Colossians Contemporary English Version (CEV)
chapter 1
1From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.
I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
A Prayer of Thanks
3Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4We have heard of your faith
in Christ and of your love for all of God's people, 5because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven.
You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
6The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in that same way among
you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness 7from our good friend
Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you. 8He is also the one who told
us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
The Person and Work of Christ
9We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that
God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding
that his Spirit gives. 10Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing
good deeds. You will come to know God even better. 11His glorious power will make you patient and strong
enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the
kingdom of light. 13God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear
Son, 14who forgives our sins and sets us free. 15Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.
16Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God's Son,
and everything was made
for him.
17God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
18He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
19God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
20And God was pleased
for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.
21You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22But his Son
became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as
people who are holy and faultless and innocent. 23But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You
must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on
earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.
Paul's Service to the Church
24I am glad that I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue the suffering of
Christ for his body, the church. 25God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to
preach his complete message to you. 26For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but
now it has been explained to God's people. 27God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his
wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in
God's glory. 28We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach
everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. 29That's why I work so hard and use
the mighty power he gives me.
chapter 2
1I want you to know what a struggle I am going through for you, for God's people at Laodicea, and for all of
those followers who have never met me. 2I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together
in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not
only is he the key to God's mystery, 3but all wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in him. 4I tell you these
things to keep you from being fooled by fancy talk. 5Even though I am not with you, I keep thinking about
you. I am glad to know that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
Christ Brings Real Life
6You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7Plant your roots in Christ and let
him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
8Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are
only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ. 9God lives fully in Christ.
10And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11Christ has
also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12And when you were
baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in
the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13You were dead, because you were sinful and were not
God's people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins. 14God wiped out the charges
that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.
15There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners
when he celebrated his victory.
16Don't let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don't let them say that you must celebrate the New
Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. 17These things are only a shadow of what was to come.
But Christ is real!
18Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels. They brag about
seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires. 19They are no longer
part of Christ, who is the head of the whole body. Christ gives the body its strength, and he uses its joints
and muscles to hold it together, as it grows by the power of God.
Christ Brings New Life
20You died with Christ. Now the forces of the universe don't have any power over you. Why do you live as if
you had to obey such rules as, 21"Don't handle this. Don't taste that. Don't touch this."? 22After these things
are used, they are no longer good for anything. So why be bothered with the rules that humans have made
up? 23Obeying these rules may seem to be the smart thing to do. They appear to make you love God more
and to be very humble and to have control over your body. But they don't really have any power over our
desires.
chapter 3
1You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at
God's right side. 2Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. 3You died, which means
that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. 4Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he
appears, you will also appear with him in glory. 5Don't be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the
wrong kind of sex. Don't be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don't be greedy, which is the same as
worshiping idols. 6God is angry with people who disobey him by doing these things. 7And that is exactly what
you did, when you lived among people who behaved in this way. 8But now you must stop doing such things.
You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others.
9And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits. 10Each of you is now a
new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. 11It
doesn't matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a
Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and
patient. 13Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.
14Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.
15Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the
peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16Let the message about Christ
completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful
hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17Whatever you say or do should be done in the name
of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
Some Rules for Christian Living
18A wife must put her husband first. This is her duty as a follower of the Lord.
19A husband must love his wife and not abuse her.
20Children must always obey their parents. This pleases the Lord.
21Parents, don't be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.
22Slaves, you must always obey your earthly masters. Try to please them at all times, and not just when you
think they are watching. Honor the Lord and serve your masters with your whole heart. 23Do your work
willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. 24In fact, the Lord
Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you. 25But Christ has no favorites!
He will punish evil people, just as they deserve.
chapter 4
1Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don't forget that you have a Master in heaven.
2Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. 3Be sure to pray that God will make a
way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing
this. 4Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible.
5When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time. 6Be pleasant and hold their interest
when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks
questions.
Final Greetings
7Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news
about me. 8I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. 9Onesimus, that dear
and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that
has happened here.
10Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You
have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you. 11Jesus, who is known as Justus, sends his
greetings. These three men are the only Jewish followers who have worked with me for the kingdom of God.
They have given me much comfort.
12Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully
know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely. 13I have seen how much trouble he
has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14Our dear doctor Luke sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.
15Give my greetings to the followers at Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that meets in her
home.
16After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you
should read the letter that I have sent to them. 17Remind Archippus to do the work that the Lord has given
him to do.
18I am signing this letter myself: PAUL.
Don't forget that I am in jail.
I pray that God will be kind to you.