Colossians (GOD'S WORD)







































Colossians 1:9-14 (GOD'S WORD)

9      For this reason we have not stopped praying for you since the day we heard about you. We ask {God} to fill you with the knowledge of his will through every kind of spiritual wisdom and insight. 10We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God. 11We ask him to strengthen you by his glorious might with all the power you need to patiently endure everything with joy. 12You will also thank the Father, who has made you able to share the light, which is what God’s people inherit.

13     God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves. 14His Son paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven.








































Colossians 1:15-18 (GOD'S WORD)


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Colossians 1:21-23 (GOD'S WORD)

   21Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. 22But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God's presence without sin, fault, or blame. 23This is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains. You've heard this Good News of which I, Paul, became a servant. It has been spread throughout all creation under heaven.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Colossians 1:24-29 (GOD'S WORD)

   24I am happy to suffer for you now. In my body I am completing whatever remains of Christ's sufferings. I am doing this on behalf of his body, the church. 25I became a servant of the church when God gave me the work of telling you his entire message. 26In the past God hid this mystery, but now he has revealed it to his people. 27God wanted his people throughout the world to know the glorious riches of this mystery--which is Christ living in you, giving you the hope of glory.
   28We spread the message about Christ as we instruct and teach everyone with all the wisdom there is. We want to present everyone as mature Christian people. 29I work hard and struggle to do this while his mighty power works in me.

Colossians 2:3-23 (GOD'S WORD)

    3God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Chrisof God. 4I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good. 5Although I’m absent from you physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
    6You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people.
    7Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.
    8Be careful not to let anyone rob you [of this faith] through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.
    9All of God lives in Christ’s body, 10and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. 12This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, a who brought him back to life.
    13You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature. But God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. 14He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. 15He stripped the rulers and authorities [of their power] and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ.
    16Therefore, let no one judge you because of what you eat or drink or about the observance of annual holy days, New Moon Festivals, or weekly worship days. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body [that casts the shadow] belongs to Christ.
    18Let no one who delights in [false] humility and the worship of angels tell you that you don’t deserve a prize. Such a person, whose sinful mind fills him with arrogance, gives endless details of the visions he has seen. 19He doesn’t hold on to [Christ,] the head. Christ makes the whole body grow as God wants it to, through support and unity given by the joints and ligaments.
    20If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. 21People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” 22All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway.
    23These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, [false] humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Colossians 3:1-4 (GOD'S WORD)
   1Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above--where Christ holds the highest position. 2Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 3You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Colossians 3:12-25 (GOD'S WORD)

    12As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly.15Also, let Christ's peace control you. God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. Be thankful. 16Let Christ's word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about {God's} kindness. Sing to God in your hearts. 17Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.18Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority.c This is appropriate behavior for the Lord’s people. 19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be harsh with them.
    20Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged.
    22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master. 23Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. 24You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving.
    25The person who does wrong will be paid back for the wrong he has done. God does not play favorites.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




















Colossians 4:2-6 (GOD'S WORD)

    2Keep praying. Pay attention when you offer prayers of thanksgiving. 3At the same time also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to speak the word so that we may tell the mystery about Christ. It is because of this mystery that I am a prisoner. 4Pray that I may make this mystery as clear as possible. This is what I have to do.
    5Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside [the Christian faith]. Make the most of your opportunities.
    6Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.