To: The holy and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah. May grace and peace from God our Father be yours!

For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God's will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him.

Now I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah's sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church.

I became its servant as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of the word of God.

It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature in the Messiah.

I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.

For I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen me face to face.

Because they are united in love, I pray that their hearts may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of the full knowledge of the Messiah, who is the mystery of God.

At the same time also pray for us that God would open before us a door for the word so that we may tell the secret about the Messiah, for which I have been imprisoned.

May I reveal it as clearly as I should!

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Tychicus will tell you everything that has happened to me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.

I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him.

Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God. They have been an encouragement to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of the Messiah Jesus, sends you his greetings. He is always wrestling in his prayers for you, so that you may stand mature, completely convinced of the entire will of God.

Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that is in her house.

This greeting is written with my own signature "Paul." Remember that I remain imprisoned. May grace be with you! Amen.