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

Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel

For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son

if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.

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,

and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

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?

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body -- a wisdom with no true value -- they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

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.

Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices

and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.

Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts, these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.

And after you have read this letter, have it read to the church of Laodicea. In turn, read the letter from Laodicea as well.