Oct. 20
Colossians 1
Col 1:1 Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our
brother,
Col 1:2 to the saints
and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace
from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Col 1:3 We give thanks
to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Col 1:4 having heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all
the saints,
Col 1:5 because 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 Good News,
Col 1:6 which 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;
Col 1:7 even as you
learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful
servant of Christ on our behalf,
Col 1:8 who also
declared to us your love in the Spirit.
Col 1:9 For 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,
Col 1:10 that 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;
Col 1:11 strengthened
with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all
endurance and perseverance with joy;
Col 1:12 giving thanks
to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of
the saints in light;
Col 1:13 who delivered
us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom
of the Son of his love;
Col 1:14 in whom we
have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
Col 1:15 who is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col 1:16 For by him all
things were 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.
Col 1:17 He is before
all things, and in him all things are held together.
Col 1:18 He 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.
Col 1:19 For all the
fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
Col 1:20 and 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.
Col 1:21 You, being in
past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
Col 1:22 yet now he has
reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you
holy and without blemish and blameless before him,
Col 1:23 if it is so
that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved
away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being
proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a
servant.
Col 1:24 Now 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;
Col 1:25 of which I was
made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given
me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,
Col 1:26 the mystery
which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been
revealed to his saints,
Col 1:27 to 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;
Col 1:28 whom we
proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;
Col 1:29 for which I
also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me
mightily.