit 1:2Col 1:271Co 15:191Pe 2:2Col 1:23 +216 that has come to you. ‡ Jhn 15:16Php 1:11Col 1:231Pe 5:12Rom 10:17-18Rom 16:26Tit 2:11-121Pe 1:2-3 +27

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our ²behalf, ‡ Col 4:12Phm 1:23Col 4:7Heb 2:171Co 4:22Ti 2:2Heb 3:21Co 4:17 +98 and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit. ‡ Rom 15:302Ti 1:7Gal 5:22Rom 5:5Col 1:41Pe 1:22

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ‡ Jas 3:17Php 1:9-11Jas 1:5Eph 1:15-201Th 5:17Col 4:51Pe 2:15Heb 13:21 +2610 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ‡ Eph 4:1Heb 13:212Pe 1:2-3Jhn 15:161Jn 3:221Th 4:1Heb 13:16Jhn 15:8 +3311 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully ‡ Eph 3:16Php 4:13Eph 4:2Eph 6:10Rom 5:3-52Co 12:9-102Co 4:7Jas 1:2-4 +1712 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you ³to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. ‡ Act 20:32Eph 1:11Eph 1:18Act 26:18Eph 3:6Rom 8:171Pe 1:2-52Co 5:5 +38

13 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, ‡ Eph 5:8Act 26:181Pe 2:9Tit 3:3-61Th 2:12Eph 6:121Co 6:9-11Eph 4:18 +2914 in whom we have redemption, ⁴ the forgiveness of sins. ‡ Eph 1:7Rom 3:24-251Pe 1:19-20Heb 9:12Heb 9:22Rev 5:9Act 13:38-39Gal 3:13 +23

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ‡ Heb 1:3Jhn 14:9Jhn 1:12Co 4:4Jhn 1:18Jhn 1:14Psa 89:272Co 4:6 +1516 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. ‡ Rom 11:36Jhn 1:31Co 8:6Heb 2:101Ch 29:11Heb 1:2Eph 1:10Isa 44:24 +18

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ‡ Heb 1:31Co 8:6Act 17:28Jhn 1:1-3Jhn 17:5Jhn 8:58Col 1:15Psa 75:3 +1118 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. ‡ Eph 1:22-23Rev 1:5Eph 4:15-161Co 15:20-23Act 26:23Mat 28:18Psa 89:271Co 11:3 +2619 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, ‡ Col 2:9Jhn 1:16Eph 1:23Col 2:3Col 3:11Jhn 3:34Eph 1:3Eph 4:10 +320 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. ‡ 2Co 5:18-21Eph 1:101Jn 4:9-10Col 1:21-22Eph 2:13-17Heb 2:17Isa 9:6-7Rom 5:1 +11

21 Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. ‡ Eph 2:12Tit 3:3-7Eph 2:1-3Eph 4:18Rom 5:9-10Eph 2:19Rom 8:7-81Co 6:9-11 +322 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— ‡ Eph 5:27Eph 1:4Jud 1:24Heb 10:10Tit 2:14Rom 7:4Heb 10:202Co 11:2 +823 if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature ⁵under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. ‡ Heb 3:14Heb 3:6Mat 24:13-14Gal 6:9Heb 10:38Act 14:22Col 1:5-6Rom 10:18 +61

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. ‡ Rom 5:32Ti 1:82Co 1:5-82Ti 2:9-10Php 3:102Co 7:4Eph 3:13Jas 1:2 +825 I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, ‡ Eph 3:2Col 1:23Gal 2:7-82Ti 4:2-51Th 3:21Ti 4:6Rom 15:15-191Co 9:17 26 the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. ‡ Luk 8:10Rom 16:25-26Eph 3:3-101Co 2:72Ti 1:10Mat 13:11Mrk 4:11Psa 25:14 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ‡ Jhn 14:20Rom 8:10Eph 3:16-171Jn 4:4Gal 2:201Co 3:16Rev 3:20Jhn 14:17 +29

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect ⁶in Christ. ‡ Eph 5:27Jer 3:15Eph 4:11-13Mat 5:48Col 3:162Ti 2:24-251Co 2:6Col 1:22 +4329 To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me. ‡ 1Co 15:10Eph 1:191Co 9:25-27Eph 3:7Php 2:132Co 12:9-10Col 2:1Heb 13:21 +19