Bible (King James Version, 1611)/Colossians

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¶ THE EPISTLE OF PAVL
the Apoſtle to the Coloſſians

CHAP. I.

1 After ſalutation hee thanketh God for their faith, 7 confirmeth the doctrine of Epaphras, 9 Praieth further for their increaſe in grace, 14 deſcribeth the true Chriſt, 21 encourageth them to receiue Ieſus Chriſt, and commendeth his owne miniſtery.

Aul an Apoſtle of Ieſus Chriſt, by ye will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

² To the ſaints and faithfull brethren in Chriſt, which are at Coloſſe, grace be vnto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.

³ We giue thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, praying alwayes for you,

⁴ Since we heard of your faith in Chriſt Ieſus, and of the loue which yee haue to all the Saints,

⁵ For the hope which is layd vp for you in heauen, whereof ye heard before in the word of the trueth of the Goſpel,

⁶ Which is come vnto you as it is in all the world, and bringeth foorth fruit, as it doth alſo in you, ſince the day yee heard of it, and knew the grace of God in trueth,

⁷ As yee alſo learned of Epaphras our deare felow ſeruant, who is for you a faithfull Miniſter of Chriſt:

⁸ Who alſo declared vnto vs your loue in the ſpirit.

⁹ For this cauſe wee alſo, ſince the day we heard it, doe not ceaſe to pray for you, and to deſire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wiſedome and ſpirituall vnderſtanding:

¹⁰ That ye might walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleaſing, being fruitfull in euery good worke, ⁊ increaſing in the knowledge of God:

¹¹ Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, vnto all patience and long ſuffering with ioyfulneſſe:

¹² Giuing thanks vnto the Father, which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light:

¹³ Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkeneſſe, and hath tranſlated vs into the kingdome of †† Gr. the Sonne of his loue. his deare Sonne,

¹⁴ In whome we haue redemption through his blood, euen the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes:

¹⁵ Who is the image of the inuiſible God, the firſt borne of euery creature.

¹⁶ For by him were all things created that are in heauen, and that are in earth, viſible and inuiſible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

¹⁷ ** 1.Cor.8.6 ioh.1.3. And he is before all things, and by him all things conſiſt.

¹⁸ And hee is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firſt borne from the dead, that ǁǁ Or, among all. in all things he might haue the preeminence:

¹⁹ For it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſſe dwell,

²⁰ And (ǁǁ Or, making peace. hauing made peace through the blood of his croſſe) by him to reconcile all things vnto himſelf, by him, I ſay, whether they bee things in earth, or things in heauen.

²¹ And you that were ſometimes alienated, and enemies ǁǁ Or, by your mind in wicked works. in your minde by wicked workes, yet now hath hee reconciled,

²² In the body of his fleſh through death, to preſent you holy ⁊ unblameable, and vnreprooueable in his ſight,

²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and ſetled, and be not moued away from the hope of the Goſpel, which yee haue heard, and which was preached to euery creature which vnder heauen, whereof I Paul am made a Miniſter.

²⁴ Who now reioyce in my ſufferings for you, and fill vp that which is behind of the affictions of Chriſt in my fleſh, for his bodies ſake, which is the Church,

²⁵ Whereof I am made a Miniſter, according to the diſpenſation of God, which is giuen to mee for you, ǁǁ Or, fully to preach the word of God, Rom.1.19. to fulfill the word of God:

²⁶ Euen the myſtery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifeſt to his ſaints,

²⁷ To whom God would make knowen what is the riches of the glory of this myſterie among the Gentiles, which is Chriſt ǁǁ Or, amongst you. in you, the hope of glory:

²⁸ Whom we preach, warning euery man, and teaching euery man in all wiſedome, that we may preſent euery man perfect in Chriſt Ieſus.

²⁹ Whereunto I alſo labour, ſtriuing according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

CHAP. II.

1 Hee ſtill exhorteth them to bee conſtant in Chriſt, 8 To beware of Philoſophie, and vaine traditions, 18 worſhipping of Angels, 20 and Legall Ceremonies, which are ended in Chriſt.

Or I would that ye knew what great ǁǁ Or, feare or care. conflict I haue for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as haue not ſeene my face in the fleſh:

² That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in loue, and vnto all riches of full aſſurance of vnderſtanding, to the acknowledgement of the myſterie of God, and of the Father, and of Chriſt,

³ ǁǁ Or, wherein. In whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome, and knowledge.

⁴ And this I ſay, left any man ſhould beguile you with entiſing words.

⁵ For though I bee abſent in the fleſh, yet am I with you in the ſpirit, ioying and beholding your order, and the ſtedfaſtneſſe of your faith in Chriſt.

⁶ As yee haue therefore receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, so walke yee in him:

⁷ Rooted and built vp in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith, as yee haue bene taught, abounding therein with thankeſgiuing.

⁸ Beware leſt any man ſpoile you through Philoſophie and vaine deceit, after the tradition of men, after the ǁǁ Or, elements rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt:

⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the Godhead bodily.

¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principalitie, ⁊ power.

¹¹ In whom alſo ye are circumciſed with the Circumciſion made without handes, in putting off the body of the ſinnes of the fleſh, by the Circumciſion of Chriſt:

¹² Buried with him in Baptiſme, wherein alſo you are riſen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raiſed him from the dead.

