Colossians 1:13-27

¹³He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son,

¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,

¹⁶for by Him all things were created, those in the heavens and those on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.

¹⁷And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

¹⁸And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things He might have the preeminence.

¹⁹For it pleased the Father that all the fullness should dwell in Him,

²⁰and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

²¹And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

²²in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach before Him—

²³if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm and not drifting away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was proclaimed to all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, have become a minister.

²⁴I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for His body's sake, which is the church,

²⁵of which I became a minister according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

²⁶even the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

²⁷To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;