New Testament · Colossians

Colossians 1

Greetings from Paul and Timothy

(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

1Paul, an apostle of Yeshua Messiah by the will^a of God, and Timothy our brother,

2to the holy ones^b and faithful brothers in Messiah who are at Colossae: grace^c to you and peace^d from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Messiah.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)

3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, praying always for you, 4since we heard of your faith in Messiah Yeshua and the love^e which you have for all the holy ones; 5because of the hope^f laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word^g of truth^h, the good news 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and growing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Messiah on your behalf, 8and he also informed us of your love in the spiritⁱ.

9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the complete knowledge of His will in all spiritual^jk wisdom^l and understanding, 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the complete knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power^m, according to the dominionⁿ of His glory, 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 holy ones in Light.

13For He rescued us from the domain^o of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities^p — all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18He is also the head of the body, the ekklesia; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.^q 19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness^r to dwell in Him, 20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross^s; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy^t and blameless and beyond reproach — 23if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the good news that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Paul’s Suffering for the Ekklesia

(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh^u I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the ekklesia, in filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Messiah. 25Of this ekklesia I was made a servant according to the administration from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,^v 26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His holy ones, 27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory.

28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Messiah Yeshua. 29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.