From Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and from Timothy, our Brother.

To Christ's People at Colossae--the Brothers who are faithful to him: May God, our Father, bless you and give you peace.

Whenever we pray, we never fail to thank God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, about you,

On account of the hope which awaits its fulfillment in Heaven. Of this hope you heard long ago in the true Message of the Good News which reached you--

Bearing fruit and growing, as it does, through all the world, just as it did among you, from the very day that you heard of God's loving-kindness, and understood what that loving-kindness really is.

And therefore we, from the very day that we heard this, have never ceased praying for you, or asking that you may possess that deeper knowledge of the will of God, which comes through all true spiritual wisdom and insight.

Then you will live lives worthy of the Master, and so please God in every way. Your lives will be fruitful in every kind of good action, and your characters will grow through a fuller knowledge of God;

For God has rescued us from the tyranny of Darkness, and has removed us into the Kingdom of his Son, who is the embodiment of his love,

For Christ is the very incarnation of the invisible God-- First-born and Head of all creation;

And it pleased God that you, once estranged from him and hostile towards him in your thoughts, intent only on wickedness--

But now he has reconciled you to himself by the sacrifice of Christ's earthly body in death--it has pleased God that you should stand in his presence holy, pure, and blameless,

If only you remain true to your Faith, firm and immovable, never abandoning the hope held out in the Good News to which you listened, which has been proclaimed among all created things under Heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Of which I myself became a minister in virtue of the office with which God entrusted me for your benefit, to declare the Message of God in all its fulness--

That Truth which has been hidden from former ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to God's People,

This is the Christ whom we proclaim, warning every one, and instructing every one, with all the wisdom that we possess, in the hope of bringing every one into God's presence perfected by union with Christ.

In the hope that they, being bound to one another by love, and keeping in view the full blessedness of a firm conviction, may be encouraged to strive for a perfect knowledge of God's hidden Truth,

It is true that I am not with you in person, but I am with you in spirit, and am glad to see the good order and the unbroken front resulting from your faith in Christ.

For in baptism you were buried with Christ; and in baptism you were also raised to Life with him, through your faith in the omnipotence of God, who raised him from the dead.

And to you, who once were 'dead,' by reason of your sins and your uncircumcised nature--to you God gave Life in giving life to Christ! He pardoned all our sins!

Since, therefore, you were raised to Life with the Christ, seek for the things that are above; for it is there that the Christ is 'seated at the right hand of God.'

For you died, and your Life now lies hidden, with the Christ, in God.

These are the things on account of which the Wrath of God comes,

Never lie to one another. Get rid of your old self and its habits,

Therefore, as God's People, consecrated and dear to him, clothe yourselves with tenderness of heart, kindliness, humility, gentleness, forbearance;

Let the Message of the Christ dwell in your minds in all its wealth, bringing all wisdom with it. Teach and admonish one another with psalms, and hymns, and sacred songs, full of the loving- kindness of God, lifting your hearts in song to him.

And, whatever you say or do, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus; and through him offer thanksgiving to God the father.

And at the same time pray for us, that God may give us an opening for our Message, so that we may speak of the truths hidden in the Christ--the truths for which I am in chains!

Joshua, who is called Justus, also sends his greeting. These are the only converts from Judaism who have worked with me for the kingdom of God; I have found them a great comfort.

Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, sends you his greeting. He is a servant of Christ Jesus, and is always most earnest in your behalf in his prayers, praying that you may stand firm, with a matured faith and with a sure conviction of all that is in accordance with God's will.

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting. Remember these chains of mine. God's blessing be with you.