New American Standard Bible 1995

Colossians 1:15-29

15 1He is the 2imageG1504 of the 3invisibleG517 GodG2316, the 4firstbornG4416 of allG3956 creationG2937. 16For 5 6by Him allG3956 thingsG3956 were createdG2936, 7both in the heavensG3772 and on earthG1093, visibleG3707 and invisibleG517, whetherG1535 8thronesG2362 orG1535 dominionsG2963 orG1535 rulersG746 orG1535 authoritiesG1849--9allG3956 thingsG3956 have been createdG2936 throughG1223 Him and for Him. 17He 10 11is beforeG4253 allG3956 thingsG3956, and in Him allG3956 thingsG3956 12holdG4921 togetherG4921. 18He is alsoG2532 13headG2776 of 14the bodyG4983, the churchG1577; and He is 15the beginningG746, 16the firstbornG4416 from the deadG3498, soG2443 that He HimselfG846 will comeG1096 to haveG4409 firstG4409 placeG4409 in everythingG3956. 19For 17it was 18the Father’s goodG2106 pleasureG2106 for allG3956 19the 20fullnessG4138 to dwellG2730 in Him, 20and throughG1223 Him to 21reconcileG604 allG3956 thingsG3956 to HimselfG846, having madeG1517 22peaceG1517 throughG1223 23the bloodG129 of His crossG4716; throughG1223 Him, I say, 24whetherG1535 things on earthG1093 orG1535 things in 25heavenG3772.

21And although you were 26formerlyG4218 alienatedG526 and hostileG2190 in mindG1271, engaged in evilG4190 deedsG2041, 22yetG1161 He has nowG3570 27reconciledG604 you in His fleshlyG4561 28bodyG4983 throughG1223 deathG2288, in order to 29presentG3936 you beforeG2714 Him 30holyG40 and blamelessG299 and beyondG410 reproachG410-- 23ifG1487 indeedG1065 you continueG1961 in 31the faithG4102 firmlyG2311 32establishedG2311 and steadfastG1476, and not movedG3334 awayG3334 from the 33hopeG1680 of the gospelG2098 that you have heardG191, which was proclaimedG2784 34in allG3956 creationG2937 underG5259 heavenG3772, 35and of whichG3739 I, PaulG3972, 36was madeG1096 a 37 38ministerG1249.

24 39NowG3568 I rejoiceG5463 in my sufferingsG3804 for your sakeG5228, and in my fleshG4561 40I 41do my shareG466 on behalfG5228 of 42His bodyG4983, whichG3739 is the churchG1577, in fillingG466 up whatG3588 is lackingG5303 43in Christ’sG5547 afflictionsG2347. 25 44Of this church I 45was madeG1096 a ministerG1249 accordingG2596 to the 46stewardshipG3622 from GodG2316 bestowedG1325 on me for your benefitG1519, so that I might 47fullyG4137 carryG4137 out the preaching of the wordG3056 of GodG2316, 26that is, 48the mysteryG3466 which has been hiddenG613 from the past agesG165 and generationsG1074, but has nowG3568 been manifestedG5319 to His 49saintsG40, 27to whomG3739 50GodG2316 willedG2309 to makeG1107 knownG1107 whatG5101 is 51the richesG4149 of the gloryG1391 of thisG3778 mysteryG3466 amongG1722 the GentilesG1484, whichG3739 is 52ChristG5547 in you, the 53hopeG1680 of gloryG1391. 28We proclaimG2605 Him, 54admonishingG3560 everyG3956 manG444 and teachingG1321 everyG3956 manG444 55with allG3956 56wisdomG4678, soG2443 that we may 57presentG3936 everyG3956 manG444 58 59completeG5046 in ChristG5547. 29For thisG3739 purpose alsoG2532 I 60laborG2872, 61strivingG75 62accordingG2596 to His 63powerG1411, which 64mightilyG1411 worksG1754 withinG1722 me.

