because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, which you have heard about beforehand in the word of truth, the gospel,

if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of his body which is the church,

of which I became a minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God,

the mystery [which] has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to his saints,

to whom God wanted to make known what [is] the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,

for which [purpose] also I labor, striving according to his working which is at work powerfully in me.

having been buried with him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with [him] through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

having destroyed the certificate of indebtedness in ordinances against us, which was hostile to us, and removed it out of the way [by] nailing it to the cross.

which are a shadow of what is to come, but the reality [is] Christ.

Let no one condemn you, taking pleasure in humility and the worship of angels, going into detail [about] [the things] which he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

which [things] are all [meant] for destruction by consuming according to human commandments and teachings,

which [things] {although they have}, to be sure, an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and unsparing treatment of the body, {do not have any value} against the indulgence of the flesh.

Therefore put to death {what is earthly in you}: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustful passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry,

because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

in which also you once lived, when you used to live in them.

And to all these [things] [add] love, which is [the] bond of perfection.

And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also {I am a prisoner},