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1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
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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.
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3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
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4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
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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;
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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:
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7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
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8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
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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;
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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;
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11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
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12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
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13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
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14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
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15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
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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:
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17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
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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.
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19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
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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.
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21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
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22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
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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;
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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:
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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;
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26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
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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:
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28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
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29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
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- 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
- 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
- 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
- 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;
- 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
- 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
- 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
- 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
- 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
- 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
- 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
- 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
- 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
- 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
- 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
- 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
- 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
- 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
- 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
- 20 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 earth or things in heaven.
- 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
- 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
- 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
- 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
- 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
- 27 to 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.
- 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
- 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
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