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📚Paul, an apostle✭ of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy✭ our brother, 2 📚✭to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colosse: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Prayer and thanksgiving for the believers there
3 📚✭We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 📚since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints, 5 📚because of the hope which is laid up for you✭ in heaven. You heard of this hope✭ previously in the message of the truth of the gospel✭ 6 📚which has come to you, as it has to all the world and brings forth fruit✭, as it does in you also since the day you heard it and truly knew✭ the grace✭ of God; 7 📚since indeed you learned from Epaphras✭, our dear fellow worker who is a faithful servant✭ of Christ for you. 8 📚Also he has told us of your love in the Spirit✭.
9 📚For this reason we too, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you✭ and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will✭ in complete wisdom and spiritual understanding✭,
The aim of his prayer
10 📚so that you might behave in a manner worthy of the Lord✭ and please Him in everything✭, being fruitful✭ in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God✭, 11 📚being strengthened✭ with all might according to his glorious power, so that you may have complete endurance and patience✭ together with joy✭, 12 📚and go on giving thanks✭ to the Father, who has made us fit✭ to share in the inheritance✭ of the saints in light✭.
The high position believers have in Christ
13 📚✭He has delivered us from the power of darkness✭ and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son✭, 14 📚in whom we have redemption through his blood✭, the forgiveness of sins.
Christ’s preeminence
15 📚He✭ is the image of the invisible God✭, the firstborn✭ over all creation, 16 📚for by him all things were created, things that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones✭ or dominions or principalities or powers✭ – all things were created by him, and for✭ him✭. 17 📚And he is before all things✭, and by him all things hold together✭. 18 📚And he is the head✭ of the body✭, the church✭, and he is the beginning✭, the firstborn from the dead✭, so that in everything he might have the preeminence✭. 19 📚✭For it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell in him, 20 📚and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile✭ all things to himself; by him, I say, whether things on earth, or things in heaven.
The previous condition of believers and their present condition
21 📚You also were once alienated✭ and enemies✭ in your mind✭ by wicked deeds✭, but now he has reconciled you 22 📚✭in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy✭ and blameless and above reproach✭ in his sight, 23 📚if✭ you continue in the faith established and firm✭ and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature which is under heaven, of which I Paul have been made a servant.
The troubles Paul experienced for the sake of Christ’s Church
24 📚I now rejoice in my sufferings for you✭, and fill up what is lacking✭ of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 📚I have been made a servant of this church, in accordance with the position of overseer that God has given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God, 26 📚the mystery kept hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his saints✭. 27 📚To them God desired to make known the riches✭ of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you✭, the hope of glory✭.