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

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

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

since we heard of your faithfulness in Christ Jesus, and your love for all the saints,

as you learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ for you,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up what remains of my sufferings for Christ in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the church,

to whom God would make known what is the glorious riches 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, they being firmly united in love in order to gain all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may acknowledge the mystery of God, even the Father, and of Christ,

For, though I am absent in flesh, yet I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to behold your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

As, therefore, you received Christ Jesus our Lord, so walk in him,

See that no one make you the victims of imposture by means of philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not ac cording to Christ:

in whom you have been also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

which things are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is in Christ,

If, then, you have died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you submit to ordinances?

If, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where the Christ sits at the right hand of God;

for you are dead, and your life is hid with the Christ in God.

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

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

bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any one have a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do you:

Let the word of the Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, by teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with gratitude in your hearts to the Lord.

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.

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

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you; he always strives earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.