Colossians

Chapter 1

Redemption comes through Christ—He created all things, is in the image of God, and is the Firstborn of the Father.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 Since we heard of your ^afaith in Christ Jesus, and of the ^blove which ye have to all the saints,

5 For the ^ahope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the ^bgospel;

6 Which is come unto you, ^aas it is in all the world; and bringeth forth ^bfruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the ^cgrace of God in truth:

7 As ye also learned of ^aEpaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the ^aknowledge of his ^bwill in all wisdom and spiritual ^cunderstanding;

10 That ye might ^awalk ^bworthy of the Lord unto all ^cpleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the ^dknowledge of God;

11 ^aStrengthened with all might, according to his ^bglorious ^cpower, unto all patience and longsuffering with ^djoyfulness;

12 Giving ^athanks unto the Father, which hath ^bmade us meet to be partakers of the ^cinheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of ^adarkness, and hath translated us into the ^bkingdom of his dear ^cSon:

14 In whom we have ^aredemption through his blood, even the ^bforgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the ^aimage of the invisible ^bGod, the ^cfirstborn of ^devery creature:

16 For by him were all ^athings ^bcreated, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or ^cprincipalities, or powers: all things were ^dcreated by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things ^aconsist.

18 And he is the ^ahead of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the ^bfirstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all ^afulness dwell;

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to ^areconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21 And you, that were ^asometime ^balienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through ^adeath, to present you holy and ^bunblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye ^acontinue in the faith ^bgrounded and settled, and be not ^cmoved away from the ^dhope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the ^aafflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the ^adispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the ^amystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made ^bmanifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make ^aknown what is the ^briches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we ^apreach, ^bwarning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Chapter 2

The fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ—Beware of being deceived by the traditions of men—The handwriting against us was nailed to the cross of Christ.

1 For I would that ye knew what great ^aconflict I have for you, and for them at ^bLaodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of ^aunderstanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, ^band of the Father, and of Christ;  (?)  JST:

JST Col. 2:2 … and of Christ, who is of God, even the Father.

3 In whom are hid all the ^atreasures of ^bwisdom and ^cknowledge.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your ^aorder, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^awalk ye in him:

7 ^aRooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with ^bthanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man ^aspoil you through ^bphilosophy and vain ^cdeceit, after the ^dtradition of men, after the rudiments of the ^eworld, and not after Christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the ^afulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are ^acomplete in him, which is the head of all ^bprincipality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the ^acircumcision made without hands, in putting off the ^bbody of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 ^aBuried with him in ^bbaptism, wherein also ye are ^crisen with him through the faith of the ^doperation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he ^aquickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 ^aBlotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore ^ajudge you in ^bmeat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the ^csabbath days: 
[The Mosaic Law was a shadow of things to come]

17 Which are a ^ashadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man ^abeguile you of your reward in a voluntary ^bhumility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the ^aHead, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 Wherefore if ye be ^adead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ^bordinances,
21 ^a(Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the ^acommandments and ^bdoctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Chapter 3

Some lives are hidden with God in Christ—The Saints are told to be holy and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 If ye then be ^arisen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your ^aaffection on ^bthings ^cabove, not on things on the ^dearth.

3 For ye are ^adead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ?

4 When Christ, who is our ^alife, shall ^bappear, then shall ye also appear with him in ^cglory.

5 ^aMortify therefore your ^bmembers which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, ^cinordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and ^dcovetousness, which is ^eidolatry:

6 For which things’ sake the ^awrath of God cometh on the children of ^bdisobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked ^asome time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also ^aput off all these; ^banger, wrath, ^cmalice, ^dblasphemy, filthy ^ecommunication out of your mouth.

9 ^aLie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the ^bold man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the ^anew man, which is renewed in knowledge after the ^bimage of him that ^ccreated him:

11 Where there is neither ^aGreek nor Jew, ^bcircumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the ^aelect of God, holy and beloved, ^bbowels of ^cmercies, ^dkindness, ^ehumbleness of mind, ^fmeekness, longsuffering;

13 ^aForbearing one another, and ^bforgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on ^acharity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the ^apeace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye ^bthankful.

16 Let the ^aword of Christ dwell in you richly in all ^bwisdom; ^cteaching and admonishing one another in psalms and ^dhymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, ^ado all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving ^bthanks to God and the Father by him.

18 ^aWives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 ^aHusbands, ^blove your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 ^aChildren, ^bobey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 ^aFathers, ^bprovoke not your children to ^canger, lest they be discouraged.

22 ^aServants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in ^bsingleness of heart, ^cfearing God:

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it ^aheartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall ^areceive the ^breward of the ^cinheritance: for ye ^dserve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth ^awrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no ^brespect of persons.

Chapter 4

The Saints are told to be wise in all things—Luke and others greet the Colossians.

1 ^aMasters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a ^bMaster in ^cheaven.

2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a ^adoor of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5 ^aWalk in ^bwisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your ^aspeech be alway with grace, seasoned with ^bsalt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

9 With ^aOnesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

10 ^aAristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and ^bMarcus, ^csister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the ^acircumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

12 ^aEpaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great ^azeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and ^aDemas, greet you.

15 Salute the brethren which are in ^aLaodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the ^aepistle from Laodicea.

17 And say to ^aArchippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

18 The salutation by the ^ahand of me Paul. Remember my ^bbonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

¶Written from Rome to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.

http://institute.lds.org/manuals/new-testament-institute-student-manual/nt-in-09-9-42.asp

Bible Dictionary:

Epistle to the Colossians was the result of a visit from Epaphras, the evangelist of the Church in Colosse (1:7–8), who reported that the Colossians were falling into serious error, the result of a deep consciousness of sin leading to a desire to attain moral perfection by mechanical means, the careful observance of external ordinances (2:16) and ascetic restrictions (2:20), coupled with special devotion to a host of angelic mediators. The attractiveness of such teaching was due not only to the satisfaction it offered to the craving after sanctification, but also to the show it made of superior wisdom and greater insight into the mysteries of the universe. Paul shows that Christ, in his own person, is the one principle of the unity of the universe, and that sanctification is to be found only through union with him.

Analysis of Colossians

1. Salutation, thanksgiving, and prayer (1:1–13).
2. Doctrinal.
   1. a. Christ, our Redeemer, the author and goal of all creation, the Lord of all divine perfection, in whom is the reconciliation of the universe (1:14–2:5).
   2. b. Hence the importance of union with him (2:6–12).
   3. c. Danger of ceremonialism and of angel worship (2:13–19).
   4. d. Importance of dying and rising again with Christ (2:20–3:4).
3. Exhortation.
   1. a. Every evil inclination to be subdued (3:5–11).
   2. b. We must clothe ourselves in all graces of the Spirit (3:12–17).
   3. c. Social duties to be observed (3:18–4:6).
4. Personal: commendations and greetings (4:7–18).