Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we read the epistle of St. Paul
to the Colossians, chapters 1 through 4. Chapter
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God and Timothy, our brother, to the saints
and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying
always for you since we heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints
because of the hope which is laid up for you
in heaven. of which you heard before in the word
of the truth of the gospel, which has come to
you as it has in all the world, and is bringing
forth fruit, as it is also among you since the
day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow
servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ
on your behalf, who also declared to us your
love in the Spirit. For this reason we also,
since the day we heard it, Do not cease to pray
for you, and to ask that you may be filled with
the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding, that you may walk worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God, strengthened with all might according to
His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering
with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has
qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in the light. He has delivered
us from the power of darkness and conveyed us
into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins. He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all
things were created that are in heaven and that
are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him,
and He is before all things. and in him all things
consist. And he is the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, that in all things he may have the
preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in
him all the fullness should dwell, and by him
to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, having made
peace through the blood of his cross. And you
who once were alienated and enemies in your mind
by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present
you holy and blameless and above reproach in
his sight. If indeed you continue in the faith,
grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away
from the hope of the gospel which you heard,
which was preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, became a minister, I now rejoice
in my sufferings for you. And fill up in my flesh
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ,
for the sake of his body, which is the church,
of which I became a minister according to the
stewardship from God, which was given to me for
you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery
which has been hidden from ages and from generations,
but now has been revealed to his saints. To them
God will to make known what are the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him
we preach, warning every man and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also
labor, striving according to his working, which
works in me mightily. Chapter 2 For I want you
to know what a great conflict I have for you
and those of Laodicea. and for as many as have
not seen my face in the flesh that their hearts
may be encouraged being knit together in love
and attaining to all riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery
of god both of the father and of christ in whom
are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you
with persuasive words. For though I am absent
in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, receiving
to see your good order and the steadfastness
of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him, and established in
the faith. as you have been taught, abounding
in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat
you through philosophy and empty deceit, according
to the tradition of men, according to the basic
principles of the world, and not according to
Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him,
who is the head of all principality and power.
In him you are also circumcised with the circumcision
made without hands. by putting off the body of
the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which
you also were raised with him through faith in
the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements
that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed
it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities
and powers, he made a public spectacle of them.
triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge
you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival
or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow
of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Let no one cheat you of your reward. taking delight
in false humility and worship of angels intruding
into those things which he has not seen vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind and not holding
fast to the head from whom all the body nourished
and knit together by joints and ligaments grows
with the increase that is from God. Therefore,
if you died with Christ from the basic principles
of the world, why, as though living in the world,
do you subject yourselves to regulations, do
not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which
all concern things which perish with the using,
according to the commandments and doctrines of
men? These things indeed have an appearance of
wisdom in self -imposed religion. false humility
and neglect of the body, but are of no value
against the indulgence of the flesh. If then
you were raised with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ is, sitting at
the right hand of God. set your mind on things
above not on things on the earth for you died
and your life is hidden with christ in god when
christ who is our life appears then you also
will appear with him in glory therefore put to
death your members which are on the earth fornication
uncleanness passion evil desire and covetousness,
which is idolatry. Because of these things the
wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
in which you yourselves once walked when you
lived in them. But now you yourselves are to
put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie
to one another. Since you have put off the old
man with his deeds, and have put on the new man
who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of him who created him, where there is
neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ
is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of
God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness, long -suffering,
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.
If anyone has a complaint against another, even
as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But
above all these things, put on love, which is
the bond of perfection, and let the peace of
God rule in your hearts, to which also you were
called in one body, and be thankful. Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you
do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is
fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives
and do not be bitter toward them. Children, Obey
your parents in all things, for this is well
-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke
your children, lest they become discouraged.
Bondservants, obey in all things your masters
according to the flesh, not with eye -service
as men -pleasers, but in sincerity of heart,
fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that from
the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance,
for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does
wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and
there is no partiality. Meanwhile, praying also
for us, that God would open to us a door for
the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for
which I am also in chains, that I may make it
manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom
toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned
with salt, that you may know how you ought to
answer each one. Tichicus, a beloved brother.
faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord,
will tell you all the news about me. I am sending
him to you for this very purpose, that he may
know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,
with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you. They will make known to you
all things which are happening here. Aristarchus,
my fellow prisoner, greets you, with Mark, the
cousin of Barnabas, about whom you received instructions.
If he comes to you, welcome him. And Jesus, who
is called Justice. These are my only fellow workers
for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision.
They have proved to be a comfort to me. Epaphras,
who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets
you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers,
that you may stand perfect and complete in all
the will of God. For I bear him witness that
he has a great zeal for you, and those who are
in Laodicea, and those in Herapolis. Luke, the
beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Greet
the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,
and the church that is in his house. Now when
this epistle is read among you, see that it is
read also in the church of Laodiceans, and that
you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry
which you have received in the Lord, that you
may fulfill it. This salutation by my own hand,
Paul. Remember my chains, grace be with you.
Amen. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much
as I did and I look forward to seeing you again
tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless
you and have a great day.