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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Colossians 1</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/colossians/1.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//colossians/1-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/colossians/">Colossians</a> > Colossians 1</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../philippians/4.htm" title="Philippians 4">◄</a> Colossians 1 <a href="../colossians/2.htm" title="Colossians 2">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/colossians/1.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/colossians/1.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/colossians/1.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/colossians/1.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/colossians/1.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/colossians/1.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/colossians/1.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Greetings from Paul and Timothy<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../philippians/1.htm">Philippians 1:1–2</a>; <a href ="../philemon/1.htm">Philemon 1:1–3</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, <A name="3"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: <p class="reg"> Grace and peace to you from God our Father.<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> <A name="4"></a><p class="hdg">Thanksgiving and Prayer<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../1_corinthians/1.htm#4">1 Corinthians 1:4–9</a>; <a href ="../philippians/1.htm#3">Philippians 1:3–11</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints— <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>that has come to you. <p class="reg"> All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God. <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> behalf, <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit. <A name="10"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">c</a></span> to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. <A name="14"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>in whom we have redemption,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">d</a></span> the forgiveness of sins. <A name="16"></a><p class="hdg">The Supremacy of the Son<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../hebrews/1.htm">Hebrews 1:1–14</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. <A name="18"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. <A name="22"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">e</a></span> under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. <A name="25"></a><p class="hdg">Paul’s Suffering for the Church<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../2_corinthians/11.htm#16">2 Corinthians 11:16–33</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. <A name="26"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. <A name="28"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. <A name="29"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">f</a></span> in Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="/colossians/1-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">2</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> BYZ and TR <i>God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> NE, NA, BYZ, and TR <i>your</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">12</span> <span class="footnotesbot">c</span> BYZ and TR <i>us</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">14</span> <span class="footnotesbot">d</span> TR <i>redemption through His blood,</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> <span class="footnotesbot">e</span> Or <i>in all creation</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">28</span> <span class="footnotesbot">f</span> Or <i>fully mature</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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