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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></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="../topmenuchap/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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</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 class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_1"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.1" class="v51_1_1">1</span>From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_2"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.2" class="v51_1_2">2</span>To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_2">I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!</span></p><h3 class="s1">A Prayer of Thanks</h3><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_3"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.3" class="v51_1_3">3</span>Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. </span><span class="v51_1_4"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.4" class="v51_1_4">4</span>We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, </span><span class="v51_1_5"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.5" class="v51_1_5">5</span>because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_6"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.6" class="v51_1_6">6</span>The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness </span><span class="v51_1_7"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.7" class="v51_1_7">7</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.7!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.<a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.7!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v51_1_8"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.8" class="v51_1_8">8</span>He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The Person and Work of Christ</h3><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_9"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.9" class="v51_1_9">9</span>We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding his Spirit gives. </span><span class="v51_1_10"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.10" class="v51_1_10">10</span>Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. </span><span class="v51_1_11"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.11" class="v51_1_11">11</span>His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_12"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.12" class="v51_1_12">12</span>I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you<a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.12!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. </span><span class="v51_1_13"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.13" class="v51_1_13">13</span>God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, </span><span class="v51_1_14"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.14" class="v51_1_14">14</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.14!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> who forgives our sins and sets us free.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_15"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.15" class="v51_1_15">15</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.15!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Christ is exactly like God,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_15">who cannot be seen.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_15">He is the first-born Son,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_15">superior to all creation.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.16" class="v51_1_16">16</span>Everything was created by him,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">everything in heaven</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_16">and on earth,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">everything seen and unseen,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">including all forces</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_16">and powers,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">and all rulers</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_16">and authorities.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">All things were created</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_16">by God's Son,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_16">and everything was made</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_16">for him.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_17"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.17" class="v51_1_17">17</span>God's Son was before all else,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_17">and by him everything</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_17">is held together.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_18"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.18" class="v51_1_18">18</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.18!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> He is the head of his body,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_18">which is the church.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_18">He is the very beginning,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_18">the first to be raised</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_18">from death,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_18">so that he would be</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_18">above all others.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_19"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.19" class="v51_1_19">19</span>God himself was pleased</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_19">to live fully in his Son.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_20"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.20" class="v51_1_20">20</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.20!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> And God was pleased</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_20">for him to make peace</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_20">by sacrificing his blood</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_20">on the cross,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_20">so that all beings in heaven</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v51_1_20">and on earth</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v51_1_20">would be brought back to God.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_21"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.21" class="v51_1_21">21</span>You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. </span><span class="v51_1_22"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.22" class="v51_1_22">22</span>But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. </span><span class="v51_1_23"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.23" class="v51_1_23">23</span>But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Paul's Service to the Church</h3><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_24"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.24" class="v51_1_24">24</span>I am glad I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue<a href="#fn" id="link_Col.1.24!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. </span><span class="v51_1_25"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.25" class="v51_1_25">25</span>God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. </span><span class="v51_1_26"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.26" class="v51_1_26">26</span>For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. </span><span class="v51_1_27"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.27" class="v51_1_27">27</span>God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v51_1_28"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.28" class="v51_1_28">28</span>We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. </span><span class="v51_1_29"><span class="reftext" id="Col.1.29" class="v51_1_29">29</span>This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.</span></p></div> </div> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.7 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">you: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Some manuscripts have “us.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">you: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Some manuscripts have “us.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">1.24 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">continue: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “complete.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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