The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians, Chapter 1.
As ye also learned of Epiphras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a
faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit,
for this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and
long-suffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,
who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers.
All things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things,
and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you
holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.
If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister, who now rejoice
in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of
Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church, whereof I am made a
minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you,
to fulfill the word of God.
Even the mystery, which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is
made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor,
striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.