which is not only come to you, but to all the world; where it produces its effects, and increases, as it does also among you, ever since you sincerely embrac'd the divine favour,

through whom we receive redemption [i.e., are bought back from Satan], which is the forgiveness of [our] sins.

Once you were estranged yourselves, your hearts hostile to him in evildoing; but now he has reconciled you by dying in his mortal body,

but now you have been reconciled by {his physical body} through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

I am suffering now on your behalf, but I rejoice in that; I would make up the full sum of all that Christ has to suffer in my person on behalf of the church, his Body;

In it, by divine appointment, I became a worker, that I might preach among you the message of God in its fulness??26 that secret, hidden from the ages and generations, but now disclosed to those who are consecrated to him,

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

But I say this that no one may mislead you with persuasive words.

For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the [spiritual] circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of the body of the flesh [the sinful carnal nature],

Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.

Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross;

Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.

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

Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.

If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

may the peace of Christ, to which you are called to be but one body, influence your hearts, to be benevolent.

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Work at everything you do with all your hearts, as work done not for men only but for the Lord,

But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

put up your requests likewise for me, that God would give me an opportunity to declare the mystery of Christ (for which I am even in bonds:)

let your talk always have a saving salt of grace about it, and learn how to answer any question put to you.