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Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments

^1 (C1)Paul, ^(C2)an apostle of Jesus Christ ^(F1)(C3)by the will of God, and ^(C4)Timothy ^(F2)our brother,

² To the ^(F1)(C1)saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: ^(C2)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

^3 (C1)We give thanks to God, ^(C2)the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,^4 (C1)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the ^(C2)love which you have ^(F1)for ^(C3)all the ^(F2)saints;⁵ because of the ^(C1)hope ^(C2)laid up for you in ^(F1)heaven, of which you previously ^(C3)heard in the word of truth, ^(F2)the gospel⁶ which has come to you, just as ^(F1)(C1)in all the world also it is constantly bearing ^(C2)fruit and ^(F2)increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you ^(C3)heard of it and ^(F3)understood the grace of God in truth;⁷ just as you learned it from ^(C1)Epaphras, our ^(C2)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,⁸ and he also informed us of your ^(C1)love in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason also, ^(C1)since the day we heard of it, ^(C2)we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the ^(F1)(C3)knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(C4)wisdom and understanding,¹⁰ so that you will ^(C1)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^(F1)(C2)to please Him in all respects, ^(C3)bearing fruit in every good work and ^(F2)increasing in the ^(F3)knowledge of God;^11 (C1)strengthened with all power, according to ^(F1)His glorious might, ^(F2)for the attaining of all steadfastness and ^(F3)patience; ^(C2)joyously¹² giving thanks to ^(C1)the Father, who has qualified us ^(F1)to share in ^(C2)the inheritance of the ^(F2)saints in ^(C3)Light.

The Incomparable Christ

^15 (F1)He is the ^(C1)image of the ^(C2)invisible God, the ^(C3)firstborn of all creation.¹⁶ For ^(F1)(C1)by Him all things were created, ^(C1)both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(C2)thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--^(C3)all things have been created through Him and for Him.¹⁷ He ^(F1)(C1)is before all things, and in Him all things ^(F2)hold together.¹⁸ He is also ^(C1)head of ^(C2)the body, the church; and He is ^(C3)the beginning, ^(C4)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.¹⁹ For ^(F1)it was ^(C1)the Father's good pleasure for all ^(C2)the ^(F2)fullness to dwell in Him,²⁰ and through Him to ^(C1)reconcile all things to Himself, having made ^(C2)peace through ^(C3)the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, ^(C4)whether things on earth or things in ^(F1)heaven.

²¹ And although you were ^(C1)formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,²² yet He has now ^(C1)reconciled you in His fleshly ^(C2)body through death, in order to ^(C3)present you before Him ^(C4)holy and blameless and beyond reproach--²³ if indeed you continue in ^(F1)the faith firmly ^(C1)established and steadfast, and not moved away from the ^(C2)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(C3)in all creation under heaven, ^(C4)and of which I, Paul, ^(F2)was made a ^(F3)(C5)minister.

^24 (C1)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(C2)I ^(F1)do my share on behalf of ^(C3)His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking ^(F2)in Christ's afflictions.^25 (C1)Of this church I ^(F1)was made a minister according to the ^(C2)stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might ^(F2)fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,²⁶ that is, ^(C1)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His ^(F1)saints,²⁷ to whom ^(C1)God willed to make known what is ^(C2)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is ^(C3)Christ in you, the ^(C4)hope of glory.²⁸ We proclaim Him, ^(C1)admonishing every man and teaching every man ^(F1)with all ^(C2)wisdom, so that we may ^(C3)present every man ^(F2)(C4)complete in Christ.²⁹ For this purpose also I ^(C1)labor, ^(C2)striving ^(C3)according to His ^(F1)power, which ^(F2)mightily works within me.