COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1 - CONTEMPORARY ALIGNED VERSION (SPIRITCODE)

1. From Paul, commissioned by God for his purpose of sharing the message of a shared life with Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

2. To our faithful Christian brothers at Colosse. We pray for grace and peace of God our Father and from Jesus Christ to be yours.

3. We are always praying and giving thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for you,

4. As we hear of that faith in your life with Jesus and the love you show to other Christians

5. Because of that hope which heaven has appointed for you, that you anticipated when you heard the truth of the message.

6. That same truth that came to you and to the entire world has had an amazing effect everywhere, as it has had in you since you first heard and understood the truth of God’s great goodness to us.

7. Epaphras, who is a close and dear fellow-servant of God has faithfully taught you of this truth

8. And he also told us of the love that the Holy Spirit has caused to flourish among you.

9. It is because of hearing this that we continue to pray for you. Our heart’s desire for you is that you will know what God wants for you and that you will be given all the wisdom and spiritual understanding that you need.

10. We pray that you will live the kind of lives that bring honor to God and make his heart glad as you make the good things that you do count for him. Living like this will cause you to know God more and more.

11. You will be empowered with all the strength you need through his mighty and unlimited power, so that you can endure through all adversity without losing your joy.

12. We are so thankful to the Father who has turned us into people who have the capacity to share with other Christians in the shining light of his dominion over all things.

13. He has drawn us out from the power of the domain of darkness and placed us within the rule and dominion of his beloved Son.

14.  We have a life worth living again because of the lifeblood that he spilled for our new life to happen, graciously freeing us from the problem and penalty of human self obsession, called sin.

15. He is the visible expression of the invisible God, the firstborn, before all of creation.

16. Through him everything was created that exists in heaven and in the earth, whether material or spiritual, sovereign rulers, governmental rulers, regional leaders, and other delegated authorities. These were all created by him and for him.

17. He existed prior to everything, and everything owes its existence to him.

18. He is the head of the body which is his church. He is the first in all existence, the first ever to rise from the dead, so that he will have the honor of being supreme over all things.

19. The father desires that everything that exists finds its permanent residence in him.

20. He has caused everything that exists in heaven and in earth to find its being in Jesus Christ and to be put in its right place through the lifeblood that he shed on the cross.

21. You who were once alienated in your minds through the hostility of your fallen mindset and behavior are now in a right place of harmony with him

22. By his taking upon himself our hostile humanity and putting it to death, so that you can now enjoy a close intimacy with him, innocent and unashamed of who you are,

23. If you remain sure and settled in your faith, and do not get pushed aside from the hope that comes from the message of a shared life with Jesus. You have heeded this message which has been proclaimed to everyone under heaven. This is the message which I have been called to preach.

24. I can experience joy as I suffer hardships on your behalf and do my part in identifying and sharing with Jesus’ sufferings in my own body, for the sake of his body, the church.

25. This is how I have been charged to serve you as part of my stewardship, ordained of God, fulfilling the message of his word.

26. This is the message of his secret plan which has been hidden throughout the years and generations and is now unveiled to those who believe.

27. God wants to let us know the magnificent richness and splendor of this secret plan for all the nations of the world, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28. This is what we proclaim, putting everybody in mind of this eternal truth, and teaching and instructing everyone how to understand and apply this truth in their lives, so that we can finally present everyone complete in Christ Jesus.

29. I work at this diligently and effectively, empowered by his divine power, which energizes me mightily.