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.

¹⁸He is also the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning,^ad

the firstborn from the dead,^ae

so that he might come to have

first place in everything.

¹⁹For God was pleased to have

all his fullness^af dwell in him,^ag

²⁰and through him to reconcile

everything to himself,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace^ah

through his blood,^ai shed on the cross.^A^aj

Read in Logos

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

Footnotes

FOther add through his blood
AOther add through him

Cross references

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
ad Gn 1:1; Mk 1:1; Jn 1:1; Ac 26:4
ae Ac 26:23; 1Co 15:20,23; Rv 1:5
af Ps 72:19; Is 6:3; Jr 23:24; Ezk 43:5; 44:4; Jn 1:14,16; Eph 3:19; Php 2:6; Col 2:9
ag Dt 12:5
ah Ac 7:26; Eph 2:14
ai Heb 9:12
aj Lk 9:23; 23:26

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

NLTNew Living Translation

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.

Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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, and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything, because he was well pleased for all the fullness to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by making peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

KJV 1900King James Version

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. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Public Domain