LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS

1• Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother,
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to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Receive grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 
Thanks be to God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord!
We constantly pray for you, 4 for we have known of your faith in Christ Jesus
and of your love for all the saints. Indeed you await in hope the inheritance
reserved for you in heaven, 5 of which you have heard through the word of truth.
This Gospel, 6 already present among you, is bearing fruit and growing throughout
the world, as it did among you from the day you accepted it and understood the
gift of God in all its truth.
7 
He who taught you, Epaphras, our dear companion in the service of Christ,
faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 has reminded me of the love you have
for me in the spirit. 9 Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we
have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of
his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding.
10 
May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to him.
May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.
11 
May you become strong in everything by a sharing of the Glory of God, so
that you may have great endurance and persevere in joy.
12 
Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our
share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom of light. 13 He rescued us from
the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. 14 In
him we are redeemed and forgiven.
Christ is the beginning of everything
• 15 
He is the image of the unseen God,
and for all creation he is the firstborn,
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for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible:
thrones, rulers, authorities, powers…
All was made through him and for him.
17 
He is before all
and all things hold together in him.
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And he is the head of the body, that is the Church,
for he is the first, the first raised from the dead
 that he may be the first in everything,
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for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him.
20 
Through him God willed to reconcile all things to himself,
and through him, through his blood shed on the cross,
God establishes peace,
on earth as in heaven.
• 21 
You yourselves were once estranged and opposed to God because of your
evil deeds, 22 but now God has reconciled you in the human body of his Son
through his death, so that you may be without fault, holy and blameless before
him. 23 Only stand firm, upon the foundation of your faith, and be steadfast in hope.
Keep in mind the Gospel you have heard, which has been preached to every
creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
24 
At present I rejoice when I suffer for you; I complete in my own flesh what is
lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church.
25 
For I am serving the Church since God entrusted to me the ministry to make the
word of God fully known. 26 I mean that mysterious plan that for centuries and
generations remained secret, and which God has now revealed to his holy ones.
27 
God willed to make known to them the riches and even the Glory that his
mysterious plan reserved for the pagan nations: Christ is in you and you may hope
God’s Glory.
28 
This Christ we preach. We warn and teach everyone true wisdom, aiming to
make everyone perfect in Christ. 29 For this cause I labor and struggle with the
energy of Christ working powerfully in me.
Let Christ Jesus, the Lord, be your doctrine

2• I want you to know how I strive for you, for those of Laodicea and for so
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many who have not met me personally. 2 I pray that all may be encouraged. May
you be established in love, that you may obtain all the riches of a full
understanding and know the mystery of God, Christ himself. 3 For in him are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 
So let no one deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5 Although I am far from
you, my spirit is with you and I rejoice in recalling how well-disciplined you are
and how firm in the faith of Christ.
6 
If you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, let him be your doctrine. 7 Be rooted
and built up in him; let faith be your principle, as you were taught, and your
thanksgiving overflowing.
8 
See that no one deceives you with philosophy or any hollow discourse; these
are merely human doctrines not inspired by Christ but by the wisdom of this
world. 9 For in Him dwells the fullness of God in bodily form. 10 He is the head of
all cosmic power and authority, and in him you have everything.
Baptized and risen
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In Christ Jesus you were given a circumcision but not by human hands,
which removed completely from you the carnal body: 12 I refer to baptism. On
receiving it you were buried with Christ; and you also rose with him for having
believed in the power of God who raised him from the dead.
13 
You were dead. You were in sin and uncircumcised at the same time. But God
gave you life with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of our
debts, those regulations which accused us. He did away with all that and nailed it
to the cross. 15 Victorious through the cross, he stripped the rulers and authorities
of their power, humbled them before the eyes of the whole world and dragged
them behind him as prisoners.
Useless doctrines
• 16 
So, then, let no one criticize you in matters of food or drink or for not
observing festivals, new moons or the Sabbath. 17 These things were only shadows
of what was to come, whereas the reality is the person of Christ. 18 Do not let
anyone disqualify you, insisting on humbling practices and worship of angels. In
fact, they are only good to satisfy self-indulgence, 19 instead of holding firmly to
the head, Christ. It is he who nourishes and gives unity to the whole body by a
complex system of nerves and ligaments, making it grow according to the plan of
God.
20 
If you have really died with Christ, and are rid of the principles of the world,
why do you now let yourselves be taught as if you belonged to the world? 21 “Do
not eat this, do not taste that, do not touch that…” 22 These are human rules and
teachings, referring to things that are perishable, that wear out and disappear.
23 
These doctrines may seem to be profound because they speak of religious
observance and humility and of disregarding the body. In fact, they are useless as
soon as the flesh rebels.
Seek the things that are above

