Colossians Chapter 1

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
#greetings
2to the saints and faithful brothers{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."} in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,
5because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel,
#gospel#hope
6which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
7even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
#gift#love#whatgodhasdone
9For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don't cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
#prayer
10that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
#purpose#church#discpleship
11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
#church#elect#childofgod#kingdom
13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
14in whom we have our redemption,{TR adds "through his blood,"} the forgiveness of our sins;
#youwhat#forgiveness
15who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
#sonofgod#jesus#kingjesus#trinity
16For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.
#creation#authority#jesus
17He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
#kingjesus
18He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
#church#reality#resurrection
19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
#trinity
20and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.
21You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
#sin
22yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him,
#gospel#childofgod
23if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
#discipleship#keepgoing#evangelism
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the assembly;
25of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,
26the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,
27to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;
#mystery#purpose#gloryofgod
28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;
29for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.
#allthingsarepossible