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Written to the congregation in Colossae for the Apostle Paul (possibly by Timothy and possibly in Aramaic) sometime around 62-CE.

Chapter 1

¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Jesus by the Will of God, and Timothy our brother, ² to the holy and faithful brothers in the Anointed One at Colossae;
May you have loving care and peace from our Father, God.

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, when we are praying for you, ⁴ since we’ve heard of your faith in the Anointed Jesus and of the love that you have for all the Holy Ones ⁵ through the hope that has been reserved for you in the heavens.
This is the same hope that you were taught when the truth of the good news ⁶ was first brought to you.
[And today] it’s producing fruit and increasing throughout the entire world the same as it has been doing among you since the day you first heard of it and came to an accurate understanding about the truth of God’s loving care ⁷ [through the hand of] EpaPhras our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of the Anointed One on our behalf.
⁸ And he’s the one who told us of the love that you have through the Breath [of God].

⁹ As the result, from the very day that we heard [this about you], we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with a complete knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
¹⁰ For we want you to walk in a way that’s worthy of the Lord and to be completely pleasing as you keep on producing the fruitage of all sorts of good deeds, growing in a full knowledge of The God ¹¹ and getting stronger in the power of His Glorious Might, so that you’ll be able to endure everything joyfully and patiently, ¹² as you thank the Father that qualified you to receive a portion of the inheritance among the Holy Ones in the light.
¹³ For He is drawing us to Himself out of the power of darkness and transferring us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son ¹⁴ (into which we have been delivered by the forgiving of our sins), ¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation.
¹⁶ It was through him that everything in the heavens and on the earth was created, both the things that are visible and the things that are invisible…
It was all created through him and for him, regardless of whether it is thrones, or rulerships, or governments, or powers, ¹⁷ since he was before everything and everything came into existence through him.

¹⁸ And now he’s the head of the body of the congregation, the beginning, and the first to be born from the dead so that he would be first in everything.
¹⁹ Yes, [God] saw that it was good for him to be the completion of everything, ²⁰ and He’s using [Jesus] to bring it all back into a peaceful good relationship with Himself through his blood [that was shed] on the pole, whether these things are heavenly or earthly.

²¹ So though you were once just aliens and enemies, since all you thought about then was doing wicked things;
²² [Jesus] has restored your relationship with [God] by means of the death of [his] fleshly body.
[This was done so that] you could be presented to Him as holy, without any blemishes, and free from all accusations… ²³ that is, as long as you stay firmly founded and deeply rooted in the faith and aren’t diverted from the hope of the good news that you were taught and which is being preached in all creation under heaven (of which I, Paul, am a servant).
²⁴ So, even as I’m here suffering, I’m rejoicing over you.

Yes, right now my flesh is finishing whatever may have been lacking during the difficult time that the Anointed One endured, and I’m doing this on behalf of his body, the congregation, ²⁵ which is what I’m serving.
For this is the obligation that God has assigned to me for your sakes, so as to fulfill His Word ²⁶ about the mystery that was hidden from past ages and generations, but which has now been made clear to His Holy Ones.
²⁷ For it was God’s Will to allow you [people] of the nations to understand the glorious richness of this mystery, so that the Anointed One would also be in you and [give you the same] hope of glory ²⁸ that we’ve been advertising about him to you!

Yes, we’ve been teaching you his wisdom and putting his mind into each one, so that we can present every person as being complete in the Anointed One.
²⁹ This is why I’m working so hard and struggling… so that [Jesus] can demonstrate his power and his ways of doing things through me.

Chapter 2

¹ I want you to realize what a great struggle I’m undergoing on your behalf, as well as for those in LaoDikea and for all those that haven’t met me face to face yet.
² And I want your hearts to be comforted over this, so that you can be brought together in love and be provided with a rich and sure understanding as well as an accurate knowledge of that great mystery of God… the Anointed One.
³ For hidden in him are the treasures of all wisdom and knowledge.

⁴ I have been wanting to explain this to you so that no one can mislead you with strong arguments [to the contrary].
⁵ For though I’m not there in the flesh, I am still there with you in spirit.

I am also rejoicing, because I’ve noticed the ways that you’ve come into line with and become firm in the Anointed One.
⁶ Therefore, since you’ve accepted the Anointed Jesus (our Lord), [you must] keep on walking with him… ⁷ becoming rooted and built up in him, and growing firmer in your belief in the things that you were taught.
[Yes, I want you to] overflow with these things whenever you’re giving thanks!

⁸ But watch out so that no one carries you off as a captive into the philosophies and empty hopes of human traditions, because these base things of the world don’t come from the Anointed One.
⁹ Rather, in him lives all the fullness of the divine body…
¹⁰ And you’re also part of the fullness of this one that is the head over all governments and powers, ¹¹ for you were circumcised into him with a circumcision that was done without hands when you stripped away your fleshly bodies though the circumcision of the Anointed One.
¹² Then you were all buried with him when [you went] under the water, and you were all raised together by your faith in what God (who raised him from the dead) has done in you.
¹³ For that’s when you died to your errors and to the uncircumcised state of your flesh and became alive with him, and he kindly forgave all your errors ¹⁴ by wiping away the handwritten Laws that held you down and oppressed you…
He lifted them out of the way and nailed them on the pole, ¹⁵ which stripped away the governments and powers, and openly displayed that this is how he had conquered them.

¹⁶ So, don’t allow anyone to judge you over [what you] eat or drink, or over your views of festivals such as the New Moons or Sabbaths;
¹⁷ For these were just shadows of things to come, while the realities belong to the Anointed One.

