1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Christ that live in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always pray for you, and thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you.
4 We have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have for all the holy ones.
5 This is because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You heard about this hope from the word of truth, the good news.
6 It came to you even as it did. Everywhere in the entire world it bears fruit and it increases in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace loving-kindness of God in truth.
7 You learned about Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.
8 He also declared your love to us in the Spirit.
9 Since the day we heard about you, we have not ceased to pray and make request for you. We pray for you to be filled with the intimateaccurate knowledge discernmentrecognition of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Philippians 1:9) (John 17:3)
10 Walk worthily of God, fully pleasing him. Bear fruit in every good work, and increase in the knowledge Greek: epignosis: full discernment, recognition of God.
11 God will strengthen you with all power, according to the might of his glory, to all patience and longsuffering with joy.
12 Give thanks to the Father, who made us partakers of the inheritance of the holy ones in the light.
13 He rescued us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love the Son he dearly loves.
14 We have in him our redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.
15 He is the image likenessrepresentation of the invisible God. He is the firstborn Greek: prototokos: childbirth, offspring of all creation.
16 All things in the heavens and upon the earth where created through him. The things visible and invisible were created through him. Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.
17 He is before all things, and through him all things originate.
18 He is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning commencement, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence first place.
19 It was the good pleasure of the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell.
20 And all things are reconciled through him. He made peace through the blood of his atonement of the stake. He reconciles all things, whether things upon the earth, or things in heaven.
21 You were in the past alienated and enemies because your minds were on your evil works.
22 But he Christ reconciled you in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and without accusation before Him God.
23 Provided that you continue in the faith, grounded on the foundation and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the good news you heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven. For this I,Paul, was made a minister.
24 I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. I do my share in behalf of his body, the congregation, to provide what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ.
25 God gave me this stewardship to perform for your good. He has made me a servant of the congregation. It is for the task of fully proclaiming the word of God.
26 It is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his holy ones.
27 It was Gods will to make known his secret to the people of the nations, this rich and glorious secret that he has for people. The secret is that Christ is in union with you, which means that you will share in his glory.
28 We preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one to God as a mature individual in union with Christ.
29 I work hard to get this done. I use the mighty strength Christ supplies. It is at work in me.