having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the divine love which you have toward all the saints.

on account of the hope which awaits you in the heavens, which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

having come to you, as it is indeed in the whole world bearing fruit and increasing, as also among you, from the day on which you heard and have known the grace of God in truth;

Therefore we, from the day on which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the perfect knowledge of his will in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding,

if you abide in the faith, having been grounded and firm, and not moved from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, having been preached in all creation which is under heaven; whose minister I Paul became.

Now I rejoice in sufferings in your behalf, and am filling up the residue of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh in behalf of his body, which is the church;

whose minister I became, according to the economy of God which was given to me unto you, to fulfill the word of God,

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from the generations: but is now made manifest to his saints,

unto which I also labor, agonizing according to his energy, working in me with power.

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you are also raised by the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead:

having blotted out the handwriting which was against us in ordinances, which was antagonistical to us: and took it out from the midst, having nailed it to the cross;

which things are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Let no one purposely rob you of your prize by humiliation and worship of the angels, trusting in those things which he has seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his depravity,

and not holding the Head, from which the entire body, by joints and ligaments being supplied and knitted together, increases the increase of God.

those things which are all unto destruction by use according to the commandments and teachings of the people?

Which indeed are having a word of wisdom in will worship, and humiliation, and austerity of the body; not in any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

If then ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God;

Therefore kill your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

through which the wrath of God comes.

In which you indeed at one time did walk about, when you lived in them:

and in all these things put on divine love, which is the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, in which you are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

for the one doing wrong receives that for which he did the injustice: and there is no respect of persons.

Masters, award unto the servants that which is right and equal; knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

at the same time also praying for us, in order that God may open to us the door of the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which I indeed am bound;

Tychicus, my beloved brother, and faithful minister and fellow-laborer in the Lord, will make known to you all things which appertain to me:

Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in their house.

And say to Archippus; Take heed to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you may fill it.