Godbey - Colossians

Chapter 1

1:1  Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and brother Timothy,

1:2  to the saints who are in Colossae and the faithful brethren in Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

1:3  We give thanks to God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you,

1:4  having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the divine love which you have toward all the saints.

1:5  on account of the hope which awaits you in the heavens, which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

1:6  having come to you, as it is indeed in the whole world bearing fruit and increasing, as also among you, from the day on which you heard and have known the grace of God in truth;

1:7  as you have learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is the faithful minister of Christ your behalf,

1:8  who also having revealed to us your divine love in the Spirit.

1:9  Therefore we, from the day on which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the perfect knowledge of his will in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding,

1:10  that you may walk worthily of the Lord in all loyalty, in every good work bearing fruit, and increasing in the perfect knowledge of God.

1:11  being impowered with all power, according to the might of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy;

1:12  giving thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy unto a participation of the inheritance of the saints in light;

1:13  who delivered us from the power of darkness, and transplanted us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

1:14  in whom we have redemption, the remission of sins:

1:15  who is the image of the invisible God, being the first begotten of all creation,

1:16  because in him all things are created, in the heavens and upon the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All things were created by him, and unto him;

1:17  and he before all things, and all things consist in him:

1:18  and himself is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first begotten from the dead, in order that in all things himself may be preeminent:

1:19  because in him all fulness is pleased to dwell;

1:20  and through him, to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross: through him, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.

1:21  And you, being at one time aliens and enemies in your minds on account of wicked works, nevertheless he has now reconciled

1:22  in the body of his cross through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreprovable before him,

1:23  if you abide in the faith, having been grounded and firm, and not moved from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, having been preached in all creation which is under heaven; whose minister I Paul became.

1:24  Now I rejoice in sufferings in your behalf, and am filling up the residue of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh in behalf of his body, which is the church;

1:25  whose minister I became, according to the economy of God which was given to me unto you, to fulfill the word of God,

1:26  the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from the generations: but is now made manifest to his saints,

1:27  to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, who is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1:28  whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

1:29  unto which I also labor, agonizing according to his energy, working in me with power.

Chapter 2

2:1  For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have in behalf of you, and those in Laodicea, and so many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2:2  in order that their hearts may be comforted, being knitted together in divine love, and in all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the perfect knowledge of the mystery of God, of Christ,

2:3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

2:4  I say this in order that no one may deceive you with a persuasive speech.

2:5  For if I am absent in the flesh, but I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the establishment of your faith toward Christ.

2:6  Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk about in him,

2:7  having been rooted and grounded in him, and confirmed in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

2:8  See that no one shall be deceiving you through philosophy and empty delusion, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,

2:9  because in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

2:10  and you are complete in him, who is the head of all government and authority:

2:11  in whom you are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of depravity, in the circumcision of Christ;

2:12  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you are also raised by the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead:

2:13  and you, being dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your depravity, has he created life in you along with himself, having forgiven us all transgressions,

2:14  having blotted out the handwriting which was against us in ordinances, which was antagonistical to us: and took it out from the midst, having nailed it to the cross;

2:15  having destroyed governments and authorities, he made a public exhibition of them triumphing over them on it.

2:16  Therefore let no one judge you in meat, or in drink, or in the participation of a feast, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath:

2:17  which things are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is of Christ.

2:18  Let no one purposely rob you of your prize by humiliation and worship of the angels, trusting in those things which he has seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his depravity,

2:19  and not holding the Head, from which the entire body, by joints and ligaments being supplied and knitted together, increases the increase of God.

2:20  If along with Christ you are dead from the elements of the world, why are you dogmatized as living in the world,

2:21  Touch not, taste not, handle not,

2:22  those things which are all unto destruction by use according to the commandments and teachings of the people?

2:23  Which indeed are having a word of wisdom in will worship, and humiliation, and austerity of the body; not in any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Chapter 3

3:1  If then ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God;

3:2  think about those things above, and not things upon the earth.

3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God:

3:4  when Christ, your life, may appear, then will you also appear with him in glory.

3:5  Therefore kill your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

3:6  through which the wrath of God comes.

3:7  In which you indeed at one time did walk about, when you lived in them:

3:8  but you also lay aside all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, disgraceful talk out of your mouths:

3:9  lie not to one another, having laid aside the old man with his habits,

3:10  and having put on the new man, who is renewed into perfect knowledge according to the image of him who created him:

3:11  where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond, free: but Christ is all things, and in all.

3:12  Therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, put on affections of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

3:13  forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any one may have a quarrel against any one; as Christ also forgave you, so indeed do you likewise:

3:14  and in all these things put on divine love, which is the bond of perfection.

3:15  And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, in which you are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

3:16  Let the word of God dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another, in all wisdom, in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, with grace making melody in your hearts to God;

3:17  and every thing whatsoever you may do, in word or in work, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

3:18  Ye wives, submit to your husbands as is becoming in the Lord.

3:19  Ye husbands, love your wives with divine love, and be not harsh towards them.

3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.

3:21  Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, in order that they may not be discouraged.

3:22  Ye servants, obey your masters according to the flesh in all things; not with eye-service, pleasing men, but of purity of heart, fearing the Lord.

3:23  Whatsoever you may do, work from your soul, as for the Lord, and not for men;

3:24  knowing that you will receive the recompense of the inheritance from the Lord. Serve the Lord Christ;

3:25  for the one doing wrong receives that for which he did the injustice: and there is no respect of persons.

Chapter 4

4:1  Masters, award unto the servants that which is right and equal; knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

4:2  Be constant in prayer, watching in the same with thanksgiving;

4:3  at the same time also praying for us, in order that God may open to us the door of the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which I indeed am bound;

4:4  in order that I may manifest the same, as it behooves me to speak.

4:5  Walk about in wisdom toward the aliens, buying in the opportunity.

4:6  Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how it behooves you to answer each one.

4:7  Tychicus, my beloved brother, and faithful minister and fellow-laborer in the Lord, will make known to you all things which appertain to me:

4:8  whom I sent unto you for this same thing, in order that you may know the things concerning us, and he may comfort your hearts;

4:9  along with our faithful and beloved brother, Onesimus, who is from you; they will truly make known all things to you.

4:10  Aristarchus my fellow-soldier salutes you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas concerning whom you received commandments; if he may come to you, receive him;

4:11  and Jesus, called Justus, who being of the circumcision: these are my only fellow-laborers in the kingdom of God, who have been made a comfort to me.

4:12  Epaphras, who is from you, the servant of Jesus Christ, always agonizing in your behalf in his prayers, in order that you may stand perfect even having been fully carried away in all the will of God, salutes you.

4:13  For I testify to him, that he always has much solicitude for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those who are in Hierapolis.

4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas salute you.

4:15  Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in their house.

4:16  And when the letter may be read by you, cause that it may also be read in the church of the Laodiceans; and that you may also read the letter from Laodicea.

4:17  And say to Archippus; Take heed to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you may fill it.

4:18  Salutation of me Paul with my own hand. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.