From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father!

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave -- a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf --

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body -- for the sake of his body, the church -- what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.

My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

In him you also were circumcised -- not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ.

these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!

If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world?

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.

Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.