Read all of Colossians 1

Notes

1. Colossians 1:15 Lit Who is ↩
2. Colossians 1:15 2 Cor 4:4 ↩
3. Colossians 1:15 John 1:1 ↩
4. Colossians 1:15 Rom 8:29 ↩
5. Colossians 1:16 Or in ↩
6. Colossians 1:16 Eph 1:10 ↩
7. Colossians 1:16 Eph 1:10 ↩
8. Colossians 1:16 Eph 1:20f; Col 2:15 ↩
9. Colossians 1:16 John 1:3; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 8:6 ↩
10. Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to ↩
11. Colossians 1:17 John 1:1; 8:58 ↩
12. Colossians 1:17 Or endure ↩
13. Colossians 1:18 Eph 1:22 ↩
14. Colossians 1:18 Eph 1:23; Col 1:24; 2:19 ↩
15. Colossians 1:18 Rev 3:14 ↩
16. Colossians 1:18 Acts 26:23 ↩
17. Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell ↩
18. Colossians 1:19 Eph 1:5 ↩
19. Colossians 1:19 John 1:16 ↩
20. Colossians 1:19 I.e. fullness of deity ↩
21. Colossians 1:20 2 Cor 5:18; Eph 2:16 ↩
22. Colossians 1:20 Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14 ↩
23. Colossians 1:20 Eph 2:13 ↩
24. Colossians 1:20 Col 1:16 ↩
25. Colossians 1:20 Lit the heavens ↩
26. Colossians 1:21 Rom 5:10; Eph 2:3, 12 ↩
27. Colossians 1:22 2 Cor 5:18; Eph 2:16 ↩
28. Colossians 1:22 Rom 7:4 ↩
29. Colossians 1:22 Eph 5:27; Col 1:28 ↩
30. Colossians 1:22 Eph 1:4 ↩
31. Colossians 1:23 Or in faith ↩
32. Colossians 1:23 Eph 3:17; Col 2:7 ↩
33. Colossians 1:23 Col 1:5 ↩
34. Colossians 1:23 Mark 16:15; Acts 2:5; Col 1:6 ↩
35. Colossians 1:23 Eph 3:7; Col 1:25 ↩
36. Colossians 1:23 Lit became ↩
37. Colossians 1:23 Or servant ↩
38. Colossians 1:23 1 Cor 3:5 ↩
39. Colossians 1:24 Rom 8:17; 2 Cor 1:5; 12:15; Phil 2:17 ↩
40. Colossians 1:24 2 Tim 1:8; 2:10 ↩
41. Colossians 1:24 Or representatively...fill up ↩
42. Colossians 1:24 Col 1:18 ↩
43. Colossians 1:24 Lit of ↩
44. Colossians 1:25 Col 1:23 ↩
45. Colossians 1:25 Lit became ↩
46. Colossians 1:25 Eph 3:2 ↩
47. Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God ↩
48. Colossians 1:26 Rom 16:25f; Eph 3:3f; Col 2:2; 4:3 ↩
49. Colossians 1:26 Or holy ones ↩
50. Colossians 1:27 Matt 13:11 ↩
51. Colossians 1:27 Eph 1:7, 18; 3:16 ↩
52. Colossians 1:27 Rom 8:10 ↩
53. Colossians 1:27 1 Tim 1:1 ↩
54. Colossians 1:28 Acts 20:31; Col 3:16 ↩
55. Colossians 1:28 Lit in ↩
56. Colossians 1:28 1 Cor 2:6f; Col 2:3 ↩
57. Colossians 1:28 Col 1:22 ↩
58. Colossians 1:28 Or perfect ↩
59. Colossians 1:28 Matt 5:48; Eph 4:13 ↩
60. Colossians 1:29 1 Cor 15:10 ↩
61. Colossians 1:29 Col 2:1; 4:12 ↩
62. Colossians 1:29 Eph 1:19; Col 2:12 ↩
63. Colossians 1:29 Lit working ↩
64. Colossians 1:29 Lit in power ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Colossians 1