1 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace be 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 of the love which ye have to all the saints, 5 on account of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which is come to you, as it is in all the world, and is bearing fruit and growing, as it doth also in you, from the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf; 8 who also brought to our knowledge your love in the Spirit. 9 On this account we also, from the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that ye may walk worthily of the Lord so as to please him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 endued with all power according to the might of his glory unto all patience and long-suffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light; 13 who rescued us from the empire of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;— 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation; 16 for in him were created all things, those in the heavens, and those on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things have been created through him and for him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things subsist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; since he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that he may be in all things pre-eminent; 19 for God was pleased that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, 20 having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him, I say, whether the things on earth, or those in the heavens. 21 And you, that were once alienated, and enemies in your mind in wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 in the body of his flesh through his death, to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in his sight; 23 if ye indeed continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye heard, which hath been preached in the whole creation under heaven; of which I Paul became a minister. 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up instead that which is wanting of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of his body, which is the church; 25 of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me, for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which hath been hidden for ages and generations, but hath been now revealed to his saints; 27 to whom it was the will of God 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 preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; 29 to which end I also am laboring, striving earnestly through his working, which worketh within me mightily.
2 1 For I would have you know what a great struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, they being knit together in love, and that they may attain to all the riches of a full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God; 3 in which are stored up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, that no one may impose on you by specious discourses. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest there be some one who shall make a prey of you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, 10 and ye are made full in him, who is the head of all principality and power; 11 in whom also ye have been circumcised with a circumcision not performed by hand, in putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in your baptism; in which also ye were raised to life with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead; 13 and to you also who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he given life together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; 14 blotting out the handwriting in ordinances that was against us, which was opposed to us, he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; 15 and having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public show of them, and led them captive in triumph in him. 16 Let no one then call you to account about food or drink, or a feast-day, or a new moon, or sabbaths; 17 which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is Christ's. 18 Let no one defraud you of the prize, desiring to do it in humiliation and worshipping of the angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, puffed up without reason by the mind of his own flesh, 19 and not holding fast the Head, from which the whole body, supported and compacted by means of the joints and ligaments, groweth with an increase wrought by God. 20 If ye died with Christ to the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, such as, 21 Handle not, Taste not, Touch not, 22 (which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and teachings of men; 23 which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship and humiliation and severity to the body, not in any honor for the satisfying of the flesh.
3 1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God; 4 when Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then will ye also be manifested with him in glory. 5 Make dead therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 on account of which things cometh the wrath of God. 7 In which things ye also once walked, when ye lived in them; 8 but now put ye away all these, anger, wrath, malice, evil-speaking, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man, who is renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him; 11 where there is no Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Clothe yourselves, therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, with compassionate affections, kindness, lowliness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 13 bearing with each other, and forgiving each other, if any one have a complaint against another; even as Christ freely forgave you, do ye also freely forgive; 14 and over all these things put on the robe of love, which is the bond of perfectness; 15 and let the peace of Christ, to which ye were called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to God; 17 and whatever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father, through him. 18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as it is fit 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, lest they be discouraged. 22 Bond-servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever ye do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord ye will receive the recompense of the inheritance; serve Christ as your Lord. 25 For he that doeth wrong, shall receive back the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.
4 1 Masters, deal out to your bond-servants justice and equity, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven. 2 Persevere in prayer, being watchful therein with thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for the sake of 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, buying up opportunities. 6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every one. 7 Of all my affairs Tychicus will inform you, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord; 8 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that he may know your condition, and comfort your hearts; 9 together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will inform you of every thing here. 10 Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom ye received directions (if he come to you, receive him), 11 and Jesus, who is called Justus; who are of the circumcision; these only are my fellow-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been an encouragement 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 those that are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, salute you. 15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church in his house. 16 And when the letter hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it. 18 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.