CVG Colossians Chapter 1

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1. Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God and Timothy our brother.

2. To the saints at Colossae and the faithful brothers in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3. We are thankful to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always concerning you.

4. Hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.

5. Through the hope laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard about before in the word of the truth of the Gospel.

6. Of that [the Gospel] present in you, just as also it is in all the world, [the Gospel] is bearing fruit and is growing just as also [it is bearing fruit and growing] in you, from that day you heard [it] and knew [NOTE: as if your eyes were opened and you truly knew what the grace of God means. The dead man cannot know (epiginwskw) this grace.] the grace of God in truth.

7. Just as you learned from Epaphra our beloved fellow servant, who is faithful concerning you, a servant of Christ.

8. Even the one who made it clear to us your love in the Spirit.

9. For this reason also we, from that day we heard, we did not cease, praying and asking concerning you, that you may be filled with the true knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual insight.

10. To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord in every pleasing way, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the truth knowledge of God.

11. Being strengthened in all strength [power] according to the might of His glory to all perseverance and long-suffering. With joy

12. giving thanks to the Father, the One who makes you sufficient to the share of the lot of the saints in the light [NOTE: Lot shouldn't be translated inheritance since that is a different word. It is the lot as in the soldiers gambling for Christ's clothes. The word share is more of a portion of something, a part of the whole. Paul is saying that God, by His work, has enabled us to be given what is due us, not on the basis of our works, but on the basis of what He has accomplished in us, that is the share of the lot He made to fall our way.].

13. Who rescued us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love [NOTE: the Son who is the object of God's love.].

14. In Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.
[NOTE: prototokos is used here and also in the LXX many times. In Jeremiah 31:9, Ephraim is called the prototokos even though Manasseh was the elder son of Joseph. Psalm 89:27 (Rahlfs Psalm 88:28) uses the word prototokos for Christ, but the language in the LXX makes it as though God appoints to Him this position, not simply by birth: I will make Him my prototokos.]

16. Because all things were created in Him in the heavens and on the earth, all visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities. All things are created through Him and for Him.

17. And He Himself is before all things and all things in Him have been held together.

18. And He Himself is the Head of the body, the church, He Who is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself may come to be first in all things.

19. Because in Him, He [God] was pleased to seat all the fullness.

20. And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, through Him whether things on earth or things in the heavens.

21. And you at that time being alienated and enemies in your mind in evil deeds,

22. But now he reconciled [you] in the body of His flesh, through His dead to present you holy and blameless and without reproach before Him.

23. Indeed if you remain in faith being founded and firm and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard which was preached to all creation which is under heaven, [and] of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

24. Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and I fill up those things lacking of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh on behalf of His body, which is the church.

25. Which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you to fulfil the word of God.

26. The mystery which was hidden from ages and generations ago, but now was revealed to His saints.

27. To whom God desired to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery to the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28. Which we proclaim admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man complete in Christ.

29. To which also I labor struggling according to His working which works in me in His power.