so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.

For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.

For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,

and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross—
whether things on earth or things in heaven.

But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him—

We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him,

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.

For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,

and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah.

Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.

When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),

For I testify about him that he works hard for you, for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis.