Every time we pray for you we thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God's people,

because of your hope of what is laid up for you in heaven. Long ago you heard of this hope through the message of the good news

as you learned it from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow-slave. As a faithful minister of Christ for me

This is why, ever since I heard of it, I have never ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full wisdom and spiritual insight, with a clear knowledge of His will,

then you will be perfectly empowered by His glorious might for every sort of joyous endurance and forbearance,

for it was through Him that everything was created in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Yes, He is the Head of the church as His body. For He is the beginning, the first-born among the dead, so that He alone should stand first in everything.

I am now glad to be suffering for you, and in my own person I am filling in what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for His body, that is, the church.

In it I have been made a minister in accordance with the trusteeship God entrusted to me for you, that I might prove among you the universal message of God,

For this I am toiling and struggling by His active energy which is mightily working in me.

I want you to know what a battle I am fighting for you and for those in Laodicea, yes, for all who have never known me personally,

For though I am far away in person, still I am with you in spirit, and I am glad to note your fine order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

For it is in Him that all the fullness of Deity continues to live embodied,

for you were buried with Him in baptism and raised to life with Him through your faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead.

Stop letting anyone, in gratuitous humility and worship of angels, defraud you as an umpire, for such a one is taking his stand on the mere visions he has seen, and is groundlessly conceited over his sensuous mind.

for you have died, and your life is now hidden in God through your fellowship with Christ.

So once for all put to death your lower, earthly nature with respect to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is real idolatry.

But now you too must once for all put them all aside -- anger, rage, malice, and abusive, filthy talk from your lips.

Stop lying to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its practices,

So as God's own chosen people, consecrated and dearly loved, you must once for all clothe yourselves with tenderheartedness, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience; you must keep on

Let the peace that Christ can give keep on acting as umpire in your hearts, for you were called to this state as members of one body. And practice being thankful.

You married women must continue to live in subordination to your husbands, for this is your Christian duty.

Children, practice obedience to your parents in everything, for this is acceptable in Christians.

Slaves, practice obedience to your earthly masters in everything, not as though they were watching you and as though you were merely pleasing men, but with sincerity of heart, because you fear the Lord.

Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as work for the Lord and not for men,

for you know that it is from the Lord that you are going to get your pay in the form of an inheritance; so keep on serving Christ the Lord.

For the man who wrongs another will be paid back the wrong he has done; and there are no exceptions.

Masters, you must practice doing the right and square things by your slaves, for you know that you have a Master in heaven.

At the same time keep on praying for me too, that God may open the door of opportunity for the message, so that I may tell the open secret about Christ, for the sake of which I am held a prisoner,

I am sending him to you for the express purpose of letting you know my circumstances, and of cheering your hearts;

So does Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only converts from Judaism that are fellow-workers with me here for the kingdom of God, who have proved a real comfort to me.

Epaphras, one of your own number, a slave of Christ Jesus, wishes to be remembered to you. He is always earnestly pleading for you in his prayers that you may stand fast as men mature and of firm convictions in everything required by the will of God.

For I can testify how great his toiling for you is and for the brothers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.