Greeting

Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God, and Timothy (C)our brother,

To the (D)saints and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae:

(E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(F)We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of (G)your faith in Christ Jesus and of (H)the love that you have for all the saints, because of (I)the hope (J)laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in (K)the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed (L)in the whole world it is (M)bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you (N)heard it and understood (O)the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from (P)Epaphras our beloved (Q)fellow servant.[b] He is (R)a faithful minister of Christ on your[c] behalf and has made known to us your (S)love in the Spirit.

And so, (T)from the day we heard, (U)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that (V)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all (W)spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as (X)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (Y)fully pleasing to him: (Z)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 (AA)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for (AB)all endurance and patience (AC)with joy; 12 (AD)giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in (AE)the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He (AF)has delivered us from (AG)the domain of darkness and transferred us to (AH)the kingdom of (AI)his beloved Son, 14 (AJ)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

15 (AK)He is the image of (AL)the invisible God, (AM)the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, (AN)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (AO)thrones or (AP)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created (AQ)through him and for him. 17 And (AR)he is before all things, and in him all things (AS)hold together. 18 And (AT)he is the head of the body, the church. He is (AU)the beginning, (AV)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For (AW)in him all the (AX)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and (AY)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, (AZ)making peace (BA)by the blood of his cross.

21 (BB)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, (BC)doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled (BD)in his body of flesh by his death, (BE)in order to present you holy and blameless and (BF)above reproach before him, 23 (BG)if indeed you continue in the faith, (BH)stable and steadfast, not shifting from (BI)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed (BJ)in all creation[g] under heaven, (BK)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul's Ministry to the Church

24 Now (BL)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (BM)I am filling up (BN)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions (BO)for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 (BP)of which I became a minister according to (BQ)the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 (BR)the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 (BS)To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are (BT)the riches of the glory of (BU)this mystery, which is Christ in you, (BV)the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that (BW)we may present everyone (BX)mature in Christ. 29 For this (BY)I toil, (BZ)struggling (CA)with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  2. Colossians 1:7 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word sundoulos, see Preface
  3. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts our
  4. Colossians 1:12 Or patience, with joy giving thanks
  5. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
  6. Colossians 1:16 That is, by means of; or in
  7. Colossians 1:23 Or to every creature

Paul Paulos, an apostle apostolos of Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous by dia the will thelēma of God theos, and kai Timothy Timotheos our ho brother adelphos, to the ho saints hagios and kai faithful pistos brothers adelphos in en Christ Christos at en Colossae Kolossai: Grace charis to you hymeis and kai peace eirēnē from apo God theos our hēmeis Father patēr.

We always pantote thank eucharisteō · ho God theos, the Father patēr of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos, when we pray proseuchomai for peri you hymeis, for we have heard akouō of · ho your hymeis faith pistis in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous and kai the ho love agapē that hos you have echō for eis all pas the ho saints hagios. Both spring from dia the ho hope elpis · ho laid apokeimai up for you hymeis in en · ho heaven ouranos. Of this hos you have heard proakouō before in en the ho word logos of ho truth alētheia, the ho gospel euangelion, which ho has come pareimi to eis you hymeis. Just kathōs as · kai in en the ho entire pas world kosmos it is eimi bearing karpophoreō fruit and kai growing auxanō, so kathōs also kai is it among en you hymeis from apo the hos day hēmera you heard akouō it and kai understood epiginōskō the ho grace charis of ho God theos in en truth alētheia; just kathōs as you learned manthanō it from apo Epaphras Epaphras · ho our hēmeis beloved agapētos fellow syndoulos servant , who hos is eimi a faithful pistos minister diakonos of ho Christ Christos on hyper your hēmeis behalf · ho and kai has told dēloō us hēmeis of ho your hymeis love agapē in en the Spirit pneuma.

