The Word Am I

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 1 -

(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.(a)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)
3
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4
because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—
5
the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel
6
that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.
7
You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our (b) behalf,
8
and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you (c) to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14
in whom we have redemption,(d) the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)
15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18
And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
19
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
20
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
21
Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.
22
But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—
23
if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature (e) under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)
24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
25
I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,
26
the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect (f) in Christ.
29
To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Footnotes

(a)1:2 BYZ and TR God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
(b)1:7 NE, NA, BYZ, and TR your
(c)1:12 BYZ and TR us
(d)1:14 TR redemption through His blood,
(e)1:23 Or in all creation
(f)1:28 Or fully mature
(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ (a) Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2
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)
3
We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4
having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints,
5
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
6
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,
7
even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your (c) behalf,
8
who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
9
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,
10
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,
11
strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,
12
giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,
13
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,
14
in whom we have our redemption,(d) the forgiveness of our sins.

The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)
15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16
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.
17
He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
18
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.
19
For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,
20
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.
21
You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,
22
yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,
23
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)
24
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,
25
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,
26
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,
27
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.
28
We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;
29
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.”
(c)1:7 NU reads our
(d)1:14 TR adds “through his blood,”
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