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Colossians 1

World English Bible

WEB

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints, 5because 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 6which 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, 7even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf, 8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 9For 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, 10that 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, 11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, 12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, 14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For 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. 17He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. 18He 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. 19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, 20and 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. 21You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, 22yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, 23if 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 was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant. 24Now 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, 25of which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you to fulfill the word of God, 26the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, 27to 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. 28We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; 29for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Colossians Chapter 1 begins with a greeting from the Apostle Paul and Timothy to the believers in #Colossae. Paul expresses gratitude for their faith in Christ Jesus and love for all the saints, which he attributes to the hope laid up for them in heaven. This hope is rooted in the gospel, which is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, just as it has among the Colossians since they first heard it from #Epaphras, their faithful minister. Paul emphasizes the transformative power of the gospel, highlighting its role in bringing people to a deeper understanding of God's grace and truth.

The chapter continues with a profound declaration of the supremacy of Christ. Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Through Him, all things were created, and in Him, all things hold together. This establishes Christ's authority not only in the spiritual realm but also in the physical world. Paul further explains that Christ is the head of the body, the church, and through His death and resurrection, He reconciled all things to Himself, making peace through His blood shed on the cross. This powerful message serves to remind the Colossians of their identity in Christ and the hope they have in Him, encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and to grow in their knowledge of God.

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Referenced by

  1. Proverbs 3:19-20v16Proverbs 3:19-20 describes the Lord's creation of the earth by wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:16-17 expands on this by affirming that all things were created through and for Christ, who holds all creation together.
  2. Proverbs 8:30v16Proverbs 8:30 describes wisdom as being beside God as a master workman during creation, which aligns with Colossians 1:16-17, where Christ is described as the agent of creation, emphasizing the role of divine wisdom in creation.
  3. Acts 26:18v13Acts 26:18 speaks of turning people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, which parallels Colossians 1:13 where Paul describes believers being delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ.
  4. 1 Corinthians 8:6v161 Corinthians 8:6 speaks of one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist, paralleling Colossians 1:16, which describes Christ as the agent of creation.
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:20v181 Corinthians 15:20 declares Christ as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, which aligns with Colossians 1:18 where Christ is described as the firstborn from the dead.
  6. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19v202 Corinthians 5:18-19 discusses the ministry of reconciliation through Christ, which is further explained in Colossians 1:20 as God reconciling all things to Himself through Jesus.
  7. Ephesians 1:7v14Ephesians 1:7 mentions redemption through Christ's blood and the forgiveness of sins, which is similarly stated in Colossians 1:14, emphasizing the centrality of Christ's sacrifice for redemption.
  8. Ephesians 1:10v20Ephesians 1:10 speaks of God's plan to unite all things in Christ, which is paralleled in Colossians 1:20 where Paul describes Christ reconciling all things to Himself.
  9. Ephesians 1:18v27Ephesians 1:18 speaks of the hope of God's calling and the riches of His glorious inheritance, which is echoed in Colossians 1:27 where Paul talks about the riches of the glory of the mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
  10. Ephesians 2:14v20Ephesians 2:14 describes Christ as our peace, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility, which is paralleled in Colossians 1:20, where Christ makes peace through the blood of His cross, reconciling all things to Himself.
  11. Ephesians 4:15v18Ephesians 4:15 encourages speaking the truth in love to grow into Christ, the head, which aligns with Colossians 1:18, where Christ is described as the head of the body, the church.
  12. Ephesians 6:12v16Ephesians 6:12 describes the struggle against spiritual forces of evil, which is related to Colossians 1:16 where Paul acknowledges the creation of all things, visible and invisible, including thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities.
  13. Philippians 1:9v9Philippians 1:9 prays for love to abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, similar to Colossians 1:9-10, which prays for believers to be filled with the knowledge of God's will.
  14. Hebrews 1:3v15Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, which parallels Colossians 1:15-17 where Jesus is described as the image of the invisible God and the one through whom all things were created.
  15. Revelation 1:5v18Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus as the firstborn from the dead, a title also used in Colossians 1:18, emphasizing His preeminence and resurrection.

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