¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you^E to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.^s ¹³He has rescued^t us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom^u of the Son^v he loves.^w ¹⁴In him we have redemption,^F the forgiveness of sins.

THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God,^x

the firstborn over all creation.^y

¹⁶For everything was created by him,^z

in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities—

all things have been created through him and for him.^aa

¹⁷He is before all things,^ab

and by him all things^ac hold together.

Read in Logos

Colossians 1:15: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Footnotes

EOther read us
FOther add through his blood

Cross references

s Ps 36:9; Jn 12:46
t Mt 27:43
u Mt 3:2; Mk 1:15; Ac 20:25
v Jn 5:19; Heb 1:2
w Mt 3:17; Jn 3:16; 15:10; 17:26; 1Jn 4:16
x Php 2:6
y Jn 1:3; Rv 3:14
z Gn 1:1; Mk 13:19
aa Jn 1:3; Rm 11:36; 1Co 8:6; Eph 1:10,21
ab Jn 1:1–2; 8:58; Heb 1:2–3
ac Ps 104:24

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

NLTNew Living Translation

always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things were created through him and for him, and he himself is before all things, and in him all things are held together,

KJV 1900King James Version

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Public Domain