For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the {Or, fulness}full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, {The ancient authorities vary much in the text of this passage.}even Christ,
in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
rooted and builded up in him, and established {Or, by}in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding {Some ancient authorities insert in it.}in thanksgiving.
{Or, See whether}Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
having blotted out {Or, the bond that was against us by its ordinances}the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
{Or, having put off from himself the principalities &c.}having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
Let no man rob you of your prize {Or, of his own mere will, by humility &c.}by a voluntary humility and {The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a creature, or to the Creator.}worshipping of the angels, {Or, taking his stand upon}dwelling in the things which he hath {Many authorities, some ancient, insert not.}seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
If ye died with Christ from the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any {Or, honor}value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Querverweise zu Kolosser 2,2 Kol 2,2
whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts;
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.
to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever.
And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
and he is before all things, and in him all things {That is, hold together.}consist.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
A Song of Ascents; of David.Behold, how good and how pleasant it isFor brethren to dwell together in unity!
{Or, because our gospel & c.}how that our {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much {Or, fulness}assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.
And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth.
{Or, He shall see and be satisfied with the travil &c.}He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: {Or, by his knowledge}by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant {Or, make many righteous}justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the {Or, full assurance}fulness of hope even to the end:
{Some ancient authorities omit verse 25-27. Compare the end of chapter 14.}Now to him that is able to establish you according to my {See marginal note on chapter 1:1}gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal,
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah.
who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.
But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
let us draw near with a true heart in {Or, full assurance}fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil {Or, conscience, and our body washed with pure water: let us hold fast}conscience: and having our body washed with pure water,
But we received, not the spirit of the {See verse 6.}world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.
At that season Jesus answered and said, I {Or, praise}thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes:
and sent Timothy, our brother and {Some ancient authorities read fellow-worker with God.}God's minister in the {Greek: good tidings. See chapter 1:5.}gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble:
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all.
If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any {Or, persuasion}consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions,
Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall {Greek: persuade. compare Matthew 28:14.}assure our heart {Or, before him, whereinsoever our heart condemn us; because God & c.}before him:
and to {Some ancient authorities read bring to light what is.}make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things;
In that same hour he rejoiced {Or, by}in the Holy Spirit, and said, I {Or, praise}thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; {Or, that}for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:
to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God,
All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him; and without him {Or, was not anything made. That which hath been made was life in him; and the life &c.}was not anything made that hath been made.
seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us {Some ancient authorities read through glory and virtue.}by his own glory and virtue;
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and {Greek: unto the day of eternity. Ecclus. 18:10}for ever. Amen.
that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him.
I and the Father are one.
But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he taketh of mine, and shall declare it unto you.
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; {The word God, in place of He who, rests on no sufficient ancient evidence. Some ancient authorities read which.}He who was manifested in the flesh,Justified in the spirit,Seen of angels,Preached among the {Or, Gentiles}nations,Believed on in the world,Received up in glory.