Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for,j my joy and crown, stand firmk in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mindl in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers,m whose names are in the book of life.n

Final Exhortations

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!o 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.p 6 Do not be anxious about anything,q but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.r 7 And the peace of God,s which transcends all understanding,t will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.u And the God of peacev will be with you.

Thanks for Their Gifts

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.w Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be contentx whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,y whether living in plenty or in want.z 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.a

14 Yet it was good of you to shareb in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early daysc of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia,d not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;e 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica,f you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.g 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.h 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditusi the gifts you sent. They are a fragrantj offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needsk according to the riches of his gloryl in Christ Jesus.

20 To our God and Fatherm be glory for ever and ever. Amen.n

Final Greetings

21 Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with meo send greetings. 22 All God’s peoplep here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christq be with your spirit.r Amen.a

Colossians

Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote to the church in Colossae. False teachers were coaching the Colossians to worship angels and follow special rules and ceremonies. Paul corrected this thinking through his letter, stressing that faith in Christ is sufficient for salvation and that nothing needs to be added to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

1 Paul, an apostlea of Christ Jesus by the will of God,b and Timothyc our brother,

2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sistersa in Christ:

Graced and peace to you from God our Father.b e

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We always thank God,f the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the loveg you have for all God’s peopleh—5 the faith and love that spring from the hopei stored up for you in heavenj and about which you have already heard in the true messagek of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruitl and growing throughout the whole worldm—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras,n our dear fellow servant,c who is a faithful ministero of Christ on ourd behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.p

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you,q we have not stopped praying for you.r We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his wills through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,e t 10 so that you may live a life worthyu of the Lord and please himv in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,w 11 being strengthened with all powerx according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,y 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,z who has qualified youf to share in the inheritancea of his holy people in the kingdom of light.b 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darknessc and brought us into the kingdomd of the Son he loves,e 14 in whom we have redemption,f the forgiveness of sins.g

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the imageh of the invisible God,i the firstbornj over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created:k things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;l all things have been created through him and for him.m 17 He is before all things,n and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the heado of the body, the church;p he is the beginning and the firstbornq from among the dead,r so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleaseds to have all his fullnesst dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcileu to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,v by making peacew through his blood,x shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemiesy in your mindsz because ofg your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconcileda you by Christ’s physical bodyb through death to present youc holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusationd—23 if you continuee in your faith, establishedf and firm, and do not move from the hopeg held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,h and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.i

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoicej in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,k for the sake of his body, which is the church.l 25 I have become its servantm by the commission God gave men to present to you the word of Godo in its fullness—26 the mysteryp that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make knownq among the Gentiles the glorious richesr of this mystery, which is Christ in you,s the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishingt and teaching everyone with all wisdom,u so that we may present everyone fully maturev in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuouslyw contendx with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.y