01:01 .. Paul .. an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God .. and Timothy our brother 01:02 .. to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae .. grace to you and peace from God our Father
01:03 .. we give thanks to God .. the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ .. praying always for you 01:04 .. since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for call the saints 01:05 .. because of the hope laid up for you in heaven .. of which you previously heard in the word of truth .. the gospel 01:06 .. which has come to you .. just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing .. ......... even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth 01:07 .. just as you learned it from Epaphras .. our beloved fellow bond-servant .. who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf 01:08 .. and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit
01:09 .. for 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 knowledge of his will ......... in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 01:10 .. so 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 knowledge of God 01:11 .. strengthened with all power .. according to his glorious might .. for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience .. joyously
01:12 .. giving thanks to the Father .. who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light
..................The Incomparable Christ
01:13 .. for he rescued us from the domain of darkness .. and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son 01:14 .. in whom we have redemption .. the forgiveness of sins
01:15 .. he is the image of the invisible God .. the firstborn of all creation 01:16 .. for by 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 01:17 .. he is before all things .. and in him all things hold together 01:18 .. he is also head of the body .. the church .. and he is the beginning .. the firstborn from the dead .. ......... so that he himself will come to have first place in everything 01:19 .. for it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him
01:20 .. and through him to reconcile all things to himself .. having made peace through the blood of his cross .. ......... through him .. I say .. whether things on earth or things in heaven 01:21 .. and though you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind .. engaged in evil deeds 01:22 .. yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death .. ......... in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach 01:23 .. if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast .. and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard .. ......... which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven .. and of which I .. Paul .. was made a minister
01:24 .. now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake .. and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of his body .. which is the church .. ......... in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions 01:25 .. of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit .. ......... so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God 01:26 .. that is .. the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations .. but has now been manifested to his saints 01:27 .. to 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 01:28 .. we proclaim him .. admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom .. so that we may present every man complete in Christ 01:29 .. for this purpose also I labor .. striving according to his power .. which mightily works within me
He who has reconciled us to God by his blood and made us meet to partake of eternal happiness is none other than the Creator and Lord of all .. manifested in human form .. as Lord of glorious power .. he is able to furnish us for every good work and to fortify us by his grace against every evil .. the ground of our hope is Christ in the Word .. but the evidence of our hope is Christ in the heart working mightily by his Holy Spirit . . . . v 15-17 Jesus was the visible representation of the visible God .. born before anything was created .. creation was bound up with him as its secret .. and by him .. all things earthly .. angelic .. celestial and infernal were created and do exist .. It pleased the Father that all divine perfections should be summed up in him .. such a one redeemed us and is head of the Body .. the Church