because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you cherish towards all God's people,

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

Because of this, we also, from the day in which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

because by him were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by him and for him.

because in him it did please all the fulness to tabernacle,

And {although you were formerly alienated} and enemies in attitude, because of your evil deeds,

Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;

Because they are united in love, I pray that their hearts may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of the full knowledge of the Messiah, who is the mystery of God.

because in him doth tabernacle all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

Even when you were dead because of your offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with him when he forgave us all of our offenses,

Do not allow anyone, who delights in acting humble [i.e., living an ascetic life] and who worships angels, to rob you of your reward [in heaven]. [Note: This "angel worship" could mean holding angels in high regard because of their role as God's messengers, or the claim that God can be approached only through angelic intermediaries]. He places great importance on what he [claims to] see [i.e., visions], being inflated with pride by his fleshly mind for no [good] reason.

All of these things will be destroyed as they are used, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

because of which things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience,

Do not lie to one another, [because you] have taken off the old man together with his deeds,

Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord.

[because you] know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ.

Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

praying at the same time also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the secret of the Christ, because of which also I have been bound,