Colossians 1:1-18 ▼

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy the brother,

2 To the saints in Colossae and faithful brothers in Christ: Grace 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 having heard of your? faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you? have for all the saints,

5 because of the hope being laid up for you? in the heavens, which you? heard of before in the word of truth, the gospel,

6 the one being present unto you?, just as also in all the world it is bearing fruit and growing, just as also among you? from the day you? heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

7 just as you? learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on behalf of us,

8 the one also having made known to us your? love in the Spirit.

9 Because of this, we also from the day we heard do not cease praying for you? and asking that you? may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding

10 to walk worthily of the Lord: pleasing in all, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God,

11 being empowered with all power according to the power of His glory unto all endurance and patience, with joy

12 giving thanks to the Father, the One having qualified you? for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light,

13 who delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,

16 because in Him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be having preeminence in all things,