¹³ And you being dead in your ſinnes, and the vncircumciſion of your fleſh, hath hee quickened together with him, hauing forgiuen you all treſpaſſes,

¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was againſt vs, which was contrary to vs, and tooke it out of the way, nayling it to his Croſſe:

¹⁵ And hauing ſpoyled principalities and powers, he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing ouer them ǁǁ Or, in himſelfe. in it.

¹⁶ Let no man therefore iudge you in ǁǁ Or, for eating and drinking. meat, or in drinke, or in ǁǁ Or, in part. reſpect of an Holy day, or of the New moone, or of the Sabbath dayes:

¹⁷ Which are a ſhadow of things to come, but the body is of Chriſt.

¹⁸ Let no man ǁǁ Or, iudge againſt you. beguile you of your reward, †† Gr. being a voluntary in humilitie. in a voluntary humilitie, and worſhipping of Angels, intruding into thoſe things which hee hath not ſeene, vainely puft vp by his fleſhly minde:

¹⁹ And not holding the head, from which all the body ioynts and bands hauing nouriſhment miniſtred, and knit together, increaſeth with the increaſe of God.

²⁰ Wherefore if yee be dead with Chriſt frō the ǁǁ Or, elements. rudiments of the world: why, as though liuing in the world, are ye ſubiect to ordinances?

²¹ (Touch not, taſte not, handle not:

²² Which all are to periſh with the vſing) after the commandements and doctrines of men:

²³ Which things haue in deed a ſhew of wiſedome in will-worſhip and humilitie, and ǁǁ Or, puniſhing, or not ſparing. neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the ſatiſtying of the fleſh.

CHAP. III.

1 Hee ſheweth where wee ſhould ſeeke Chriſt. 5 Hee exhorteth to mortification, 10 to put off the olde man, and to put on Chriſt, 12 exhorting to charitie, humilitie, and other ſeuerall dueties.

F yee then bee riſen with Chriſt, ſeeke thoſe things which are aboue, where Chriſt ſitteth on the right hand of God:

² Set your ǁǁ Or, minde. affection on things aboue, not on things on the earth.

³ For yee are dead, and your life is hid with Chriſt in God.

⁴ When Chriſt, who is our life, ſhall appeare, then ſhall yee alſo appeare with him in glorie.

⁵ Mortifie therefore your members which are vpon the earth: fornication, vncleanneſſe, inordinate affection, euill concupiſcence, and couetouſneſſe, which is idolatrie:

⁶ For which things ſake, the wrath of God commeth on the children of diſobedience,

⁷ In the which yee alſo walked ſometime, when ye liued in them.

⁸ But now you alſo put off all theſe, anger, wrath, malice, blaſphemie, filthy communication out of your mouth.

⁹ Lie not one to another, ſeeing that yee haue put off the old man with his deedes:

¹⁰ And haue put on the new man, which is renued in knowledge, after the image of him that created him,

¹¹ Where there is neither Greeke, nor Iew, circumciſion, nor vncircumciſion, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free: but Chriſt is all, and in all.

¹² Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloued) bowels of mercies, kindneſſe, humbleneſſe of minde, meekeneſſe, long ſuffering,

¹³ Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any man haue a ǁǁ Or, complaint. quarrell againſt any: euen as Chriſt forgaue you, ſo alſo doe yee.

¹⁴ And aboue all theſe things put on charitie, which is the bond of perfectneſſe.

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which alſo yee are called in one body: and be yee thankefull.

¹⁶ Let the word of Chriſt dwell in you richly in all wiſdome, teaching and admoniſhing one another Pſalmes, and Hymnes, and Spirituall ſongs, ſinging with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

¹⁷ And whatſoeuer yee doe in word or deed, doe all in the name of the Lord Ieſus, giuing thankes to God and the Father, by him.

¹⁸ Wiues, ſumbit your ſelues vnto your owne huſbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

¹⁹ Huſbands, loue your wiues, and be not bitter againſt them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleaſing vnto the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, leſt they be diſcouraged.

²² Seruants, obey in all things your maſters according to the fleſh: not with eye ſeruice as men pleaſers, but in ſingleneſſe of heart, fearing God:

²³ And whatſoeuer yee doe, doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not vnto men:

²⁴ Knowing, that of the Lord yee ſhall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for ye ſerue the Lord Chriſt.

²⁵ But he that doeth wrong, ſhall receiue for the wrong which hee hath done: and there is no reſpect of perſons.

CHAP. IIII.

1 Hee exhorteth them to bee feruent in prayer, 5 to walke wiſely toward them that are not yet come to the true knowledge of Chriſt. 10 Hee ſaluteth them, and wiſheth them all proſperitie.

Aſters, giue vnto your ſeruants that which is iust and equall, knowing that yee alſo haue a Maſter in heauen.

² Continue in prayer, and watch in the ſame with thankeſgiuing:

³ Withall, praying alſo for vs, that God would open vnto vs a doore of vtterance, to ſpeake the myſtery of Chriſt, for which I am alſo in bonds:

⁴ That I may make it manifeſt, as I ought to ſpeake.

⁵ Walke in wiſdome toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

⁶ Let your ſpeech bee alway with Page:BibleKJV1611-024.pdf/4