The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

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- Chapter 1 -

(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,

to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ Jesus who are at Colossae.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)

Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for you always.

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you have toward all the saints,

because of the hope that has been stored up for you in heaven, which you have heard through the Word of Truth in the Gospel.

This has reached you, just as it is present in the whole world, where it grows and bears fruit, as it has also done in you, since the day when you first heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

just as you learned it from Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus.

And he has also manifested to us your love in the Spirit.

Then, too, from the day when we first heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and requesting that you be filled with the knowledge of his will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

so that you may walk in a manner worthy of God, being pleasing in all things, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened in every virtue, in accord with the power of his glory, with all patience and longsuffering, with joy,

giving thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to have a share in the portion of the saints, in the light.

For he has rescued us from the power of darkness, and he has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,

in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.(a)

For in him was created everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers. All things were created through him and in him.

And he is before all, and in him all things continue.

And he is the head of his body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that in all things he may hold primacy.

For the Father is well-pleased that all fullness reside in him,(b)

and that, through him, all things be reconciled to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, for the things that are on earth, as well as the things that are in heaven.

And you, though you had been, in times past, understood to be foreigners and enemies, with works of evil,(c)

yet now he has reconciled you, by his body of flesh, through death, so as to offer you, holy and immaculate and blameless, before him.

So then, continue in the faith: well-founded and steadfast and immovable, by the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which has been preached throughout all creation under heaven, the Gospel of which I, Paul, have become a minister.

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)

For now I rejoice in my passion on your behalf, and I complete in my flesh the things that are lacking in the Passion of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.(d)

For I have become a minister of the Church, according to the dispensation of God that has been given to me among you, so that I may fulfill the Word of God,

the mystery which had remained hidden to past ages and generations, but which now is manifested to his saints.

To them, God willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ and the hope of his glory within you.

We are announcing him, correcting every man and teaching every man, with all wisdom, so that we may offer every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

In him, too, I labor, striving according to his action within me, which he works in virtue.

Footnotes

(a)1:15 The firstborn:That is, first begotten; as the Evangelist declares, the only begotten of his Father: hence, St. Chrisostom explains firstborn, not first created, as he was not created at all, but born of his Father before all ages; that is, coeval with the Father and with the Holy Ghost.(Challoner)

(b)1:19 The word ‘Father’ is substituted for the pronoun ‘ipso,’ in accord with Challoner.(Conte)

(c)1:21 The phrase ‘inimici sensu’ is very unusual; I can find no other example of this phrase. The word ‘sensu’ refers to the mind, or to qualities attributed to the mind, such as perception, feeling, understanding. The meaning is that they were understood to be enemies, or were perceived to be enemies, because of their evil works, but then they repented and were forgiven by Christ.(Conte)

(d)1:24 Wanting:There is no want in the sufferings of Christ in himself as head: but many sufferings are still wanting, or are still to come, in his body the church, and his members the faithful.(Challoner)

(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

Paul, an apostle of Christ

(a)

Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

to the saints and faithful brothers(b) in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News

which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your

(c)

behalf,

who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,

giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,

who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,

in whom we have our redemption,(d) the forgiveness of our sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

of which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you to fulfill the word of God,

the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(d)1:14 TR adds “through his blood,”