to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are in Colosse: grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

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,

so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, in order to please him in all things, by means of every good work bringing forth fruit, and increasing in the knowledge, of God,

and he is the head of the body, the church: and he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might be preeminent;

for it pleased the Father that all his fullness should dwell in him,

by means of death in his fleshly body, that he may present you holy, and without spot, and blameless in his sight;

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.

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,

whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

that their hearts may be comforted, they being firmly united in love in order to gain all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may acknowledge the mystery of God, even the Father, and of Christ,

Now I say this, that no one may deceive you by persuasive words.

See that no one make you the victims of imposture by means of philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not ac cording to Christ:

If, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where the Christ sits at the right hand of God;

mind the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth:

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

Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds,

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

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.

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

Masters, give to your servants what is just and equal, for you know that you have a Master in heaven.

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,

that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every one.

All that relates to me, Tychicus, my beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord, will make known to you.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your condition, and comfort your hearts;

I have sent him with Onesimus, my faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known all things that are done here.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you; he always strives earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

For I testify for him, that he has a great zeal for you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

Salute the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in his house.

And when this letter has been read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea;

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