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Chapter 1
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1
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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
and Timotheus our brother, |
2
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To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which
are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
3
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We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, praying always for you, |
4
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Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of
the love which ye have to all the saints, |
5
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For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; |
6
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Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;
and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since
the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in
truth: |
7
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As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant,
who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; |
8
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Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. |
9
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For this cause we also, since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding; |
10
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That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in
the knowledge of God; |
11
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Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious
power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; |
12
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Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: |
13
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Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: |
14
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In whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins: |
15
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Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
of every creature: |
16
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For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him: |
17
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And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist. |
18
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And he is the head of the body, the church: who is
the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things he might have the preeminence. |
19
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For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
dwell; |
20
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And, having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him,
I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven. |
21
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And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in
your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled |
22
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In the body of his flesh through death, to present
you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: |
23
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If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and
be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which
ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; |
24
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Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: |
25
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Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation
of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word
of God; |
26
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Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and
from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: |
27
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To whom God would make known what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory: |
28
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Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every
man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus: |
29
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Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his
working, which worketh in me mightily. |
