Colossians:1

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* Paul , an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God , and Timothy the brother , * to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae : Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ . * We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , always praying about you , * having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus , and the love toward all the sanctified , * because of the hope being reserved for you in the heavens , which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the good-news * being present for you , just as also in all the world . And it is bearing fruit and increasing , just as also among you from the day that ye heard and recognized the grace of God in truth . * Just as also ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow bondman , who is a faithful helper of the Christ for you , * the man who also made clear to us your love in Spirit . * Because of this we also , from the day that we heard , cease not praying for you and making request that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding . * For you to walk worthily of the Lord for every desire to please , bearing fruit in every good work , and growing in the knowledge of God , * being strengthened in every ability , according to the dominion of his glory , for all perseverance and longsuffering with joy . * Giving thanks to the Father who made us qualified for the share of the portion of the sanctified in light . * Who rescued us out of the power of darkness , and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love , * in whom we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of sins , * who is an image of the invisible God , the firstborn of all creation . * Because in him all things were created , things in the heavens and things upon the earth , things visible and things invisible , whether thrones or lordships or principal offices or positions of authority , all things have been created * And he is before all , and in him all things hold together . * And he is the head of the body , the church , who is the beginning , the firstborn from the dead , so that he might become preeminent in all things . * Because in him it was considered good for all the fullness dwell , * and through him to reconcile all things to himself , having made peace through the blood of his cross , through him whether things upon the earth or things in the heavens . * And you , being formerly alienated and hostile in mind , in works , in things evil . But now he has reconciled * in the body of his flesh through death , to present you holy and unblemished and unblameable before him . * If ye truly continue in the faith , founded , and steadfast , and not moved away from the hope of the good-news that ye heard , which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven , of which I Paul became a helper . * I now rejoice in sufferings for you , and make complete in my flesh things lacking of the afflictions of the Christ for his body , which is the church . * Of which I became a helper according to the administration of God , which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of God , * the mystery that was hidden from the ages and from the generations , but has now been made known to his sanctified . * To whom God wanted to make known what is the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles , which is Christ in you , the hope of glory . * Whom we proclaim , admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom , so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus . * For which also I labor , striving according to his working , which works in me with power .

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