Greetings from Paul and Timothy 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus† through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, 2To the saints in Colossae and faithful brothers in Christ: Grace to you⁺ and peace from God our Father.† Thanksgiving and Prayer 3We give thanks to God, the Father† of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you⁺, 4having heard of your⁺ faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you⁺ have for all the saints, 5because of the hope being laid up for you⁺ in the heavens, which you⁺ heard of before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6the one being present unto you⁺, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and growing,† just as also among you⁺ from the day you⁺ heard and knew the grace of God in truth, 7just as you⁺ learned† from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on behalf of us,† 8the one also having made known to us your⁺ love in the Spirit. 9Because of this, we also from the day we heard do not cease praying for you⁺ and asking that you⁺ may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10to walk worthily of the Lord: pleasing in all, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God, 11being empowered with all power according to the power of His glory unto all endurance and patience, with joy 12giving thanks to the Father,† the One having qualified you⁺† for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light, 13who delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption,† the forgiveness of sins. The Supremacy of the Son 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, 16because in Him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through 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, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be having preeminence in all things, 19because all the fullness was well pleased to dwell in Him, 20and through Him to reconcile 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. 21And you⁺, being once alienated and enemies in the mind, in the evil works— 22but now He has reconciled you† in His body of flesh through death, to present you⁺ holy and unblemished and blameless before Him, 23if indeed you⁺ continue† in the faith, established and steadfast, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you⁺ heard, the one having been proclaimed in all creation† under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Paul’s Suffering for the Church 24Now I rejoice in the sufferings for you⁺, and I am filling up that which is lacking of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh for His body, which is the church, 25of which I became a minister according to the administration of God having been given to me toward you⁺, to fulfill the word of God, 26the mystery having been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but now having been manifested to His saints, 27to whom God willed 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, 28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect† in Christ.† 29Unto this also I toil, striving according to His energy, which is working in me in power.
Berean Literal Bible This is the first draft of the Berean Literal Bible. We are currently entering a period of consistency checking, proofing, and public comment. For translation information and to submit a recommendation, please visit us at: LiteralBible.com |
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