Colossians 1:17-28

English Standard Version

¹⁷And ^(A)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(B)hold together. ¹⁸And ^(C)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(D)the beginning, ^(E)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For ^(F)in him all the ^(G)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and ^(H)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(I)making peace ^(J)by the blood of his cross.

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

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴Now ^(U)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(V)I am filling up ^(W)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(X)for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵^(Y)of which I became a minister according to ^(Z)the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶^(AA)the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷^(AB)To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are ^(AC)the riches of the glory of ^(AD)this mystery, which is Christ in you, ^(AE)the hope of glory. ²⁸Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that ^(AF)we may present everyone ^(AG)mature in Christ.