¹⁸ And don’t allow anyone to steal your prize by suggesting some lowly form of angel worship and by making strong claims of things that [someone says] he has seen. For [this man has become] overly impressed with something he just imagined in the flesh, ¹⁹ and he’s no longer hanging onto the head…
The one that holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments so that it keeps growing with the [type of] growth that comes from The God.

²⁰ However, since you’ve already died to the base things of this world along with the Anointed One, why is it that you (as though you’re still living in this world) are putting yourselves under such laws as ²¹ ‘don’t feel it,’ ‘don’t taste it,’ or ‘don’t touch it,’ ²² when it comes to things that are just going to be consumed…
For these are the commands and teachings of men!
²³ And though choosing such a form of worship may sound wise with all its humility and mistreatment of the body, it has no value when it comes to meeting the needs of the flesh!

Chapter 3

¹ Rather, since you’ve been raised with the Anointed One, you should now be searching for the things that come from above, from the right hand of God, where the Anointed One is sitting…
² And these things that are from above are no part of this world.
³ So, since you’ve already died and your life has been hidden away in the Anointed One and in God;
⁴ When the Anointed One (who is our life) reveals himself, you’ll also be seen with him in his glory!

⁵ Therefore, deaden your earthly [body parts] to sexual immorality, unclean passions, desires for bad things, and greediness (which is idolatry);
⁶ For it’s due to such things that the wrath of God is coming.
⁷ And though that may have been the way you acted back when you used to live for such things, ⁸ you must now remove all the wrath, anger, badness, slander, and obscenities from your mouths… ⁹ and don’t lie to each other!
Yes, you must now take off the old person and the things that he did ¹⁰ and put on the new person that is being remade with a complete knowledge in the image of the One who is creating it.

¹¹ So there are no more Greeks or Jews, circumcised or uncircumcised, foreigners, Scythians, slaves, or freemen…
There is just the Anointed One, who is everything and within all of you!
¹² Then, as God’s chosen people that are holy and loved, you must put on the caring traits of empathy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

¹³ Also, keep on putting up with each other and forgiving each other kindly, whenever anyone has a reason to complain.
Yes, just as the Lord kindly forgave you, you must do the same…
¹⁴ And add love to all of that, because it’s the perfect unifying force.

¹⁵ Let the peace of the Anointed One serve as the judge in your hearts, because it’s calling [all of] you into one body.
So be thankful and ¹⁶ allow the words of the Anointed One to live in you richly and in all wisdom, as you kindly teach and remind each other through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Yes, sing to God from your hearts!
¹⁷ And no matter what you’re saying or doing, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, continuously thanking God (the Father) through him.

¹⁸ Women should always obey [their husbands], since this is proper [for those that are] in the Lord.

¹⁹ Men should love their [wives] and not be bitterly angry with them.

²⁰ Children should obey their parents in everything, because this is pleasing to the Lord.

²¹ Fathers shouldn’t [demand too much of] their children, so they don’t get discouraged.

²² Slaves should obey those that are their fleshly masters in everything… not just putting on a good show to please men, but [doing everything] sincerely and from the heart, in the fear of the Lord.

²³ Yes, whatever you’re doing, work at it wholeheartedly as though [you’re doing it] for the Lord and not for men.

²⁴ And because you know that you’ll be rewarded with an inheritance from the Lord, you should slave for the Lord (the Anointed One), ²⁵ since the unrighteous will be [judged] impartially for the unrighteous things that they’re doing.

Chapter 4

¹ Also, those that are masters should act righteously and fairly with their slaves, because we know that we all have a Master in the heavens.

² Keep on praying, staying alert, and giving thanks.
³ Also, keep praying for us… that God may open doors for us to speak and tell others about the mystery of the Anointed One;
For this is the reason why I’m [here in] shackles… ⁴ to display whatever it is that I’m supposed to say.

⁵ Keep on walking wisely when it comes to those on the outside, and keep an eye out for opportunities.

⁶ Be respectful in everything that you say…
Season everything with salt and know how to [give the best] answer to each person.

⁷ TychiKos (my dear brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord) will explain to you everything that has been happening to me.
⁸ That’s why I’m sending him to you… to keep you abreast of what’s going on and to comfort your hearts.
⁹ [I’m also sending] OneSimus, my faithful and loved brother that came from you, who will tell you all the rest.

¹⁰ AristArchus (my fellow prisoner) sends you his greetings, as does Mark (BarNabas’ cousin).
He’s the one that you were told to welcome if he ever comes to [visit] you… ¹¹ and so does Jesus (who’s also called Justus).
All of them are circumcised, but they are also my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, and they’ve done so much to comfort me.

¹² EpaPhras (who came from you), a slave of the Anointed Jesus, sends you his greetings.
He always puts a lot of effort into his prayers for you, asking that you might become perfect in the stand that you’re taking and [that you’ll] completely carry out the will of God.
¹³ I can testify to the fact that he goes to a lot of effort on your behalf, as well as for those at LaoDikea and HierApolis.

¹⁴ Luke (the beloved physician) sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.
¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers at LaoDikea, as well as to Nympha and the called ones in her home.

¹⁶ After this letter has been read among you, also arrange for it to be read in the LaoDikean congregation… and you read the one from LaoDikea.
¹⁷ Also, tell ArcHippus to keep an eye on the service assignment that he accepted in the Lord and to make sure that he fulfills it.’

¹⁸ Here is my greeting (Paul’s) in my own hand.
Remember me in prison.
May [God’s] loving care be with you.

Note that this is the legacy version of the translation last updated in December 2020. You can also see the latest version.

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