Colossians

Colossians

Greeting

From Paul, a sent one of the Anointed One, Jesus, by the will of God,

and Timothy our brother,

To God’s set-apart people in Colossae,

the faithful brothers and sisters in the Anointed One:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God,

the Father of our Master, Jesus the Anointed One,

when we pray for you,

because we have heard of your trust in the Anointed One, Jesus,

and of the love you have for all the set-apart ones—

the trust and hope that is stored up for you in the heavenly places,

which you heard about in the message of truth—

the good news that has come to you.

In the same way,

this good news is bearing fruit and growing

throughout the whole world—

just as it has been doing among you

since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

You learned it from Epaphras,

our dear fellow servant,

who is a faithful minister of the Anointed One on our behalf,

and who also told us

of your love in the Breath.

A Prayer for Growth and Strength

For this reason,

since the day we heard about you,

we have not stopped praying for you.

We continually ask God

to fill you with the knowledge of His will

through all wisdom and understanding that the Breath gives,

so that you may live a life worthy of the Master

and please Him in every way:

bearing fruit in every good work,

growing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened with all power

according to His glorious might

so that you may have great endurance and patience,

and giving joyful thanks to the Father,

who has qualified you

to share in the inheritance of His set-apart people

in the kingdom of light.

For He has rescued us from the domain of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom

of the Son He loves,

in whom we have redemption—

the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Anointed One

The Son is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

For in Him all things were created:

things in the heavens and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things,

and in Him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the gathering;

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,

so that in everything He might have supremacy.

For God was pleased

to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,

whether things on earth or in the heavens,

by making peace through His blood,

shed on the stake.

Reconciled and Established

Once you were alienated from God

and were enemies in your minds

because of your evil behavior.

But now He has reconciled you

by the physical body of the Anointed One through death,

to present you set-apart in His sight—

without blemish and free from accusation—

if you continue in your trust,

established and firm,

and do not move from the hope held out in the good news.

This is the good news that you heard

and that has been proclaimed

to every creature under the skies,

and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Labor for the Body

Now I rejoice in what I suffer for you,

and I fill up in my flesh

what is still lacking in regard to the afflictions of the Anointed One,

for the sake of His body, which is the gathering.

I have become its servant

by the commission God gave me

to present to you the word of God in its fullness—

the mystery that has been hidden for ages and generations,

but is now revealed to His set-apart ones.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles

the glorious riches of this mystery,

which is:

The Anointed One in you,

the hope of glory.

He is the one we proclaim,

admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

so that we may present everyone mature in the Anointed One.

To this end I labor,

struggling with all His energy,

which so powerfully works in me.

———

Encouragement and Unity in Understanding

I want you to know

how hard I am contending for you

and for those in Laodicea,

and for all who have not met me face to face.

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart

and united in love,

so that they may have the full riches

of complete understanding,

in order that they may know the mystery of God—

the Anointed One,

in whom are hidden

all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I say this so that no one may deceive you

with persuasive words.

For though I am absent in the body,

I am present with you in spirit

and delight to see how orderly you are

and how firm your trust in the Anointed One is.

Walk in Him — Rooted and Built Up

So then, just as you received the Anointed One, Jesus, as Master,

walk in Him,

rooted and built up in Him,

strengthened in the trust as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness.

Beware of Empty Philosophy

See to it that no one takes you captive

through hollow and deceptive philosophy,

which depends on human tradition

and the basic principles of this world

rather than the Anointed One.

For in Him

all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily,

and in Him

you have been brought to fullness.

He is the head

over every ruler and authority.

Circumcised by the Anointed One

In Him you were also circumcised,

not with a physical circumcision done by human hands,

but with the circumcision done by the Anointed One—

putting off the body of flesh.

Having been buried with Him in immersion,

you were also raised with Him

through trust in the working of God,

who raised Him from the dead.

When you were dead in your failures

and in the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made you alive with the Anointed One.

He forgave us all our failures,

having canceled the record of debt

with its legal demands,

which stood against us and condemned us.

He took it away,

nailing it to the stake.

And having disarmed the rulers and authorities,

He made a public display of them,

triumphing over them in Him.

Do Not Submit to Human Rules

Therefore do not let anyone judge you

by what you eat or drink,

or with regard to a feast day,

a new moon celebration,

or a Sabbath day.

