Colossians 1:13-27

¹³He rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

¹⁴through whom we have been set free and our sins forgiven.

¹⁵The Son is the visible picture of the invisible God. He was before all creation,

¹⁶for everything was created through him—in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, empires, rulers, leaders and authorities—everything was created through him and for him.

¹⁷He existed before everything, and he holds everything together.

¹⁸He is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first and highest of those raised from the dead, so that he is supreme in everything.

¹⁹God was pleased to have his full nature live in him,

²⁰and through him brought back everything in the universe to himself, since he made peace through the blood of his cross, through him reconciling all those on the earth and in heaven.

²¹You once were alienated from God, enemies in the way you thought and the way you acted,

²²but now he has reconciled you through his dying human body, bringing you into his presence where you stand holy, pure, and faultless.

²³But your trust in him must continue rock-solid and immovable. Don't be shaken from the hope of the good news that you heard, the good news that's been shared throughout the world—that's the work that I Paul have been doing.

²⁴I'm happy to have trouble for your sake, for by means of what happens to me physically I'm part of Christ's sufferings that he continues to experience for the sake of his body, the church.

²⁵I serve the church following the direction God gave me about you, to present fully the word of God to you.

²⁶This is the mystery that was hidden down through the ages and for many generations, but it's now been revealed to God's people.

²⁷God wanted to make known to them the glorious wealth of this mystery to the nations: Christ living in you is the glorious hope!