PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy a brother,

to the saints at Colosse, and to the faithful brethren in Christ: grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you,

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love ye show to all the saints;

even as ye have learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-labourer, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you;

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh the measure of afflictions for Christ which remains to be endured for his body, which is the church,

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:

whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

that their hearts may be comforted, firmly united together in love, and unto all riches of full assurance of understanding, in the knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

For though I am absent from you in person, yet I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your regular order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him:

Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ:

in whom also ye have been circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ:

which are [merely] shadows of things to come: but the body is Christ's.

If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught,

IF ye then be risen with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ shall appear, who is our life, then shall you also with him be manifested in glory.

Where there is no difference whether a man be Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman: but Christ is all and in all.

forbearing one another, and freely forgiving one another, if any man hath a complaint against another: even as Christ hath freely forgiven you, so also do ye.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing with grace in your heart unto the Lord.

knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye are servants to the Lord Christ.

praying also at the same time for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, that I may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains:

Epaphras, one of you, saluteth you, a servant of Christ, always wrestling for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.