^24 (A)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(B)I ^[a]do my share on behalf of ^(C)His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking ^[b]in Christ’s afflictions. ^25 (D)Of this church I ^[c]was made a minister according to the ^(E)stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might ^[d]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, ^(F)the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His ^[e]saints, ²⁷ to whom ^(G)God willed to make known what is ^(H)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is ^(I)Christ in you, the ^(J)hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, ^(K)admonishing every man and teaching every man ^[f]with all ^(L)wisdom, so that we may ^(M)present every man ^[g](N)complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose also I ^(O)labor, ^(P)striving ^(Q)according to His ^[h]power, which ^[i]mightily works within me.

You Are Built Up in Christ

2 For I want you to know how great a ^(A)struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at ^(B)Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[a]personally seen my face, ² that their ^(C)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(D)knit together in love, and attaining to all ^(E)the wealth ^[b]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(F)true knowledge of ^(G)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all ^(H)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 (I)I say this so that no one will delude you with ^(J)persuasive argument. ⁵ For even though I am ^(K)absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see ^[d]your ^(L)good discipline and the ^(M)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore as you have received ^(N)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[e](O)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(P)rooted and now being ^(Q)built up in Him and ^(R)established ^[f]in your faith, just as you ^(S)were instructed, and overflowing ^[g]with gratitude.

^8 (T)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(U)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(V)elementary principles of the world, ^[h]rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(W)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(X)made ^[i]complete, and ^(Y)He is the head ^[j]over all ^(Z)rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(AA)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of ^(AB)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been ^(AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(AD)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(AE)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were ^(AF)dead ^[k]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(AG)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out ^(AH)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(AI)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[l](AJ)disarmed the ^(AK)rulers and authorities, He ^(AL)made a public display of them, having ^(AM)triumphed over them through ^[m]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore no one is to ^[n](AN)act as your judge in regard to ^(AO)food or ^(AP)drink or in respect to a ^(AQ)festival or a ^(AR)new moon or a ^(AS)Sabbath ^[o]day— ¹⁷ things which are ^(AT)a mere shadow of what is to come; but the ^[p]substance ^[q]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one keep ^[r](AU)defrauding you of your prize by ^(AV)delighting in ^[s]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, ^[t]taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^[u](AW)inflated without cause by his ^(AX)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(AY)the head, from whom ^(AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[v]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[w]which is from God.

^20 (BA)If you have died with Christ ^[x]to the ^(BB)elementary principles of the world, ^(BC)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(BD)decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer ^(BE)to things destined to perish ^[y]with use)—in accordance with the ^(BF)commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the ^[z]appearance of wisdom in ^[aa](BG)self-made religion and self-abasement and ^(BH)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(BI)fleshly indulgence.

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been ^(A)raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, ^(B)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 [a](C)Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have ^(D)died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, ^(E)who is our life, is revealed, ^(F)then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

^5 (G)Therefore ^[b]consider ^(H)the members of your earthly body as dead to ^[c](I)immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[d]amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that ^(J)the wrath of God will come ^[e]upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and ^(K)in them you also once walked, when you were living ^[f]in them. ⁸ But now you also, ^(L)put them all aside: ^(M)anger, wrath, malice, slander, and ^(N)abusive speech from your mouth. ^9 [g](O)Do not lie to one another, since you ^(P)laid aside the old ^[h]self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have ^(Q)put on the new self who is being ^[i](R)renewed to a true knowledge ^(S)according to the image of the One who ^(T)created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which ^(U)there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, ^(V)circumcised and uncircumcised, ^[j](W)barbarian, Scythian, ^(X)slave and freeman, but ^(Y)Christ is all, and in all.

¹² So, as those who have been ^(Z)chosen of God, holy and beloved, ^(AA)put on a ^(AB)heart of compassion, kindness, ^(AC)humility, gentleness and ^[k](AD)patience; ^13 (AE)bearing with one another, and ^(AF)forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; ^(AG)just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is ^[l](AH)the perfect bond of ^(AI)unity. ¹⁵ Let ^(AJ)the peace of Christ ^[m]rule in your hearts, to which ^[n]indeed you were called in ^(AK)one body; and ^[o]be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(AL)the word of ^[p]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[q]with all wisdom ^(AM)teaching and admonishing ^[r]one another ^(AN)with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(AO)singing ^[s]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ^17 (AP)Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(AQ)giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Family Relations

^18 (AR)Wives, ^(AS)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ^19 (AT)Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. ^20 (AU)Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing ^[t]to the Lord. ^21 (AV)Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

^22 (AW)Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters ^[u]on earth, ^(AX)not with ^[v]external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, do your work ^[w]heartily, ^(AY)as for the Lord ^[x]rather than for men, ^24 (AZ)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward ^[y]of ^(BA)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ^(BB)serve. ²⁵ For ^(BC)he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and ^[z](BD)that without partiality.

Fellow Workers

4 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, ^(A)knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

^2 (B)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(C)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(D)door for ^(E)the word, so that we may speak forth ^(F)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(G)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(H)in the way I ought to speak.

^5 [a](I)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(J)outsiders, ^[b](K)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (L)Let your speech always be ^[c]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(M)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(N)respond to each person.

^7 (O)As to all my affairs, ^(P)Tychicus, our ^(Q)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. ^8 (R)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may ^(S)encourage your hearts; ^9 [d]and with him ^(T)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(U)beloved brother, ^(V)who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

^10 (W)Aristarchus, my ^(X)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also ^(Y)Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received ^[e]instructions; ^(Z)if he comes to you, welcome him); ¹¹ and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only ^(AA)fellow workers for the kingdom of God ^(AB)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. ^12 (AC)Epaphras, ^(AD)who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always ^(AE)laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may ^[f]stand ^[g](AF)perfect and ^[h]fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I testify for him that he has ^[i]a deep concern for you and for those who are in ^(AG)Laodicea and Hierapolis. ^14 (AH)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also ^(AI)Demas. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in ^(AJ)Laodicea and also ^[j]Nympha and ^(AK)the church that is in ^[k]her house. ^16 (AL)When ^[l]this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part ^(AM)read ^[m]my letter that is coming from ^(AN)Laodicea. ¹⁷ Say to ^(AO)Archippus, “Take heed to the ^(AP)ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may ^[n]fulfill it.”

^18 [o]I, Paul, ^(AQ)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(AR)Remember my ^[p](AS)imprisonment. ^(AT)Grace be with you.