WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today we read the epistle of St. Paul

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to the Colossians, chapters 1 through 4. Chapter

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1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will

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of God and Timothy, our brother, to the saints

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and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae.

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and

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the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the

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God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying

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always for you since we heard of your faith in

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Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints

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because of the hope which is laid up for you

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in heaven. of which you heard before in the word

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of the truth of the gospel, which has come to

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you as it has in all the world, and is bringing

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forth fruit, as it is also among you since the

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day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

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As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow

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servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ

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on your behalf, who also declared to us your

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love in the Spirit. For this reason we also,

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since the day we heard it, Do not cease to pray

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for you, and to ask that you may be filled with

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the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual

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understanding, that you may walk worthy of the

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Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every

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good work, and increasing in the knowledge of

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God, strengthened with all might according to

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His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering

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with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has

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qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance

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of the saints in the light. He has delivered

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us from the power of darkness and conveyed us

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into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom

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we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness

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of sins. He is the image of the invisible God,

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the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all

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things were created that are in heaven and that

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are on earth, visible and invisible, whether

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thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

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All things were created through Him and for Him,

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and He is before all things. and in him all things

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consist. And he is the head of the body, the

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church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from

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the dead, that in all things he may have the

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preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in

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him all the fullness should dwell, and by him

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to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether

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things on earth or things in heaven, having made

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peace through the blood of his cross. And you

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who once were alienated and enemies in your mind

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by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in

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the body of his flesh through death to present

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you holy and blameless and above reproach in

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his sight. If indeed you continue in the faith,

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grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away

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from the hope of the gospel which you heard,

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which was preached to every creature under heaven,

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of which I, Paul, became a minister, I now rejoice

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in my sufferings for you. And fill up in my flesh

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what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ,

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for the sake of his body, which is the church,

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of which I became a minister according to the

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stewardship from God, which was given to me for

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you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery

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which has been hidden from ages and from generations,

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but now has been revealed to his saints. To them

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God will to make known what are the riches of

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the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,

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which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him

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we preach, warning every man and teaching every

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man in all wisdom, that we may present every

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man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also

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labor, striving according to his working, which

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works in me mightily. Chapter 2 For I want you

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to know what a great conflict I have for you

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and those of Laodicea. and for as many as have

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not seen my face in the flesh that their hearts

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may be encouraged being knit together in love

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and attaining to all riches of the full assurance

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of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery

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of god both of the father and of christ in whom

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are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

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Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you

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with persuasive words. For though I am absent

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in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, receiving

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to see your good order and the steadfastness

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of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have

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received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

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rooted and built up in Him, and established in

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the faith. as you have been taught, abounding

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in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat

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you through philosophy and empty deceit, according

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to the tradition of men, according to the basic

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principles of the world, and not according to

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Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of

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the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him,

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who is the head of all principality and power.

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In him you are also circumcised with the circumcision

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made without hands. by putting off the body of

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the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of

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Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which

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you also were raised with him through faith in

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the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

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And you being dead in your trespasses and the

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uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive

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together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

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having wiped out the handwriting of requirements

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that was against us, which was contrary to us.

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And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed

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it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities

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and powers, he made a public spectacle of them.

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triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge

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you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival

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or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow

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of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

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Let no one cheat you of your reward. taking delight

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in false humility and worship of angels intruding

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into those things which he has not seen vainly

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puffed up by his fleshly mind and not holding

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fast to the head from whom all the body nourished

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and knit together by joints and ligaments grows

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with the increase that is from God. Therefore,

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if you died with Christ from the basic principles

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of the world, why, as though living in the world,

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do you subject yourselves to regulations, do

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not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which

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all concern things which perish with the using,

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according to the commandments and doctrines of

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men? These things indeed have an appearance of

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wisdom in self -imposed religion. false humility

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and neglect of the body, but are of no value

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against the indulgence of the flesh. If then

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you were raised with Christ, seek those things

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which are above, where Christ is, sitting at

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the right hand of God. set your mind on things

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above not on things on the earth for you died

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and your life is hidden with christ in god when

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christ who is our life appears then you also

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will appear with him in glory therefore put to

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death your members which are on the earth fornication

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uncleanness passion evil desire and covetousness,

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which is idolatry. Because of these things the

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wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

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in which you yourselves once walked when you

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lived in them. But now you yourselves are to

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put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,

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filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie

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to one another. Since you have put off the old

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man with his deeds, and have put on the new man

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who is renewed in knowledge according to the

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image of him who created him, where there is

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neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised,

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barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ

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is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of

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God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,

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kindness, humility, meekness, long -suffering,

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bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.

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If anyone has a complaint against another, even

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as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But

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above all these things, put on love, which is

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the bond of perfection, and let the peace of

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God rule in your hearts, to which also you were

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called in one body, and be thankful. Let the

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word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

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teaching and admonishing one another in psalms

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and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace

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in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you

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do in word or deed, do all in the name of the

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Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through

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him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is

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fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives

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and do not be bitter toward them. Children, Obey

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your parents in all things, for this is well

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-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke

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your children, lest they become discouraged.

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Bondservants, obey in all things your masters

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according to the flesh, not with eye -service

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as men -pleasers, but in sincerity of heart,

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fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily,

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as to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that from

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the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance,

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for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does

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wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and

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there is no partiality. Meanwhile, praying also

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for us, that God would open to us a door for

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the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for

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which I am also in chains, that I may make it

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manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom

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toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

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Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned

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with salt, that you may know how you ought to

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answer each one. Tichicus, a beloved brother.

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faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord,

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will tell you all the news about me. I am sending

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him to you for this very purpose, that he may

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know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

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with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother,

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who is one of you. They will make known to you

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all things which are happening here. Aristarchus,

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my fellow prisoner, greets you, with Mark, the

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cousin of Barnabas, about whom you received instructions.

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If he comes to you, welcome him. And Jesus, who

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is called Justice. These are my only fellow workers

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for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision.

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They have proved to be a comfort to me. Epaphras,

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who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets

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you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers,

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that you may stand perfect and complete in all

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the will of God. For I bear him witness that

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he has a great zeal for you, and those who are

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in Laodicea, and those in Herapolis. Luke, the

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beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Greet

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the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,

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and the church that is in his house. Now when

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this epistle is read among you, see that it is

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read also in the church of Laodiceans, and that

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you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.

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And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry

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which you have received in the Lord, that you

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may fulfill it. This salutation by my own hand,

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Paul. Remember my chains, grace be with you.

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Amen. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much

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as I did and I look forward to seeing you again

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tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless

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you and have a great day.