so that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him, while you exhibit the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God.

For in Him was created the universe of things in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers--all were created, and exist through and for Him.

And HE IS before all things and in and through Him the universe is a harmonious whole.

For it was the Father's gracious will that the whole of the divine perfections should dwell in Him.

And God purposed through Him to reconcile the universe to Himself, making peace through His blood, which was shed upon the Cross--to reconcile to Himself through Him, I say, things on earth and things in Heaven.

Him we preach, admonishing every one and instructing every one, with all possible wisdom, so that we may bring every one into God's presence, made perfect through Christ.

To this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength in reliance upon the power of Him who is mightily at work within me.

In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are stored up, hidden from view.

As therefore you have received the Christ, even Jesus our Lord, live and act in vital union with Him;

having the roots of your being firmly planted in Him, and continually building yourselves up in Him, and always being increasingly confirmed in the faith as you were taught it, and abounding in it with thanksgiving.

For it is in Christ that the fulness of God's nature dwells embodied, and in Him you are made complete,

In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not performed by hand, when you threw off your sinful nature in true Christian circumcision;

having been buried with Him in your baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith produced within you by God who raised Him from among the dead.

When Christ appears--He is our true Life--then you also will appear with Him in glory.

and have clothed yourselves with the new self which is being remoulded into full knowledge so as to become like Him who created it.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and let it be through Him that you give thanks to God the Father.

The man who perpetrates a wrong will find the wrong repaid to him; and with God there are no merely earthly distinctions.

And for this very purpose I send him to you that you may know how we are faring; and that he may cheer your hearts.

And with him I send our dear and trusty brother Onesimus, who is one of yourselves. They will inform you of everything here.

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner sends greeting to you, and so does Barnabas's cousin Mark. You have received instructions as to him; if he comes to you, give him a welcome.

And tell Archippus to discharge carefully the duties devolving upon him as a servant of the Lord.