Whenever we pray, we never fail to thank God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, about you,

even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

For this reason we also, from the day we heard of your faith and love, do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him as you bear fruit while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full knowledge of God.

Full of strength in the measure of the great power of his glory, so that you may undergo all troubles with joy;

For God in full measure was pleased to be in him;

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

Of which, I, have become minister - according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,

We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed].

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

continue therefore to follow the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you have receiv'd it:

and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:

That was all only the shadow of something that was to follow; the reality is found in Christ.

If therefore you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why do you practice ordinances as living in the world,??21 you shall not touch, you shall not taste, you shall not feel,??22 all which are to perish in the using??ccording to the commandments and instructions of men?

"You must not handle," "You must not taste," "You must not touch"??22 referring to things that are all meant to be used up and destroyed? This is to follow mere human rules and regulations.

(these things all perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men.

Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, vile passions, evil lust, and unbridled desire, which is idolatry.

But now, put off, ye also, all these things, wrath, anger, malice, blasphemy, vile language out of your mouth.

and having put on the new, renewed into full knowledge according to the image of him that has created him;

Let the Message of the Christ dwell in your minds in all its wealth, bringing all wisdom with it. Teach and admonish one another with psalms, and hymns, and sacred songs, full of the loving- kindness of God, lifting your hearts in song to him.

Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].

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

All my affairs shall Tychicus make known unto you, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord:

[He is coming], together with Onesimus our faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. [Note: This could mean either "from your town" or, "a fellow-Christian"]. They will tell you about everything that is happening here.

Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (touching whom ye received commandments; if he come unto you, receive him),

and Jesus that is called Justus, who are of the circumcision: these only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, men that have been a comfort unto me.

Salute you doth Epaphras, who is of you, a servant of Christ, always striving for you in the prayers, that ye may stand perfect and made full in all the will of God,

And say to Archippus; Take heed to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you may fill it.