Colossians

Col 1:1-29
(1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and Timotheus our brother,
(2) To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which
are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3) We give thanks to God and the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
(4) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and
of the love which ye have to all the saints,
(5) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,
whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of
the gospel;
(6) Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;
and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since
the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in
truth:
(7) As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear
fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of
Christ;
(8) Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye
might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God;
(11) Strengthened with all might, according to his
glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness;
(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of
the saints in light:
(13) Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of
his dear Son:
(14) In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature:
(16) For by him were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:
(17) And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist.
(18) And he is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(19) For it pleased the Father that in him should all
fulness dwell;
(20) And, having made peace through the blood of
his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;
by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven.
(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled
(22) In the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable
in his sight:
(23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which ye have heard, and which was preached to
every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul
am made a minister;
(24) Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and
fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
(25) Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to
fulfil the word of God;
(26) Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest
to his saints:
(27) To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
(28) Whom we preach, warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
(29) Whereunto I also labour, striving according to
his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Col 2:1-23
(1) For I would that ye knew what great conflict I
have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as
many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
(2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit
together in love, and unto all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement
of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of
Christ;
(3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.
(4) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you
with enticing words.
(5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with
you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order,
and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
(6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in him:
(7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the
faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving.
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godhead bodily.
(10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head
of all principality and power:
(11) In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the
body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ:
(12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are
risen with him through the faith of the operation of
God, who hath raised him from the dead.
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses;
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it
out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he
made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them
in it.
(16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in
drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new
moon, or of the sabbath days:
(17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the
body is of Christ.
(18) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a
voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen,
vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
(19) And not holding the Head, from which all the
body by joints and bands having nourishment
ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the
increase of God.
(20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the
rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the
world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the
commandments and doctrines of men?
(23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in
will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the
body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Col 3:1-25
(1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God.
(2) Set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth.
(3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God.
(4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with him in glory.
(5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry:
(6) For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh
on the children of disobedience:
(7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye
lived in them.
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your
mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put
off the old man with his deeds;
(10) And have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him:
(11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian,
bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
(12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering;
(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even
as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(14) And above all these things put on charity, which
is the bond of perfectness.
(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.
(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and
the Father by him.
(18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
(19) Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter
against them.
(20) Children, obey your parents in all things: for
this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
(21) Fathers, provoke not your children to anger,
lest they be discouraged.
(22) Servants, obey in all things your masters
according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
(23) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men;
(24) Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the
reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord
Christ.
(25) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the
wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of
persons.

Col 4:1-18
(1) Masters, give unto your servants that which is
just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in
heaven.
(2) Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with
thanksgiving;
(3) Withal praying also for us, that God would open
unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of
Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
(4) That I may make it manifest, as I ought to
speak.
(5) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without,
redeeming the time.
(6) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer
every man.
(7) All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who
is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and
fellowservant in the Lord:
(8) Whom I have sent unto you for the same
purpose, that he might know your estate, and
comfort your hearts;
(9) With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you. They shall make known unto you
all things which are done here.
(10) Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and
Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye
received commandments: if he come unto you,
receive him;)
(11) And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of
the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers
unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort
unto me.
(12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of
Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for
you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and
complete in all the will of God.
(13) For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal
for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in
Hierapolis.
(14) Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet
you.
(15) Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and
Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
(16) And when this epistle is read among you, cause
that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans;
and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
(17) And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry
which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil
it.
(18) The salutation by the hand of me Paul.
Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.
Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and
Onesimus.