Colossians 1:15-25

English Standard Version

The Preeminence of Christ

¹⁵^(A)He is the image of ^(B)the invisible God, ^(C)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by^[a] him all things were created, ^(D)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(E)thrones or ^(F)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(G)through him and for him. ¹⁷And ^(H)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(I)hold together. ¹⁸And ^(J)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(K)the beginning, ^(L)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For ^(M)in him all the ^(N)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and ^(O)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(P)making peace ^(Q)by the blood of his cross.

²¹^(R)And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, ^(S)doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled ^(T)in his body of flesh by his death, ^(U)in order to present you holy and blameless and ^(V)above reproach before him, ²³^(W)if indeed you continue in the faith, ^(X)stable and steadfast, not shifting from ^(Y)the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed ^(Z)in all creation^[b] under heaven, ^(AA)and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴Now ^(AB)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(AC)I am filling up ^(AD)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(AE)for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵^(AF)of which I became a minister according to ^(AG)the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,