For dia this houtos reason , · kai from apo the hos day hēmera we heard akouō about you, we hēmeis have not ou ceased pauō praying proseuchomai for hyper you hymeis and kai asking aiteō that hina you may be filled plēroō with the ho knowledge epignōsis of ho his autos will thelēma in en all pas spiritual pneumatikos wisdom sophia and kai understanding synesis, 10 that you may walk peripateō worthy axiōs of the ho Lord kyrios, fully eis pas pleasing areskeia to him, bearing fruit karpophoreō in en every pas good agathos work ergon, and kai increasing auxanō in the ho knowledge epignōsis of ho God theos, 11 being strengthened dynamoō with en all pas power dynamis according kata to · ho his autos glorious doxa might kratos, · ho for eis the display of all pas endurance hypomonē and kai patience makrothumia; while joyfully meta chara 12 giving thanks eucharisteō to the ho Father patēr, who ho has qualified hikanoō you hymeis to eis · ho share meris in the ho inheritance klēros of the ho saints hagios in en the ho light phōs. 13 He hos has rescued rhyomai us hēmeis from ek the ho tyranny exousia of ho darkness skotos and kai transferred methistēmi us into eis the ho kingdom basileia of ho his autos beloved agapē Son hyios, · ho 14 in en whom hos we have echō · ho redemption apolytrōsis, the ho forgiveness aphesis of ho sins hamartia.

15 He hos is eimi the image eikōn of the ho invisible aoratos God theos, · ho the firstborn prōtotokos over all pas creation ktisis; 16 for hoti in en him autos all pas things ho were created ktizō, in en · ho heaven ouranos and kai on epi · ho earth , things ho visible horatos and kai · ho invisible aoratos, whether eite thrones thronos or eite dominions kyriotēs, whether eite principalities archē or eite powers exousia all pas things ho have been created ktizō through dia him autos and kai for eis him autos. 17 And kai he autos is eimi before pro all pas things , and kai in en him autos all pas things ho hold synistēmi together . 18 And kai he autos is eimi the ho head kephalē of the ho body sōma, the ho church ekklēsia. He hos is eimi the beginning archē, the firstborn prōtotokos from ek the ho dead nekros, in hina order that he autos might be ginomai preeminent prōteuō in en everything pas. 19 For hoti God was pleased eudokeō to have all pas his ho fullness plērōma dwell katoikeō in en him autos, 20 and kai through dia him autos to reconcile apokatallassō · ho all things pas to eis himself autos, · ho whether eite · ho on epi · ho earth or eite · ho in en · ho heaven ouranos, by making peace eirēnopoieō through dia his autos blood haima shed on the ho cross stauros.

21 And kai you hymeis who were eimi at one pote time alienated apallotrioō and kai hostile echthros in ho mind dianoia, doing en ho · ho · ho evil ponēros deeds , 22 he has now nyni · de reconciled apokatallassō in en Christ’ s autos physical sarx · ho body sōma · ho through dia his ho death thanatos, in order to present paristēmi you hymeis holy hagios, · kai without blemish and kai beyond reproach anenklētos in his autos sight katenōpion 23 if ei indeed ge you continue epimenō in the ho faith pistis, stable themelioō and kai steadfast hedraios, · kai not shifting metakineō from apo the ho hope elpis of the ho gospel euangelion that hos you heard akouō, which ho has been proclaimed kēryssō to en every pas creature ktisis · ho under hypo · ho heaven ouranos, and of which hos I egō, Paul Paulos, became ginomai a minister diakonos.

24 I am now nyn rejoicing chairō in en my ho sufferings pathēma on hyper your hymeis behalf, and kai in en my egō flesh sarx am completing antanaplēroō what ho is lacking hysterēma in the ho afflictions thlipsis of ho Christ Christos · ho for hyper the sake of · ho his autos body sōma, which hos is eimi the ho church ekklēsia, 25 of which hos I egō became ginomai a minister diakonos according kata to the ho stewardship oikonomia from ho God theos that ho was given didōmi to me egō for eis your hymeis benefit, to make plēroō the ho word logos of ho God theos fully known , 26 the ho mystery mystērion that ho has been hidden apokryptō for apo · ho ages aiōn and kai · ho generations genea, but de has now nyn been revealed phaneroō to ho his autos saints hagios. 27 To them hos God theos chose thelō · ho to make known gnōrizō how tis great among en the ho Gentiles ethnos are the ho glorious doxa riches ploutos · ho of ho this houtos mystery mystērion, which hos is eimi Christ Christos in en you hymeis, the ho hope elpis of ho glory doxa. 28 He is the one hos we hēmeis proclaim katangellō, warning noutheteō everyone pas anthrōpos and kai teaching didaskō everyone pas anthrōpos with en all pas wisdom sophia, so hina that we may present paristēmi everyone pas anthrōpos mature teleios in en Christ Christos. 29 To eis this hos end · kai I labor kopiaō, striving agōnizomai according kata to · ho his autos power energeia that ho works energeō powerfully en in en me egō.