|
COLOSSIANS |
Chapter 1
COL 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God, and Timothy our brother,
COL 1:2 to the saints and faithful
brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace
to you and peace from God our Father.
COL 1:3 We give thanks to God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you,
COL 1:4 since we heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus and the love which you have for
all the saints;
COL 1:5 because of the hope laid up for
you in heaven, of which you previously heard
in the word of truth, the gospel,
COL 1:6 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;
COL 1:7 just as you learned it from
Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who
is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
COL 1:8 and he also informed us of your
love in the Spirit.
COL 1:9 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,
COL 1:10 so that you may 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;
COL 1:11 strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might, for the
attaining of all steadfastness and patience;
joyously
COL 1:12 giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to share in the
inheritance of the saints in light.
COL 1:13 For He delivered us from the
domain of darkness, and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son,
COL 1:14 in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
COL 1:15 And He is the image of the
invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
COL 1:16 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 by Him and for Him.
COL 1:17 And He is before all things,
and in Him all things hold together.
COL 1:18 He is also head of the body,
the church; and He is the beginning, the
first-born from the dead; so that He Himself
might come to have first place in everything.
COL 1:19 For it was the Father's good
pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
COL 1:20 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.
COL 1:21 And although you were formerly
alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil
deeds,
COL 1:22 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 - -
COL 1:23 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.
COL 1:24 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 that which is lacking in Christ's
afflictions.
COL 1:25 Of this church I was made a
minister according to the stewardship from God
bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might
fully carry out the preaching of the word of
God,
COL 1:26 that is, the mystery which has
been hidden from the past ages and
generations; but has now been manifested to
His saints,
COL 1:27 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.
COL 1:28 And we proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and teaching every man
with all wisdom, that we may present every man
complete in Christ.
COL 1:29 And for this purpose also I
labor, striving according to His power, which
mightily works within me.
Top
of Page
Chapter 2
COL 2:1
For I want you to know how great a struggle I
have on your behalf, and for those who are at
Laodicea, and for all those who have not
personally seen my face,
COL 2:2 that their hearts may be
encouraged, having been knit together in love,
and attaining to all the wealth that comes
from the full assurance of understanding,
resulting in a true knowledge of God's
mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
COL 2:3 in whom are hidden all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
COL 2:4 I say this in order that no one
may delude you with persuasive argument.
COL 2:5 For even though I am absent in
body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good discipline and the
stability of your faith in Christ.
COL 2:6 As you therefore have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
COL 2:7 having been firmly rooted and
now being built up in Him and established in
your faith, just as you were instructed, and
overflowing with gratitude.
COL 2:8 See to it that no one takes you
captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men,
according to the elementary principles of the
world, rather than according to Christ.
COL 2:9 For in Him all the fulness of
Deity dwells in bodily form,
COL 2:10 and in Him you have been made
complete, and He is the head over all rule and
authority;
COL 2:11 and in Him you were also
circumcised with a circumcision made without
hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh
by the circumcision of Christ;
COL 2:12 having been buried with Him in
baptism, in which you were also raised up with
Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead.
COL 2:13 And when you were dead in your
transgressions and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He made you alive together with Him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions,
COL 2:14 having canceled out the
certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us and which was hostile to us; and He
has taken it out of the way, having nailed it
to the cross.
COL 2:15 When He had disarmed the
rulers and authorities, He made a public
display of them, having triumphed over them
through Him.
COL 2:16 Therefore let no one act as
your judge in regard to food or drink or in
respect to a festival or a new moon or a
Sabbath day - -
COL 2:17 things which are a mere shadow
of what is to come; but the substance belongs
to Christ.
COL 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you
of your prize by delighting in self-abasement
and the worship of the angels, taking his
stand on visions he has seen, inflated without
cause by his fleshly mind,
COL 2:19 and not holding fast to the
head, from whom the entire body, being
supplied and held together by the joints and
ligaments, grows with a growth which is from
God.
COL 2:20 If you have died with Christ
to the elementary principles of the world,
why, as if you were living in the world, do
you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
COL 2:21 "Do not handle, do not taste,
do not touch!"
COL 2:22 (which all refer to things
destined to perish with the using) - - in
accordance with the commandments and teachings
of men?
