American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, {Psalm 78:2.}I will open my mouth in parables;I will utter things hidden from the foundation {Many ancient authorities omit of the world.}of the world.
And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of {Or, word}speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the {Many ancient authorities read mystery.}testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my {Or, word}speech and my {Greek: thing preached.}preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
that your faith should not {Greek: be.}stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, nor of the rulers of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, who are coming to nought:
but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}worlds unto our glory:
which none of the rulers of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:
but as it is written, {Isaiah 64:4; 65:17.}Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,And which entered not into the heart of man,Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.
{Some ancient authorities read For.}But unto us God revealed {Or, it}them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
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.
Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; {Or, interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men}combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
Now the {Or, unspiritual Greek: psychical.}natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually {Or, examined}judged.
But he that is spiritual {Or, examineth}judgeth all things, and he himself is {Or, examined}judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles,—
if so be that ye have heard of the {Or, stewardship}dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward;
how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words,
whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;
which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
to wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the {Or, good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel,
whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to {Greek: bring good tidings of the &c. Compare chapter 2:17.}preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
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;
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,
according to the {Or, purpose of the ages}eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through {Or, the faith of him}our faith in him.
Wherefore I ask that {Or, I}ye may not faint at my tribulations for you, which {Or, is}are your glory.
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father,
from whom every {Greek: fatherhood.}family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto {Greek: all generations of the age of the ages.}all generations for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
{Or, to those that are at Colossae, holy and faithful brethren in Christ}to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,
because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel,
which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on {Many ancient authorities read your.}our behalf,
who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
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,
to walk worthily of the Lord {Or, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit and increasing &c.}unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing {Or, by}in the knowledge of God;
{Greek: made powerful.}strengthened {Or, in}with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all {Or, stedfastness}patience and longsuffering with joy;
giving thanks unto the Father, who made {Some ancient authorities read you.}us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
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.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; {Or, that among all he might have &c.}that in all things he might have the preeminence.
{Or, For the whole fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him}For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
and through him to reconcile all things {Or, into him}unto {Or, him}himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
yet now {Some ancient authorities read ye have been reconciled.}hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;
whereof I was made a minister, according to the {Or, stewardship See 1 Corinthians 9:17}dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
even the mystery which hath been hid for {Or, from all the ages &c. Greek: from the ages and from the generations.}ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,
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:
whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me {Or, in power}mightily.
If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?