1 Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by God's will, and Timotheus the brother,
2 to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which {are} in Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father {and Lord Jesus Christ}.
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ continually {when} praying for you,
4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which ye have towards all the saints,
5 on account of the hope which {is} laid up for you in the heavens; of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the glad tidings,
6 which are come to you, as {they are} in all the world, {and} are bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day ye heard {them} and knew indeed the grace of God, in truth:
7 even as ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-bondman, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you,
8 who has also manifested to us your love in {the} Spirit.
9 For this reason *we* also, from the day we heard {of your faith and love}, do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
10 {so as} to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power according to the might of his glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light,
13 who has delivered us from the authority of darkness, and translated {us} into the kingdom of the Son of his love:
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;
15 who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation;
16 because by him were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by him and for him.
17 And *he* is before all, and all things subsist together by him.
18 And *he* is the head of the body, the assembly; who is {the} beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that *he* might have the first place in all things:
19 for in him all the fulness {of the Godhead} was pleased to dwell,
20 and by him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of his cross-by him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now has it reconciled
22 in the body of his flesh through death; to present you holy and unblamable and irreproachable before it,
23 if indeed ye abide in the faith founded and firm, and not moved away from the hope of the glad tidings, which ye have heard, which have been proclaimed in the whole creation which {is} under heaven, of which *I* Paul became minister.
24 Now, I rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly;
25 of which *I* became minister, according to the dispensation of God which {is} given me towards you to complete the word of God,
26 the mystery which {has been} hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints;
27 to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:
28 whom *we* announce, admonishing every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, to the end that we may present every man perfect in Christ.
29 Whereunto also I toil, combating according to his working, which works in me in power.
1 奉 神旨意作基督耶稣使徒的保罗， 和提摩太弟兄，
2 写信给在歌罗西的圣徒， 和在基督里忠心的弟兄。愿恩惠平安从我们的父 神临到你们。
3 我们为你们祈祷的时候， 常常感谢 神我们主耶稣基督的父，
4 因为听见你们在基督耶稣里的信心， 和对众圣徒的爱心。
5 这都是由于那给你们存在天上的盼望， 这盼望是你们从前在福音真理的道上听过的。
6 这福音传到你们那里， 也传到全世界； 你们听了福音， 因着真理确实认识了 神的恩典之后， 这福音就在你们中间不断地结果和增长， 在全世界也是一样。
7 这福音也就是你们从我们亲爱的、一同作仆人的以巴弗那里学到的。他为你们作了基督忠心的仆役，
8 也把你们在圣灵里的爱心告诉了我们。
9 因此， 我们从听见的那天起， 就不停地为你们祷告祈求， 愿你们借着一切属灵的智慧和悟性， 可以充分明白 神的旨意，
10 使你们行事为人对得起主， 凡事蒙他喜悦； 在一切善事上多结果子， 更加认识 神；
11 依照他荣耀的大能得着一切能力， 带着喜乐的心， 凡事忍耐宽容；
12 并且感谢父， 他使你们有资格分享圣徒在光明中的基业。
13 他救我们脱离了黑暗的权势， 把我们迁入他爱子的国里。
14 我们在爱子里蒙了救赎， 罪得赦免。
15 这爱子是那看不见的 神的形象， 是首先的， 在一切被造的之上。
16 因为天上地上的万有： 看得见的和看不见的， 无论是坐王位的， 或是作主的， 或是执政的， 或是掌权的， 都是本着他造的； 万有都是借着他， 又是为着他而造的。
17 他在万有之先； 万有也一同靠着他而存在。
18 他是身体的头， 这身体就是教会。他是元始， 是死人中首先复生的， 好让他在凡事上居首位；
19 因为 神乐意使所有的丰盛都住在爱子里面，
20 并且借着他在十字架上所流的血成就了和平， 使万有， 无论是地上天上的， 都借着他与 神和好了。
21 虽然你们从前也是和 神隔绝， 心思上与他为敌， 行为邪恶，
22 但现今 神在爱子的肉身上， 借着他的死， 使你们与 神和好了， 为了要把你们这些圣洁、无瑕疵、无可指摘的人， 呈献在他面前。
23 只是你们要常存信心， 根基稳固， 不受动摇偏离福音的盼望。这福音你们听过了， 也传给了天下万民； 我保罗也作了这福音的仆役。
24 现在我为你们受苦， 我觉得喜乐； 为了基督的身体， 就是为了教会， 我要在自己的肉身上， 补满基督苦难的不足。
25 我照着 神为你们而赐给我的管家职分， 作了教会的仆役， 要把 神的道， 就是历世历代隐藏的奥秘， 传得完备。现在这奥秘已经向他的众圣徒显明了。
27 神愿意使他们知道这奥秘在外族人中有多么荣耀的丰盛， 这奥秘就是基督在你们里面成了荣耀的盼望。
28 我们传扬他， 是用各样的智慧， 劝戒各人， 教导各人， 为了要使各人在基督里得到完全。
29 我也为了这事劳苦， 按着他用大能在我心中运行的动力， 竭力奋斗。