Thanksgiving and Prayer

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus [†]by the will of God, and Timothy [†]our brother,

2To the [†]saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have [†]for all the [†]saints, 5because of the hope laid up for you in [†]heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, [†]the gospel 6which has come to you, just as [†]in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and [†]multiplying, just as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard and [†]understood the grace of God in truth; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the [†]full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [†]to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and [†]multiplying in the [†]full knowledge of God; 11being strengthened with all power, according to [†]His glorious might, [†]for the attaining of all steadfastness and [†]patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us [†]to share in the inheritance of the [†]saints in light. 13Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Firstborn of All Creation

15[†]Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16For [†]in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17And He [†]is before all things,

And in Him all things [†]hold together.

18And He is the head of the body, the church;

Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19For in Him [†]all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

20And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in [†]heaven.

21And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds, 22but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23if indeed you continue in [†]the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, [†]was made a [†]minister.

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up what is lacking of Christ’s afflictions in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church, 25of which I [†]was made a minister according to the stewardship from God given to me for you, so that I might [†]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His [†]saints, 27to whom God willed 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. 28Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man [†]with all wisdom, so that we may present every man [†]complete in Christ. 29For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His working, which He works in me in power.