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            Colossians New Living Translation (NLT)

chapter 1

     Greetings from Paul

     1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

     2It is written to God's holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

     May God our Father give you grace and peace.

     Pauls Thanksgiving and Prayer

     3We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard

     that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God's people. 5You do this because you are looking

     forward to the joys of heaven--as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

     6This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just

     as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God's great kindness to

     sinners.

     7Epaphras, our much loved co-worker, was the one who brought you the Good News. He is Christ's faithful

     servant, and he is helping us in your place. 8He is the one who told us about the great love for others that

     the Holy Spirit has given you.

     9So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a

     complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual

     wisdom. 10Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind

     things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

     11We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience

     and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, 12always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to

     share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. 13For he has rescued us from

     the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. 14God

     has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.

     Christ Is Supreme

     15Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme

     over all creation. 16Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the

     things we can see and the things we can't see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been

     created through him and for him. 17He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation

     together.

     18Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is

     first in everything. 19For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and by him God reconciled

     everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the

     cross. 21This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him

     by your evil thoughts and actions, 22yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this

     through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very

     presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23But you

     must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received

     when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been

     appointed by God to proclaim it.

     Pauls Work for the Church

     24I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his

     body, the church. 25God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his message in

     all its fullness to you Gentiles. 26This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it

     has been revealed to his own holy people. 27For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory

     of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that

     you will share in his glory.

     28So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom

     God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29I work very

     hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me.

chapter 2

     1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other

     friends who have never known me personally. 2My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by

     strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's

     secret plan, which is Christ himself. 3In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

     4I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5For though I am

     far away from you, my heart is with you. And I am very happy because you are living as you should and

     because of your strong faith in Christ.

     Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ

     6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.

     7Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and

     vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.

     8Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human

     thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. 9For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a

     human body, 10and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and

     authority in the universe.

     11When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual

     procedure--the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12For you were buried with Christ when you were

     baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who

     raised Christ from the dead.

     13You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made

     you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record that contained the charges against

     us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. 15In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and

     authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.

     16So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or

     new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself.

     18Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. And don't let anyone say you must worship

     angels, even though they say they have had visions about this. These people claim to be so humble, but their

     sinful minds have made them proud. 19But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we

     are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and

     strength from God.

     20You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep

     on following rules of the world, such as, 21"Don't handle, don't eat, don't touch." 22Such rules are mere

     human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. 23These rules may seem wise because

     they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to

     conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires.

chapter 3

     Living the New Life

     1Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ

     sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. 2Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only

     about things down here on earth. 3For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in

     God. 4And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

     5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity,

     lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. 6God's terrible

     anger will come upon those who do such things. 7You used to do them when your life was still part of this

     world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don't

     lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. 10In its place you

     have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and

     more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. 11In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a

     Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters,

     and he lives in all of us.

     12Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted

     mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13You must make allowance for each other's faults and

     forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14And the

     most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.

     15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called

     to live in peace. And always be thankful.

     16Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach

     and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And

     whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through

     him to God the Father.

     Instructions for Christian Households

     18You wives must submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19And you

     husbands must love your wives and never treat them harshly.

     20You children must always obey your parents, for this is what pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, don't aggravate

     your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.

     22You slaves must obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just

     when they are watching you. Obey them willingly because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23Work hard and

     cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24Remember

     that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. 25But if

     you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can

     get away with evil.

chapter 4

     1 You slave owners must be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master--in heaven.

     An Encouragement for Prayer

     2Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3Don't forget to pray for us, too, that

     God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan--that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That

     is why I am here in chains. 4Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

     5Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your

     conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

     Pauls Final Instructions and Greetings

     7Tychicus, a much loved brother, will tell you how I am getting along. He is a faithful helper who serves the

     Lord with me. 8I have sent him on this special trip to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.

     9I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and much loved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will

     give you all the latest news.

     10Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas's cousin. And as

     you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11Jesus (the one we call Justus) also

     sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish Christians among my co-workers; they are working with me

     here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

     12Epaphras, from your city, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for

     you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident of the whole will of God. 13I can assure you

     that he has agonized for you and also for the Christians in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

     14Dear Doctor Luke sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15Please give my greetings to our Christian

     brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and those who meet in her house.

     16After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you

     should read the letter I wrote to them. 17And say to Archippus, "Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave

     you."

     18Here is my greeting in my own handwriting--PAUL.

     Remember my chains.

     May the grace of God be with you.