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!

You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.

and might thank the Father, who has enabled us to share in the saints' inheritance in the light.

God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves,

through whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,

to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles which is the Messiah in you, our glorious hope.

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

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.

And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

When you were buried with the Messiah in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels cheat you out of the prize by rejoicing about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up for no reason by his carnal mind.

He does not hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, which is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God enables it.

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

It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.

and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is appropriate for those who belong to the Lord.

You know that it is from the Lord that you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is the Lord Messiah whom you are serving!

For the person who does what is wrong will be paid back for what he has done without favoritism.

He is coming with Onesimus, that faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

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.