1Paul, an apostle of Yeshua(Jesus) Messiah(Christ) by the thelema(will) of God, and Timothy our brother,
2to the hagioi(holy ones) and faithful brothers in Messiah(Christ) who are at Colossae: charis(grace) to you and eirene(peace) from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua(Jesus) Messiah(Christ).
3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Yeshua(Jesus) Messiah(Christ), praying always for you,
4since we heard of your faith in Messiah(Christ) Yeshua(Jesus) and the agape(love) which you have for all the hagioi(holy ones);
5because of the elpis(hope) laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the logos(word) of aletheia(truth), the good news
6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and growing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the charis(grace) of God in aletheia(truth);
7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Messiah(Christ) on our behalf,
8and he also informed us of your agape(love) in the pneuma(spirit).
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the epignosis(spiritual, complete knowledge) of His thelema(will) in all pneumatike(spiritual) sophia(wisdom) and understanding,
10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the epignosis(spiritual, complete knowledge) of God;
11strengthened with all dynamis(power), according to the kratos(dominion) of His glory, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the hagioi(holy ones) in Light.
13For He rescued us from the exousia(domain, authority) of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His agape(love),
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or exousiai(authorities) — all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18He is also the head of the body, the ekklesia(called-out community); and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the pleroma(fullness) to dwell in Him,
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His stauros(cross); through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him hagio(holy) and blameless and beyond reproach —
23if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the elpis(hope) of the good news that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my sarx(flesh) I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the ekklesia(called-out community), in filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Messiah(Christ).
25Of this ekklesia(called-out community) I was made a servant according to the oikonomia(stewardship) from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the logos(word) of God,
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His hagioi(holy ones),
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Messiah(Christ) in you, the elpis(hope) of glory.
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all sophia(wisdom), so that we may present every man complete in Messiah(Christ) Yeshua(Jesus).
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His dynamis(power), which mightily works within me.