1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2 To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.
I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
A Prayer of Thanks
3 Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, 5 because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
6 The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7 from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you. 8 He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
The Person and Work of Christ
9 We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding his Spirit gives. 10 Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. 11 His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12 I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13 God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who forgives our sins and sets us free.
15 Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.
16 Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God's Son,
and everything was made
for him.
17 God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
18 He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
19 God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
20 And God was pleased
for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.
21 You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22 But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. 23 But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.
Paul's Service to the Church
24 I am glad I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. 25 God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. 26 For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. 27 God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.
28 We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29 This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
Sveiciens
1 Pāvils, pēc Dieva gribas Jēzus Kristus apustulis, un Timotejs, mūsu brālis, 2 sūta sveicienu Kolosās dzīvojošiem Dieva ļaudīm un uzticamajiem brāļiem Kristū: žēlastība jums un miers no Dieva, mūsu Tēva!
Pāvils pateicas Dievam par kolosiešu ticību
3 Mēs pateicamies Dievam, mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus Tēvam, par jums un lūdzam bez mitas Dievu, 4 jo dzirdējām par jūsu ticību Kristū Jēzū un par jūsu mīlestību pret visiem svētajiem 5 tās cerības dēļ, kas jums noglabāta debesīs. Par to jūs jau agrāk esat dzirdējuši evaņģēlija patiesajā vārdā, 6 kas ir pie jums un nes augļus un pieaug spēkā visā pasaulē – tāpat kā tas pieaug jūsos kopš tās dienas, kad dzirdējāt un aptvērāt Dieva žēlastību patiesībā. 7 To visu jūs iemācījāties, pateicoties Epafram, mūsu mīļotajam darbabiedram, kas ir uzticams Kristus kalpotājs jūsu labā. 8 Viņš arī mums pastāstīja par mīlestību, ko Gars jums ir devis. 9 Tādēļ arī mēs kopš tās dienas, kad to dzirdējām, nemitējamies par jums lūgt Dievu, lai jūs tiktu piepildīti ar viņa gribas atziņu visā gudrībā un garīgā sapratnē, 10 lai, nesdami augļus un augdami Dieva atziņā, jūs dzīvotu Kunga cienīgi un vienmēr viņu iepriecinātu ikvienā krietnā darbā, 11 tādējādi tapdami spēcīgāki viņa godības spēkā, pieaugot izturībā un pacietībā. Mēs ar prieku 12 pateicamies Tēvam, kas mūs dara cienīgus saņemt savu daļu svēto mantojuma gaismā. 13 Mēs pateicamies Tēvam, kas mūs izrāva no tumsas varas un ieveda sava mīļotā Dēla valstībā – 14 viņa dēļ Dievs mūs ir atbrīvojis un mūsu grēkus piedevis –
Kristus pārākums pār visu radību
15 viņš ir neredzamā Dieva attēls, visas radības pirmdzimtais, 16 jo caur viņu ir viss, kas radīts gan debesīs, gan virs zemes – redzamais un neredzamais. Vai tie ķēniņu troņi, valdīšanas, valdības un varas – visas lietas ir radītas caur un uz viņu. 17 Viņš ir pirms visa, un viss ir dibināts viņā – 18 viņš ir savas miesas, Baznīcas, galva, sākums, pirmdzimtais no mirušajiem, lai visā viņš būtu pirmais, 19 jo Dievam labpatika, ka visa pilnība iemājo viņā. 20 Caur viņu Dievs ir devis izlīgumu visā, ar Kristus krusta asinīm Dievs ir ienesis mieru visā, kas uz zemes un debesīs. 21 Arī jūs reiz bijāt Dievam atsvešināti un naidīgi noskaņoti, ļaunajos darbos iegrimuši; 22 bet tagad Dievs ir devis izlīgumu Kristū caur viņa nāvi cilvēciskajā miesā, lai jūs vestu savā priekšā svētumam izredzētus, neaptraipītus un nevainojamus, 23 ja vien jūs paliksiet ticībā – likti uz droša pamata un neizkustināmi no cerības, kas ir evaņģēlijā, ko jūs esat dzirdējuši. Tas ir pasludināts visai radībai zem debess. Un es, Pāvils, nu esmu kļuvis šā evaņģēlija kalps.
Pāvila kalpošana draudzei
24 Bet tagad es priecājos savās ciešanās jūsu dēļ, un to, ko no Kristus ciešanām turpina ciest viņa Baznīca, kas ir viņa ķermenis, es izciešu tās labad savā miesā. 25 Par viņa Baznīcas kalpotāju es esmu kļuvis pēc Dieva uzdevuma, kas man ir uzticēts jūsu dēļ, lai jūsos piepildītos Dieva vārds – 26 noslēpums, kas no laiku laikiem paaudžu paaudzēs bijis apslēpts, bet tagad tapis atklāts viņa svētajiem – ticīgajiem. 27 Dievs ir gribējis, lai tie dara zināmu pagāniem, cik liela ir šā noslēpuma godības bagātība. Šis noslēpums ir Kristus jūsos – dievišķās godības cerība, 28 ko mēs pasludinām, mudinot un mācot cilvēkus visā gudrībā, lai ikvienu cilvēku darītu pilnīgu Kristū. 29 Šā mērķa dēļ es pūlos un cīnos tik daudz, cik viņš manī darbojas ar savu varenību.
