CHAPTER I.

PAUL (an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God), and Timothy our brother,

2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are in Colossæ: Grace and peace be to you, from God our Father!

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, praying always for you,

4 (since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love to all the saints,) 5 for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven; of which ye before heard, in the word of the truth of the gospel,

6 which is come to you, as also to all the world; and bringeth forth fruit and increaseth, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7 as ye learned it from Epaphroditus our beloved fellow

servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf; 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause, also, we cease not, from the day we heard it, to pray for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 that ye may walk worthy of the Lord in all things pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all might, by the power of his glory, to all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 giving thanks at the same time to the Father, who hath both called us, and qualified us for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness; and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

14 in whom we obtain re

of sins:

15 who is the image of the invisible God, begotten before every creation:

16 for, by him were created all things that are in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible; whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or authorities;

17 all were created by him, and for him; and he is before all, and in him all things unite: 18 and he is the head of the body of the church, who is the beginning, the first-delivered from the dead; that among all things he might hold the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father, to make his fulness to reside in him;

20 and after making peace, by him, through the blood of his cross, to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether those on earth, or those in heaven:

21 and you, who were formerly alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, but are now reconciled,

22 to present you in the body of his flesh, through death, holy and unblameable and unreproachable in his sight; 23 if ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not removed from the hope of the gospel which ye have

every creature under heaven : 24 of which I, Paul, am made a minister; who, now, rejoice in my sufferings for you; and fill up, in my flesh, what remained of the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is, the church:

25 of which I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God:

26 namely, the mystery which hath been hidden from ages and from generations; but is now made manifest to his saints,

27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the richness of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is, Christ, the hope of c. ii. 3. glory in you;

28 whom we preach, admonishing and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ:

29 for which also I labour, striving according to his operation, which worketh in me with power.

CHAPTER II.

FOR, I would have you

know what great conflict I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many

2 that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love; and in all richness of the full assurance of the understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God,

3 namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 This I say, that no one may pervert you by enticing words : 5 for, though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit; rejoicing to behold your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 Since, therefore, ye have received Jesus as Christ, the Lord, so walk ye in him;

7 rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, according as ye have been taught; abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware, lest any one insnare you by philosophy, and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ:

9 for, all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in him.

10 And ye are completed in him, who is the head of all rule and authority:

11 in whom also ye have been circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands,

12 having been buried with him in the baptism by which ye are also risen with him, through faith in the operation of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in

your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath brought to life with himself, having forgiven you all Rom. vii. 32. your trespasses:

14 and, having blotted out the handwriting that was against us in the ordinances, which was adverse to us, he took it altogether away, nailing it to his Eph. xi. 16.

cross;

15 and having disarmed principalities and authorities, he publicly exposed them, triumphing over them upon it.

16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or a new moon, or of sabbaths:

17 which are only a shadow of the things that were to come: but the body is Christ's.

18 Let no one seduce you at his will, by his humility and worship of angels; entering on things that he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his own fleshly mind,

19 and not keeping to the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and united

Eph. iv. 15. by its joints and ligaments, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 If ye have died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as still living in the world, subject ye yourselves to ordinances? as,

21 Touch not this; taste not that; handle not the other?

22 all which things tend to corruption by their abuse, according to the precepts and doctrines of men:

23 which have, indeed, a show of wisdom in willingness of worship; and humiliation of mind with neglect of the body, not with any regard to the satisfying of the flesh.

CHAPTER III.

JF, then, ye are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God:

2 set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth;

3 for, ye have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 when Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then will ye also be manifested with him in glory.

5 Deaden, therefore, your members as to the things which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate passion, evil concupiscence, and

covetousness, which is idolatry: on account of which things, the wrath of God is exercised: 6 in which ye also formerly walked, when ye lived in them. 7 But now, put ye away all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth:

8 lie not one to another, since ye have put off the former manhood, with its deeds;

9 and have put on the new Eph. iv. 22. manhood, which is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created it:

10 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free but Christ is all, and in all.

11 Put ye on, therefore, as chosen of God, holy and beloved, tenderness of heart, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

12 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any one have cause of complaint against any even as Christ forgave you, so also

dom, teaching and admonishing one another; singing, with gratefulness in your hearts to Eph. v. 18. God, in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs:

16 and whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

17 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fit in the Lord.

18 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them. 19 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

20 Fathers, fret not your children, lest they be disheartened.

21 Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, in all things not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in sincerity of heart, as fearing God:

22 and whatever ye do, do it Rom. xii. 11. from the heart, as to the Lord,

not to men;

23 knowing, that from the Lord ye will receive the recompense of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ:

24 for, he who doeth wrong, will receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no distinction of persons.

25 Masters, render to your servants that which is just and equitable; knowing, that ye also have a Master in heaven,

6 whom I have sent to you Eph. vi. 22. for this purpose, that ye may know our concerns, and that he may comfort your hearts;

7 together with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you: they will make known to you all things that are passing here.

8 Aristarchus, my fellow-pri- Acts, xxvũ 2 soner, saluteth you, and Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, (concerning whom ye received instructions: if he come to you, receive him with welcome;) and Jesus, who is called Justus; who are all of the circumcision: