7 as you also learned from kEpaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is la faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your mlove in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

9 nFor this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask othat you may be filled with pthe knowledge of His will qin all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 rthat you may walk worthy of the Lord, sfully pleasing Him, tbeing fruitful in every good work and increasing in the uknowledge of God; 11 vstrengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, wfor all patience and longsuffering xwith joy; 12 ygiving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of zthe inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from athe power of darkness band 3conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 cin whom we have redemption 4through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is dthe image of the invisible God, ethe firstborn over all creation. 16 For fby Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or gdominions or 5principalities or 6powers. All things were created hthrough Him and for Him. 17 iAnd He is before all things, and in Him jall things consist. 18 And kHe is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, lthe firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

19 For it pleased the Father that min Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and nby Him to reconcile oall things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, phaving made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, qwho once were alienated and enemies in your mind rby wicked works, yet now He has sreconciled 22 tin the body of His flesh through death, uto present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue vin the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are wnot moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, xwhich was preached to every creature under heaven, yof which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

24 zI now rejoice in my sufferings afor you, and fill up in my flesh bwhat is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for cthe sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to dthe 7stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 ethe 8mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, fbut now has been revealed to His saints. 27 gTo them God willed to make known what are hthe riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: 9which is iChrist in you, jthe hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, kwarning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, lthat we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mmightily.