since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints,

Hence, from the day we heard of it, we have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight,

He is the likeness of the unseen God, born first before all the creation ??16 for it was by him that all things were created both in heaven and on earth, both the seen and the unseen, including Thrones, angelic Lords, celestial Powers and Rulers; all things have been created by him and for him;

so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence ??23 that is, if you adhere to the foundations and stability of the faith, instead of moving away from the hope you have learned in the gospel, that gospel which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul was made a minister.

Striving? Yes, I want you to understand my deep concern for you and for those at Laodicea, for all who have never seen my face.

May their hearts be encouraged! May they learn the meaning of love! May they have all the wealth of conviction that comes from insight! May they learn to know that open secret of God, the Father of Christ,

Since you have had the messiah, even Jesus the Lord, brought to you, lead your life in him,

fixed and founded in him, confirmed in the faith as you have been taught it, and overflowing with thankfulness to God.

in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision,

Since then you have been raised with Christ, aim at what is above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God;

Tell no lies to one another; you have stripped off the old nature with its practices,

Also, let the peace of Christ be supreme within your hearts ??that is why you have been called as members of the one Body. And you must be thankful.

Masters, treat your servants justly and fairly; remember you have a Master of your own in heaven.

let your talk always have a saving salt of grace about it, and learn how to answer any question put to you.

Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner salutes you; so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you have got instructions (if he comes to you, give him a welcome);

and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only comrades in the work of God's realm, belonging to the circumcised, who have been any comfort to me.

And tell Archippus, 'Attend to the ministry you have received in the Lord; see that you fulfil it.'