Colossians Chapter 1

Salutation

¹ Paul, apostle of Christ^Messiah Jesus by God’s will, and brother Timothy ² to the saints in Colossae and faithful disciples in Christ. Grace and peace from God our Father.                                                                                                   

Col 1:1-2

Gratitude for Their Faithfulness

³ We thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and always pray for you. ⁴ We’ve heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for the saints ⁵ because of the hope that’s stored up for you in heaven. That hope you heard about in the true gospel message ⁶ that’s in you like it is in the whole world. It’s been growing and producing fruit everywhere like it has among you since you heard it and came to know the truth about God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant. He’s Christ’s faithful minister for you, ⁸ and he’s made your love in the Spirit clear to us.                                                                                                                             

Col 1:3-8

Prayer for Their Progress

⁹ That’s why, from the time we heard it, we kept praying that you’d be fully aware of his will in the wisdom and understanding of spiritual things. ¹⁰ That way you’ll live worthy of the Lord in your desire to please him; you’ll grow in every good deed and bear fruit because you know him. ¹¹ In proportion to his glorious power, he’ll greatly enable you to endure with joy, ¹² and you’ll thank him for qualifying you to share in the inheritance of the saints who live in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son. ¹⁴ We have redemption in his Son, the forgiveness of sins.

            ¹⁵ He’s the image of the invisible God,

                                    the firstborn over all creation ¹⁶ because

                        he created everything in the sky and on earth,

                                    visible and invisible—

                                    thrones, dominions, powers, authorities.

                                    Everything has been created by him and for him.

                        ¹⁷ He was before everything, 

                                    and everything finds its proper place in relation to him.

                        ¹⁸ He’s the head of the body, the church.

                        He’s the beginning, the firstborn from the dead

                                    so he could have first place in everything.

                                    ¹⁹The Father saw fit to put everything under his responsibility

                                    ²⁰ and to reconcile everything to himself through him.

                        He made peace through the blood Christ^Messiah shed on the cross—

                                    peace with things on earth and in heaven.                                       Col 1:9-20                   

²¹ At one time you were enemies in mind and deed. ²² Now he has reconciled you in his physical body through death to bring you into his presence holy, blameless, without fault. ²³ That’s the case if you stay in the faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope you heard about in the good news that’s been presented in all creation under the sky. I’ve become a minister of it.   

Col 1:21-23

Ministry for the Mystery

²⁴ I feel good about my hardships for you; I’m completing in my flesh what I can add to Christ’s^Messiah’s sufferings for his body the church. ²⁵ I became a minister of the church as a stewardship God gave me for you, to fully make known his message. ²⁶ That message was not revealed to past generations, but he has revealed it now to his saints. ²⁷ He wanted to show them the value of this glorious mystery among the Gentiles: Christ among you^pl, the hope for glory. ²⁸ We present him, and instruct and warn everybody as wisely as we can so we can present each person complete in Christ. ²⁹ That’s why I strive in proportion to his power at work in me. ¹ I want you to know how much I am striving for you, for the ones in Laodicea, and for whoever has never met me. ² I urge you to bond together in love and to gain the valuable confidence that comes from knowing and understanding God’s revealed mystery: Christ. ³ All the hidden treasures of knowledge and wisdom lie in him. ⁴ I say that so nobody will lead you astray with persuasive arguments. ⁵ Though I’m absent in body, I’m present in spirit, happy to see your orderly living and steadfast faith in Christ. Col 1:24-2:5