Colossians:1
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Paul ,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God ,
and Timotheus our brother ,
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To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse :
Grace be unto you ,
and peace ,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ .
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We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ,
praying always for you ,
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Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus ,
and of the love which ye have to all the saints ,
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For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven ,
whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel ;
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Which is come unto you ,
as it is in all the world ;
and bringeth forth fruit ,
as it doth also in you ,
since the day ye heard of it ,
and knew the grace of God in truth :
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As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant ,
who is for you a faithful minister of Christ ;
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Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit .
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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 ;
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That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing ,
being fruitful in every good work ,
and increasing in the knowledge of God ;
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Strengthened with all might ,
according to his glorious power ,
unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness ;
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Giving thanks unto the Father ,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light :
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Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness ,
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son :
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In whom we have redemption through his blood ,
even the forgiveness of sins :
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Who is the image of the invisible God ,
the firstborn of every creature :
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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 :
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And he is before all things ,
and by him all things consist .
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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 .
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For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell ;
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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 .
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And you ,
that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works ,
yet now hath he reconciled
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In the body of his flesh through death ,
to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight :
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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 ;
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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 :
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Whereof I am made a minister ,
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you ,
to fulfil the word of God ;
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Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations ,
but now is made manifest to his saints :
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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 :
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Whom we preach ,
warning every man ,
and teaching every man in all wisdom ;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus :
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Whereunto I also labour ,
striving according to his working ,
which worketh in me mightily .