THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS


Chapter 1
1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To them which are at Colosse, Saintes and faithfull brethren in Christ: Grace bee with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
3 We giue thankes to God euen ye Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, alway praying for you:
4 Since wee heard of your faith in Christ Iesus, and of your loue toward all Saintes,
5 For the hopes sake, which is laide vp for you in heauen, whereof yee haue heard before by the word of trueth, which is the Gospel,
6 Which is come vnto you, eue as it is vnto al the world, and is fruitful, as it is also amog you, from ye day that ye heard and truely knew ye grace of God,
7 As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellowe seruaunt, which is for you a faithfull minister of Christ:
8 Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue in the Spirit.
9 For this cause wee also, since the day wee heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisdome, and spirituall vnderstanding,
10 That ye might walke worthy of the Lord, and please him in all things, being fruitefull in all good workes, and increasing in the knowledge of God,
11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power, vnto all patience, and long suffering with ioyfulnesse,
12 Giuing thankes vnto the Father, which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saintes in light,
13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse, and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne,
14 In whome we haue redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiuenesse of sinnes,
15 Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first begotten of euery creature.
16 For by him were all things created, which are in heauen, and which are in earth, thinges visible and inuisible: whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by him, and for him,
17 And hee is before all things, and in him all things consist.
18 And hee is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all thinges hee might haue the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulnesse dwell,
20 And through peace made by that blood of that his crosse, to reconcile to himselfe through him, through him, I say, all thinges, both which are in earth, and which are in heauen.
21 And you which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your mindes were set in euill workes, hath he nowe also reconciled,
22 In that body of his flesh through death, to make you holy, and vnblameable and without fault in his sight,
23 If ye continue, grounded and stablished in the faith, and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospel, whereof ye haue heard, and which hath bene preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen, whereof I Paul am a minister.
24 Now reioyce I in my suffrings for you, and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his bodies sake, which is the Church,
25 Whereof I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is giuen mee vnto you ward, to fulfill the word of God,
26 Which is the mysterie hid since the world began, and from all ages, but nowe is made manifest to his Saintes,
27 To whome God woulde make knowen what is the riches of his glorious mysterie among the Gentiles, which riches is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
28 Whome we preache, admonishing euery man, and teaching euery man in all wisdome, that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus,
29 Whereunto I also labour and striue, according to his working which worketh in me mightily.

Chapter 2
1 For I woulde ye knewe what great fighting I haue for your sakes, and for them of Laodicea, and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh,
2 That their heartes might be comforted, and they knit together in loue, and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding, to know the mysterie of God, euen the Father, and of Christ:
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man shoulde beguile you with entising wordes:
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, reioycing and beholding your order, and your stedfast faith in Christ.
6 As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord, so walke in him,
7 Rooted and built in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye haue bene taught, abouding therein with thankesgiuing.
8 Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through philosophie, and vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily.
10 And yee are complete in him, which is the head of all principalitie and power.
11 In whome also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without handes, by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ,
12 In that yee are buried with him through baptisme, in whome ye are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God, which raised him from the dead.
13 And you which were dead in sinnes, and in the vncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, forgiuing you all your trespasses,
14 And putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs, which was contrarie to vs, hee euen tooke it out of the way, and fastened it vpon the crosse,
15 And hath spoyled the Principalities, and Powers, and hath made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse.
16 Let no man therefore condemne you in meate and drinke, or in respect of an holy day, or of the newe moone, or of the Sabbath dayes,
17 Which are but a shadowe of thinges to come: but the body is in Christ.
18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde, and worshipping of Angels, aduauncing himselfe in those thinges which hee neuer sawe, rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde,
19 And holdeth not the head, whereof all the body furnished and knit together by ioyntes and bands, increaseth with the increasing of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye liued in ye world, are ye burdened with traditions?
21 As, Touch not, Taste not, Handle not.
22 Which al perish with the vsing, and are after the commandements and doctrines of men.
23 Which thinges haue in deede a shewe of wisdome, in voluntarie religion and humblenesse of minde, and in not sparing the body, which are thinges of no valewe, sith they perteine to the filling of the flesh.

Chapter 3
1 If yee then bee risen with Christ, seeke those thinges which are aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.
2 Set your affections on things which are aboue, and not on things which are on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ which is our life, shall appeare, then shall ye also appeare with him in glory.
5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, vncleannes, the inordinate affection, euill concupiscence, and couetousnes which is idolatrie.
6 For the which things sake ye wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience.
7 Wherein ye also walked once, when ye liued in them.
8 But now put ye away euen all these things, wrath, anger, maliciousnes, cursed speaking, filthie speaking, out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that yee haue put off the olde man with his workes,
10 And haue put on the newe, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him,
11 Where is neither Grecian nor Iewe, circumcision nor vncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, free: But Christ is all, and in all things.
12 Now therfore as the elect of God holy and beloued, put on the bowels of mercies, kindnesse, humblenesse of minde, meekenesse, long suffering:
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any man haue a quarel to another: euen as Christ forgaue, euen so doe ye.
14 And aboue all these thinges put on loue, which is the bond of perfectnes.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one body, and be ye thankfull.
16 Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome, teaching and admonishing your owne selues, in Psalmes, and hymnes, and spirituall songs, singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe, in worde or deede, doe all in the Name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him.
18 Wiues, submit your selues vnto your husbands, as it is comely in the Lord.
19 Husbands, loue your wiues, and be not bitter vnto them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all thing for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord.
21 Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, least they be discouraged.
22 Seruants, be obedient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eye seruice as men pleasers, but in singlenes of heart, fearing God.
23 And whatsoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men,
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for ye serue the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong, shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Chapter 4
1 Ye masters, doe vnto your seruants, that which is iust, and equall, knowing that ye also haue a master in heauen.
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the fame with thankesgiuing,
3 Praying also for vs, that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance, to speake ye mysterie of Christ: wherefore I am also in bonds,
4 That I may vtter it, as it becommeth mee to speake.
5 Walke wisely towarde them that are without, and redeeme the season.
6 Let your speach be gracious alwayes, and powdred with salt, that ye may know how to answere euery man.
7 Tychicus our beloued brother and faithfull minister, and fellow seruant in the Lord, shall declare vnto you my whole state:
8 Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same purpose that he might know your state, and might comfort your hearts,
9 With Onesimus a faithfull and a beloued brother, who is one of you. They shall shew you of all things here.
10 Aristarchus my prison fellow saluteth you, and Marcus, Barnabas cousin (touching whom ye receiued commandements. If he come vnto you, receiue him)
11 And Iesus which is called Iustus, which are of the circumcision. These onely are my worke fellowes vnto the kingdome of God, which haue bene vnto my consolation.
12 Epaphras the seruant of Christ, which is one of you, saluteth you, and alwayes striueth for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect, and full in all the will of God.
13 For I beare him record, that he hath a great zeale for you, and for them of Laodicea, and them of Hierapolis.
14 Luke the beloued physician greeteth you, and Demas.
15 Salute the brethren which are of Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the Church which is in his house.
16 And when this Epistle is read of you, cause that it be read in the Church of the Laodiceans also, and that ye likewise reade the Epistle written from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus, Take heede to the ministerie, that thou hast receiued in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.
18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bands. Grace be with you, Amen. ‘Written from Rome to the Colossians, and sent by Tychicus, and Onesimus.’