COL 2:23 These are matters which have,
to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in
self-made religion and self-abasement and
severe treatment of the body, but are of no
value against fleshly indulgence.
Top
of Page
Chapter 3
COL 3:1
If then you have been raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above, where Christ
is, seated at the right hand of God.
COL 3:2 Set your mind on the things
above, not on the things that are on earth.
COL 3:3 For you have died and your life
is hidden with Christ in God.
COL 3:4 When Christ, who is our life,
is revealed, then you also will be revealed
with Him in glory.
COL 3:5 Therefore consider the members
of your earthly body as dead to immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed,
which amounts to idolatry.
COL 3:6 For it is on account of these
things that the wrath of God will come,
COL 3:7 and in them you also once
walked, when you were living in them.
COL 3:8 But now you also, put them all
aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
abusive speech from your mouth.
COL 3:9 Do not lie to one another,
since you laid aside the old self with its
evil practices,
COL 3:10 and have put on the new self
who is being renewed to a true knowledge
according to the image of the One who created
him
COL 3:11 - - a renewal in which there
is no distinction between Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is
all, and in all.
COL 3:12 And so, as those who have been
chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a
heart of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience;
COL 3:13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint
against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you,
so also should you.
COL 3:14 And beyond all these things
put on love, which is the perfect bond of
unity.
COL 3:15 And let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were
called in one body; and be thankful.
COL 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly
dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness
in your hearts to God.
COL 3:17 And whatever you do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
COL 3:18 Wives, be subject to your
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
COL 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and
do not be embittered against them.
COL 3:20 Children, be obedient to your
parents in all things, for this is
well-pleasing to the Lord.
COL 3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate
your children, that they may not lose heart.
COL 3:22 Slaves, in all things obey
those who are your masters on earth, not with
external service, as those who merely please
men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the
Lord.
COL 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work
heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;
COL 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the reward of the inheritance. It
is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
COL 3:25 For he who does wrong will
receive the consequences of the wrong which he
has done, and that without partiality.
Top
of Page
Chapter 4
COL 4:1
Masters, grant to your slaves justice and
fairness, knowing that you too have a Master
in heaven.
COL 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it with an attitude of
thanksgiving;
COL 4:3 praying at the same time for us
as well, that God may open up to us a door for
the word, so that we may speak forth the
mystery of Christ, for which I have also been
imprisoned;
COL 4:4 in order that I may make it
clear in the way I ought to speak.
COL 4:5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom
toward outsiders, making the most of the
opportunity.
COL 4:6 Let your speech always be with
grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so
that you may know how you should respond to
each person.
COL 4:7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus,
our beloved brother and faithful servant and
fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring
you information.
COL 4:8 For I have sent him to you for
this very purpose, that you may know about our
circumstances and that he may encourage your
hearts;
COL 4:9 and with him Onesimus, our
faithful and beloved brother, who is one of
your number. They will inform you about the
whole situation here.
COL 4:10 Aristarchus, my fellow
prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also
Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received
instructions: if he comes to you, welcome
him);
COL 4:11 and also Jesus who is called
Justus; these are the only fellow workers for
the kingdom of God who are from the
circumcision; and they have proved to be an
encouragement to me.
COL 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of your
number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you
his greetings, always laboring earnestly for
you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect
and fully assured in all the will of God.
COL 4:13 For I bear him witness that he
has a deep concern for you and for those who
are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
COL 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician,
sends you his greetings, and also Demas.
COL 4:15 Greet the brethren who are in
Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that
is in her house.
COL 4:16 And when this letter is read
among you, have it also read in the church of
the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my
letter that is coming from Laodicea.
COL 4:17 And say to Archippus, "Take
heed to the ministry which you have received
in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."
COL 4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting
with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment.
Grace be with you.
Top
of Page
Scripture
quotations taken from The New American Standard Bible®
The New American Standard Bible
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved
The "NASB," "NAS," "New American
Standard Bible," and "New American
Standard" trademarks
are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office by The Lockman Foundation.
Use of these trademarks requires the permission of The
Lockman Foundation.
For Permission To Quote information
visit The Lockman Foundation at www.Lockman.org
|
|
|
|
|
