in consequence of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

which is present among you, as it is also in all the world, and is producing fruit, even as it has been doing also among you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

For this reason, we also, from the day in which we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to request that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

if you continue in the faith, founded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, have been made a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up what remains of my sufferings for Christ in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the church,

of which I was made a minister according to the commission from God, which was given to me for you, that I might fully preach the word of God,

the mystery which was concealed from the ages and the generations, but is now made manifest to his saints,

to whom God would make known what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

to which end I also labor, striving according to his energy, which works in me mightily.

when you were buried with him in immersion, in which you were also raised with him by your faith in the energy of God, who raised him from the dead.

having blotted out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us, which was opposed to us, he also took it out of the way, driving a nail through it by means of his cross;

which things are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is in Christ,

Let no one gain his purpose in depriving you of the palm by an affected humility and worship of angels, prying into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

and not holding the head, from which the whole body gathering vigor, and firmly united by joints and bands, increases with the increase of God.

(all of which are for the destruction of those who use them,) according to the commandments and teachings of men;

Put to death, therefore, your members that are on the earth, lewdness, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

in which things you also formerly walked when you lived in them.

and have put on the new man, which is renewed for knowledge, ac cording to the image of him that created him;

in which new creation there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all and in all.

and over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.

And let the peace of God, to which you are called in one body, rule in your hearts, and be thankful.

But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done; and there is no respect of persons.

praying at the same time also for us, that God may open for us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of the Christ, for which I am in bonds,

and say to Archippus: Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it.