1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

1 Paulus Apostolus Jesu Christi per voluntatem Dei, et Timotheus frater : 2 eis, qui sunt Colossis, sanctis, et fidelibus fratribus in Christo Jesu. 3 Gratia vobis, et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Jesu Christo.Gratias agimus Deo, et Patri Domini nostri Jesu Christi semper pro vobis orantes : 4 audientes fidem vestram in Christo Jesu, et dilectionem quam habetis in sanctos omnes 5 propter spem, qu reposita est vobis in clis : quam audistis in verbo veritatis Evangelii : 6 quod pervenit ad vos, sicut et in universo mundo est, et fructificat, et crescit sicut in vobis, ex ea die, qua audistis, et cognovistis gratiam Dei in veritate, 7 sicut didicistis ab Epaphra carissimo conservo nostro, qui est fidelis pro vobis minister Christi Jesu, 8 qui etiam manifestavit nobis dilectionem vestram in spiritu. 9 Ideo et nos ex qua die audivimus, non cessamus pro vobis orantes, et postulantes ut impleamini agnitione voluntatis ejus, in omni sapientia et intellectu spiritali : 10 ut ambuletis digne Deo per omnia placentes : in omni opere bono fructificantes, et crescentes in scientia Dei : 11 in omni virtute confortati secundum potentiam claritatis ejus, in omni patientia et longanimitate cum gaudio, 12 gratias agentes Deo Patri, qui dignos nos fecit in partem sortis sanctorum in lumine : 13 qui eripuit nos de potestate tenebrarum, et transtulit in regnum filii dilectionis su, 14 in quo habemus redemptionem per sanguinem ejus, remissionem peccatorum : 15 qui est imago Dei invisibilis, primogenitus omnis creatur : 16 quoniam in ipso condita sunt universa in clis, et in terra, visibilia, et invisibilia, sive throni, sive dominationes, sive principatus, sive potestates : omnia per ipsum et in ipso creata sunt : 17 et ipse est ante omnes, et omnia in ipso constant.18 Et ipse est caput corporis Ecclesi, qui est principium, primogenitus ex mortuis : ut sit in omnibus ipse primatum tenens : 19 quia in ipso complacuit, omnem plenitudinem inhabitare : 20 et per eum reconciliare omnia in ipsum, pacificans per sanguinem crucis ejus, sive qu in terris, sive qu in clis sunt. 21 Et vos cum essetis aliquando alienati, et inimici sensu in operibus malis : 22 nunc autem reconciliavit in corpore carnis ejus per mortem, exhibere vos sanctos, et immaculatos, et irreprehensibiles coram ipso : 23 si tamen permanetis in fide fundati, et stabiles, et immobiles a spe Evangelii, quod audistis, quod prdicatum est in universa creatura, qu sub clo est, cujus factus sum ego Paulus minister.24 Qui nunc gaudeo in passionibus pro vobis, et adimpleo ea qu desunt passionem Christi, in carne mea pro corpore ejus, quod est Ecclesia : 25 cujus factus sum ego minister secundum dispensationem Dei, qu data est mihi in vos, ut impleam verbum Dei : 26 mysterium, quod absconditum fuit a sculis, et generationibus, nunc autem manifestatum est sanctis ejus, 27 quibus voluit Deus notas facere divitias glori sacramenti hujus in gentibus, quod est Christus, in vobis spes glori, 28 quem nos annuntiamus, corripientes omnem hominem, et docentes omnem hominem, in omni sapientia, ut exhibeamus omnem hominem perfectum in Christo Jesu : 29 in quo et laboro, certando secundum operationem ejus, quam operatur in me in virtute.