3• So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
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Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are
above, not on earthly things. 3 For you have died and your life is now hidden with
Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be
revealed with him in Glory.
5 
Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality,
impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed which is a way of wor-
shiping idols. 6 These are the things that arouse the wrath of God.
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For a time you followed this way and lived in such disorders. 8 Well then, reject
all that: anger, evil intentions, malice; and let no abusive words be heard from
your lips.
Put on the new self
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Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way
of thinking 10 to put on the new, which is being renewed and is to reach perfect
knowledge and the likeness of its creator. 11 There is no room for distinction
between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave
or free, but Christ is all and in all.
12 
Clothe yourselves, then, as is fitting for God’s chosen people, holy and
beloved of him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience
13 
to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any occasion to do so. As
the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves
with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 May the peace of
Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And
be thankful.
16 
Let the word of God dwell in you in all its richness. Teach and admonish one
another with words of wisdom. With thankful hearts sing to God psalms, hymns
and spontaneous praise. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus,
the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
On obedience
• 18 
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as you should do in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not get angry with them. 20 Children, obey
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your parents in everything, because that pleases the Lord. 21 Parents, do not be too
demanding of your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 
Servants, obey your masters in everything; not only while they are present, to
gain favor with them, but sincerely, because you fear the Lord. 23 Whatever you do,
do it wholeheartedly, working for the Lord, and not for humans. 24 You well know
that the Lord will reward you with the inheritance. You are servants, but your Lord
is Christ. 25 Every evildoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done,
for God does not make exceptions in favor of anyone.

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As for you, masters, give your servants what is fair and reasonable, knowing
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that you yourselves have a Master in heaven.

Further instructions
• 2 
Be steadfast in prayer and even spend the night praying and giving thanks.
Pray especially for us and our preaching: may the Lord open a door for us that we
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may announce the mystery of Christ. Because of this I am in chains; 4 pray

then that I may be able to reveal this mystery as I should.
5 
Deal wisely with those who do not belong to the Church; take advantage of
every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be pleasing with a touch of wit. Know
how to speak to everyone in the best way.
7 
Tychicus will give news of me. He is our dear brother and for me a faithful
assistant and fellow worker for the Lord. 8 I am purposely sending him to give you
news of me and to encourage you. 9 With him I am sending Onesimus, our faithful
and dear brother, who is one of yours. They will tell you about everything that is
happening here.
10 
My companion in prison, Aristarchus, greets you, as does Mark, the cousin of
Barnabas, about whom you have already received instructions. If he calls on you,
receive him warmly. 11 Jesus, called Justus, also greets you. They are the only
Jewish people working with me for the kingdom of God, and because of that they
have been a comfort to me.
12 
Greetings from your countryman Epaphras, a good servant of Christ Jesus. He
constantly battles for you through his prayer that you be perfect and firm in
whatever God asks of you. 13 I assure you that he has worked hard for you, as well
as for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 
Greetings from Luke, our dear doctor and from Demas. 15 Greet the brothers
and sisters of Laodicea, and don’t forget Nympha and the church that gathers in
her house.
16 
After reading this letter, see that it is read in the Church of the Laodiceans,
and have the letter they received read in yours. 17 And say to Archipus, “Do not
forget the ministry given to you in the Lord.”
18 
Greetings in my own hand, Paul. Remember that I am in chains. Grace be
with you.