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COLOSSIANS
CHAPTER
1
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our
brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ `that 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 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have
toward all the saints,
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard
before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and
increasing, as `it doth' in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace
of God in truth;
7 even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful
minister of Christ on our behalf,
8 who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard `it', do not cease to pray and
make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good
work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all
patience and longsuffering with joy;
12 giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light;
13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the
kingdom of the Son of his love;
14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things
visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
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.
19 For it was the good pleasure `of the Father' that in him should all the
fulness dwell;
20 and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace
through the blood of his cross; through him, `I say', whether things upon the
earth, or things in the heavens.
21 And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil
works,
22 yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present
you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
23 if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved
away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all
creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.
24 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 church;
25 whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was
given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
26 `even' the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath
it been manifested to his saints,
27 to whom God was pleased 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 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
29 whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in
me mightily.
CHAPTER
2
1 For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at
Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the
mystery of God, `even' Christ,
3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
4 This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying
and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, `so' walk in him,
7 rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were
taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ:
9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
11 in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in
the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him
through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, you, `I say', did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all
our trespasses;
14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross;
15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them
openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast
day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of
the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his
fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and
knit together through the joints and bands, increasing with the increase of God.
20 If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living
in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
22 (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and
doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and
severity to the body; `but are' not of any value against the indulgence of the
flesh.
CHAPTER
3
1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon
the earth.
3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, `who is' our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with
him be manifested in glory.
5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
6 for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience:
7 wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things;
8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful
speaking out of your mouth:
9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his
doings,
10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the
image of him that created him:
11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion,
kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint
against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:
14 and above all these things `put on' love, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were
called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms `and' hymns `and' spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts unto God.
17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, `do' all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the
Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the
flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart,
fearing the Lord:
23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;
24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the
inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done:
and there is no respect of persons.
CHAPTER
4
1 Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that
ye also have a Master in heaven.
2 Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
3 withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the word, to
speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how
ye ought to answer each one.
7 All my affairs shall Tychicus make known unto you, the beloved brother and
faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord:
8 whom I have sent you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and
that he may comfort your hearts;
9 together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.
They shall make known unto you all things that `are done' here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas
(touching whom ye received commandments; if he come unto you, receive him),
11 and Jesus that is called Justus, who are of the circumcision: these only `are
my' fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, men that have been a comfort unto
me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always
striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in
all the will of God.
13 For I bear him witness, that he hath much labor for you, and for them in
Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas salute you.
15 Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is
in their house.
16 And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in
the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye also read the epistle from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in
the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
18 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. Remember my bonds. Grace be
with you.
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