These are a shadow of the things to come,

but the body (substance) belongs to the Anointed One.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility

and the worship of messengers

disqualify you.

Such people go into great detail

about what they have seen;

they are puffed up with idle notions

by their unspiritual mind.

They have lost connection with the Head,

from whom the whole body,

supported and held together by its joints and ligaments,

grows with a growth that is from God.

You Died to the World’s Ways

Since you died with the Anointed One

to the basic elements of this world,

why do you still submit to its rules

as though you still belonged to it?

“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”

These are all destined to perish with use,

because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Such regulations indeed have

an appearance of wisdom

with their self-imposed worship,

false humility, and harsh treatment of the body,

but they lack any value

in restraining the indulgence of the flesh.

———

Set Your Heart on the Things Above

Since you have been raised with the Anointed One,

seek the things that are above,

where the Anointed One is—seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things.

For you died,

and your life is now hidden with the Anointed One in God.

When the Anointed One, who is your life, appears,

then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Put to Death the Earthly Nature

Put to death, therefore,

whatever belongs to your earthly nature:

sexual immorality,

impurity,

lust,

evil desire,

and greed, which is idolatry.

Because of these,

the wrath of God is coming.

You used to walk in these ways,

in the life you once lived.

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:

anger,

rage,

malice,

slander,

and filthy language from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another,

since you have taken off the old self with its practices

and have put on the new self,

which is being renewed in knowledge

in the image of its Creator.

Here there is no Greek or Jew,

circumcised or uncircumcised,

foreigner or barbarian, slave or free—

but the Anointed One is all, and is in all.

Clothe Yourselves with the Character of the Anointed One

Therefore, as God’s chosen people,

set-apart and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with:

compassion,

kindness,

humility,

gentleness,

and patience.

Bear with one another

and forgive one another

if anyone has a complaint against someone.

Forgive as the Master forgave you.

And over all these virtues,

put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of the Anointed One

rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body

you were called to peace.

And be thankful.

Let the word of the Anointed One

dwell among you richly,

as you teach and encourage one another with all wisdom

through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

And whatever you do,

whether in word or action,

do it all in the name of the Master, Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Instructions for Households

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,

as is fitting in the Master.

Husbands, love your wives

and do not be harsh with them.

Children, obey your parents in everything,

for this pleases the Master.

Fathers, do not provoke your children,

or they may become discouraged.

Work as for the Master

Servants, obey your earthly masters in everything,

not only when their eye is on you

to win their favor,

but with sincerity of heart and respect for the Master.

Whatever you do,

work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Master, not for people,

since you know that you will receive an inheritance

from the Master as a reward.

It is the Master, the Anointed One, you are serving.

Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs,

and there is no favoritism.

———

Treat Others Justly

Masters, provide your servants

with what is right and fair,

because you know

that you also have a Master in the heavens.

Be Devoted in Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer,

being watchful and thankful.

And pray for us too,

that God may open a door for our message,

so that we may proclaim

the mystery of the Anointed One,

for which I am in chains.

Pray that I may proclaim it clearly,

as I should.

Walk Wisely with Outsiders

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders;

make the most of every opportunity.

Let your speech always be full of grace,

seasoned with salt,

so that you may know

how to answer each person.

Final Greetings and Fellow Workers

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me.

He is a dear brother,

a faithful servant and fellow worker in the Master.

I am sending him to you

for the express purpose

that you may know how we are

and that he may encourage your hearts.

He is coming with Onesimus,

our faithful and dear brother,

who is one of you.

They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings,

as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.

(You have received instructions about him;

if he comes to you, welcome him.)

Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings.

These are the only fellow workers for the reign of God

who are from the circumcision,

and they have proved a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you

and a servant of the Anointed One, Jesus,

sends greetings.

He is always wrestling in prayer for you,

that you may stand mature

and fully assured in all the will of God.

I vouch for him

that he is working hard for you

and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Luke, the beloved physician,

and Demas send greetings.

Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea,

and to Nympha and the gathering

that meets in her house.

After this letter has been read among you,

see that it is also read

in the gathering of the Laodiceans,

and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

Tell Archippus:

“See to it that you complete the ministry

you have received in the Master.”

Closing

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

Remember my chains.

Grace be with you.

Amen.